The Smartphone is a Disease Carrier There are five times more bacteria on your cell phone than on the toilet rim. It sounds scary, but it's true. They're often carried in their hands, in their faces, in their bags, and in their pockets. In this case, the gadget all the time fogs up and heats up. Particularly "dirty" smartphones can cause food poisoning, rashes on the face and hands and even dangerous intestinal infections. What to use? Among the most common household remedies, ethyl and isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite do a good job.