We investigated the antimicrobial, cytotoxicity, skin irritation, and ion elution behaviors of glass doped with silver ions with respect to its application to electronic equipment such as phones and tablet screens. The microbes tested were Escherichia con, Staphylococcus aureus, and Penicillium funiculosum. AgNO3 powder was spread on both sides of aluminosilicate glass, and it was heated-to 250-280 degrees C for 10 min. Under optimized heating conditions (260 degrees C, 10 min), the antimicrobial activity of ion-exchanged glass against bacteria and fungi was over 99.9% after 24 weeks. The glass failed to irritate the skin of experimental animals and was considered non-cytotoxic. The maximum amount of Ag ions that were eluted from the ion-exchanged glass into drinking water was measured at 0.037 +/- 0.003 mu g L-1, an amount which is several orders of magnitude below the standard limit of 0.1 mg L-1 in drinking water. Ag ion-exchanged glass had characteristics suitable for use as a display screen, such as a light transmittance of 90% and a surface roughness of 0.704 nm. Our findings suggest that glass doped with silver ions is more hygienic than non-doped glass is, and should be applied to display screens and glassware. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.