have a bandit day

I just came into possession of a Shrek-green LG Rumor to use in the interim time until my cell phone service contract expires. Quickly becoming indispensable, it remains a wonderful little device (though a bit sluggish with the menus) to feed my information addiction.

Cell phone screens like mine attract finger and ear prints, forcing me to continuously clean my screen with my shirt with full blown OCD ferocity.

the sum of all fears.

Luckily, @Filipnoy85 gave me a great tip on keeping your screen smudge and ding free.

What you will need:

• Clear packing tape
• Q-tips (or cotton swabs, depending on where you live and how you grew up)
• Rubbing Alcohol
• X-acto Knife
• Utter intrepidity

Directions:

1. Clean your screen with utmost care. Gingerly dip your Q-tip into the alcohol and clean the surface of your screen. You won’t need a lot of rubbing alcohol on your swab because it will evaporate quickly.
2. Draw out a moderately large size piece of packing tape; a bit more than enough to cover most of the body of your phone. Carefully ensure that no finger prints will appear on the adhesive section overlaying the screen.
3. Begin applying the well outside of the screen area to create an anchor. Pulling the tape tight will create tension, making the application easier. I used a cotton swab to apply pressure onto the tape/screen, smoothly swiping side to side (the tip without the alcohol, foo.) If air bubbles are formed, simple lift the tape up and apply again.
4. Once your screen is adequately covered, run the blade of your SHARP X-acto knife along the edge of your screen and remove the excess. Because I have a protective covering that surrounds my screen, I left an innocuous pull tab for easy removal of the cover. If you don’t use a body case on your phone, um…cut all the way around and figure something out later.

Note:
It took me a few trials to create a covering I was happy with. The first few attempts had a few noticeable errors but by attempt #4 I was quite satisfied with the result. I have an air bubble in the first quadrant of my screen, but it’s something I can live with. I anticipate replacing the covering every couple of weeks or so; I don’t expect the adhesive to leave any residue, but I’ll find out. A bit of rubbing alcohol should clear it up.

This DIY project should keep minor dings and scratches away. Make sure you carry your phone and keys in different pockets, fellas.