No television would be complete without a remote control. TV companies have started to take liberties with this tried-and-true control method, from making them really tiny and eliminating buttons to incorporating microphones and even screens on remote controls. While many modern smart TVs have shifted to Bluetooth or Radio Frequency (RF) connections, there are still millions of good old-fashioned infrared and universal remote options out there. Every TV owner also knows that a remote control getting dirty is pretty much unavoidable. 

Whether it’s dust from not using it very often or from the oil of snacks you prepared for movie night, it’s just a fact of life — remote controls get dirty. Cleaning a remote control is simple, and you should try to do it monthly, especially if someone in your house is sick, to kill any potential germs. All you need is 70% rubbing alcohol, a microfiber cloth, and some toothpicks, all of which you probably already have lying around the house.

The cleaning process itself is pretty straightforward. First, for safety, ensure that you remove the batteries from the remote. Then dab or spray a bit of rubbing alcohol onto the microfiber cloth and gently wipe down the remote. If you can’t find 70% isopropyl alcohol, don’t worry, you can also use a standard electronics-safe disinfecting wipe, which is among the useful gadgets and tools to keep your electronics clean and sanitized. This helps with stickiness, and as we know, stickiness is an unavoidable reality with any remote control, whether that is from food and skin creams, or perhaps the remote you have is really old, and the buttons have developed rubber reversion. 

If you’re cleaning your remote primarily to kill germs or disinfect it after someone in your house was sick, the American Chemistry Council has a handful of products, which were approved during the COVID-19 days, including Lysol and Clorox disinfecting wipes.

Once you wipe it down, use a toothpick to remove any leftover grime around the buttons’ edges. Then, dry off the remote, re-insert the batteries, and you may continue your Netflix movie nights. Not only does cleaning the remote control help maintain good hygiene around the house, but let’s face it, none of us wants to hand one of our guests a dirty remote with sticky buttons. We might risk never having them as our guests again.