Got 43 seconds? Here's how to sanitize your camera and printing kit

Got 43 seconds? Here's how to sanitize your camera and printing kit
(Image credit: Canon)

With the COVID-19 crisis showing no sign of abating, it's more important than ever to keep all your equipment safe and sanitized. So Canon has just released a quick, helpful guide to on how to sanitize your camera and printer setup.

Whether you're the only one using your kit or you're sharing it with your family or household, it's crucial to keep everything that you handle clean and sanitized – especially since your camera comes up and makes direct contact with your face, as well as your eye area. 

Canon's video is produced specifically with Canon cameras and printers in mind, but these cleaning tips can be applied to any such equipment. (After all, your bottle of cleaning solution doesn't care what brand of camera it's being applied to!)

The video is below, and at just 43 seconds there's really no excuse for not watching it. The key takeaways are as follows:

DO
• Turn device off, unplug from power source and remove battery
• Wear and properly disclose of protective gloves
• Ensure you have proper ventilation before beginning
• Use 70-80% isopropyl or ethyl alcohol
• Apply with lint-free cloth
• Clean exterior parts only 

DON'T
• Spray or apply product directly to product
• Do not use product until thoroughly dry

Canon does disclaim that these sanitization measures are no guarantee of eliminating COVID-19. However, these are the best ways that you can safely clean and keep your imaging equipment as safe as possible.

Other manufacturer have released their own cleaning guidelines, such as Apple's instructions on how to disinfect your iPhone and iPad and how to disinfect your Olympus mirrorless camera. And for the ultimate overview, here's a technician's breakdown of how to disinfect your camera, lenses and other equipment

Read more: 

The best Canon camera: Canon's DSLR, mirrorless and compact cameras
The best Canon lenses: go longer, wider and closer with your Canon camera
The best photo printer: top regular and wide format photo printers

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James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.