Think back to the last time you washed your hands. How many things have you touched since then? A breakfast sandwich, your face, your dog, the refrigerator handle, a chair, the desk, scratched itch on your foot, your hair and, lastly, your keyboard.
Now, think about where your computer sits. Do you eat your lunch over the keyboard? Are you in the office with people walking past? Or in a home where someone is coughing or sneezing?
Add all of these factors together and you’re left with a lot of germs living on your keyboard. So many that WebMD ranks keyboards the fourth germiest place in the office.
How can I safely clean my keyboard?
There are a few easy ways to clean your keyboard:
- Blow the keyboard with compressed air
- Wipe it down with distilled water
- Make your own cleaner that is safe for keyboards and screens
- Use a cotton swab to get into the smaller places, like in-between keys
- Disinfectant wipes, but do not use these on your screen
- Do not spray liquids directly on to the keyboard
- Avoid products with bleach
- Do not put your keyboard in water
How can I keep it clean?
A 2018 study from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found disinfecting your keyboard just once can significantly reduce germs and bacteria.
Regular disinfecting in addition to frequent hand washing and avoiding activities like eating over the keyboard won’t keep the germs away, but it will cut down on all of the germs and bacteria living in the keyboard capital of QWERTY.
More problems, solved
