Because of the coronavirus outbreak, many people across the world grew more anxious at the idea of getting infected by the day.
It’s nothing new to see online advisories left and right from health professionals encouraging people not only to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds (pro tip: sing the full chorus to happy birthday), but also to disinfect their devices and the groceries from outside.
Keeping various surfaces and gadgets clean is considered as a must these days. However, gaming giant Nintendo recently issued a warning about using alcohol to clean Switch joy-cons.
Cleaning your joy-cons
Apparently, there’s a proper way to keep your joy-cons clean. You might want to set aside your bottle of alcohol for this one.
A lot of gamers are cautious enough to disinfect their handheld consoles such as their Nintendo Switch. This is not a problem, as cleaning can help prevent the spread of the virus.
But with Nintendo Switch sales spiking due to mandatory quarantine, Nintendo’s Japanese Twitter account officially issued a warning to gamers about the proper way of cleaning their joy-cons:
最近、お客様から「Nintendo Switch本体やJoy-Conをアルコール除菌したい」というお問い合わせをいただくことがあります。
大変申し訳ございませんが、プラスチック部品が色あせたり、変形したりする可能性がありますので、アルコールの使用は避けてください。 https://t.co/pedMhV7G3W
— 任天堂サポート (@nintendo_cs) April 10, 2020
“Please avoid using alcohol as plastic parts may fade or deform.”
Alcohol is discouraged for cleaning
Turns out, alcohol-based cleaning products can cause plastic parts of the console and its joy-cons to fade in color or be deformed.
Non-alcohol based wet wipes could also possibly damage the plastic components of the Nintendo Switch so its use is also discouraged, as is explained in a follow-up tweet.
Instead, Nintendo suggests using a dry soft cloth to wipe off dirt on your handheld consoles.
A major adjustment
Since the coronavirus is confirmed to spread through lingering on surfaces touched by those infected (asymptomatic or not), a little color fade is considerably an acceptable risk to some.
Color fade and potential damage to the Switch’s plastic parts are only some of the price you have to pay to have a sound mind. After all, thoroughly cleaning surfaces is confirmed by medical experts to kill COVID-19 related germs.
Although Nintendo encouraged the use of a dry soft cloth, some users even went to suggest some ways to effectively clean off the Switch consoles in the replies:
“With the new coronavirus, you can wipe off the detergent with a diluted solution…”
“A dry soft cloth will not remove the slimy skin oil, so wipe it with a thin soapy water.”
People around the world are adapting to a new way of life to deal with the virus, hence it’s necessary to make some lifestyle changes given the circumstances.
The demand for Nintendo Switch is continuously booming. More Switch owners are turning to their consoles by the day as a pastime. So, following ideal practices for the console is up to the owner’s decision. Staying safe should always be at the top of your priorities.
