By Dylan Deprey
Mike Taylor shows off his COVID-19 cellphone cleaning kit. (Photo by Dylan Deprey)
Mike Taylor never considered himself a “tech guy.” He wasn’t the person at the mall kiosk talking about upgrades and data plans and the cellphone business was never his calling.
But like everyone else, he did own one and like many, he knew how dirty phones were—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A little curiosity and some YouTube searches lead him to several “how to keep your phone COVID free” videos. It was such a simple concept, yet nobody was doing anything to capitalize on a convenient and health-conscience service.
“People invest so much into their phone, but don’t actually take the care to clean them,” Taylor said. “I also saw people doing it on their kitchen table and things like that, and I didn’t want people to have to worry about their phones.”
A little tinkering with a to-go container, padding and a sanitized surface, and he created his “safety zone” for properly cleaning a smartphone.
Taylor said he adapted to a strict process to minimize any chance of contamination or damage during the cleaning process.
When it’s time to clean, he masks up, gloves up and gets to work.
It starts with taking the cases off, and an initial wipe with the sanitizer cloth. He then uses a magic eraser to buff any smudges, and sets it back in the “safety area.” He then repeats the process on the cases. He then wipes down everything with a paper towel to dry it.
“It’s all about not tracking dirt and germs from one thing to the next,” he said. “You’d be surprised how dirty it can get.”
Whether it’s a pandemic or not, tests have shown that cellphones have 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Taylor said it was an all-around way to keep everybody healthy.
“It really only takes a few minutes to do a phone, there’s no scrape, no scratches and it’s clean. I’m not trying to get rich, just trying to do something positive in the community because it benefits us all,” Taylor said.
Taylor has set up shop at local events and clubs. He said the average cleaning is around 3 minutes for a $4 cleaning.
“People might think like what makes this guy so special if anybody can do it?’ But, nobody’s going out to the public and pushing it forward,” he said. “I want people to see that this can be big, we could be in beauty and barbershops, the stadiums could have COVID-19 cleaning stations.”
Taylor said he wanted to take the Mike’s COVID-19 Cellphone Cleaning to the next level, and for the idea to be a catalyst for others to follow.
“When I was young, I was a bad boy, but I’m not anymore and I’m trying to show that with my actions and my ideas,” he said. “I’m trying to do something positive for myself and the community. This vision isn’t just thinking about today, but years from now, so we can grow up and blow up.”
Anyone interested in Mike’s COVID-19 Cellphone Cleaning can reach Mike Taylor at 262-212-7345.