Oi dirty desk - you're a health hazard
Posted 2 May 2008 at 2:58PM by Hannah Gilchrist in Hints and tips
How many times in the last year have you caught a cold? Once or twice? Well you may be surprised to learn that it could be your keyboard that's keeping you away.
You're sat at your desk, munching on your breakfast, lunch and even a few snacks in between. It's great for convenience, but what about when you're finished? Ok you may throw your wrappers straight in the bin, but what about all those crumbs left behind?
Put simply, that thing you're pounding your fingers on is actually dirtier than a toilet seat. Even if you wash your hands with disinfectant, those bugs are still going to get you.
So what can you do to stop the spread? First things first, give your keyboard a shake. Emptying out all the crumbs will stop the growth of bacteria. Also wiping down the keys with alcohol wipes should banish any germs that are transferred from your hands after a cold or virus.
But now you've done your keyboard it could be time to recycle those piles of paper on your desk - well they're a health hazard too!
Tags: bt, bt broadbandoffice, health and safety, keyboard
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Comments
2. At May 2, 2008 10:04 PM, Amanda Jane wrote:
I have never spent the time taking my keys off the keyboard with a screwdriver, I have never had teh time in the 18 years I have been using them. However, I do try to clean it with a baby wipe or computer screen wip when I remember. Especially, when my 2 year old little boy has got to the computer and been eating at the same time! I just have a bad memory!
3. At May 3, 2008 10:43 AM, George St. Pierre wrote:
The muck in keyboards is scary, what makes it even more scary is this...
In the workplace I am in, if you go to the toilet....the ammount of people you notice who DO NOT WASH THEIR HANDS!!! I am not talking just the odd one or two, I am talking over 20!
Then you add in the fact you could be using the same keyboard as them at some point, who knows what bacteria gets transferred to your hands from the keyboard then.
I am actually starting to bring to work alchohol based hand cleaner (like nurses use), just to try and stop any spread of bacteria and apply it before I start working in the morning, then when I go for lunch, then when I leave work at the evening.
There is no provisions for cleaning the keybaords and desks here, I think there was a bunch of cleaners in specifically for this task a month or so ago, but due to them damaging some of the work stations, they have never been seen or heard of again...so the cleanliness standards of each workstation is called into question.....*scary*
4. At May 3, 2008 10:09 PM, Chris Goode wrote:
if you drop crumbs in your keyboard, you might attract some bacteria and fungi but colds are caused by a virus so you can't catch colds from a keyboard, unless you are using someone elses, and then suck your thumbs!!
5. At May 4, 2008 9:38 AM, J G Dawson wrote:
Dirty desk is right - What's wrong with a napkin over the keyboard? Makes me wonder how these people eat at home; must be a pigsty.
6. At May 6, 2008 3:34 PM, SARAH & BECKY wrote:
this article has shocked us both we shook our keybords and were stuned with the amount of muck in there i realiosed i should do this more often not just clean the outside all though we do not have time to undo all the keys indervidualy
7. At May 6, 2008 4:34 PM, The Big Show wrote:
You get wee hoovers for yor keyboard. Suck out that muck without having to pull off your keys!
Of course it's not a problem for me. I don't drop crumbs. The Big Show don't like to waste food!
8. At May 6, 2008 4:38 PM, Marc Ferguson wrote:
Someone has shed nearly a full set of eyelashes into my keyboard it would seem!
9. At May 6, 2008 8:03 PM, kim wrote:
well it does take time and its fiddly to take off the keys and clean inside - but its a once a year job, the keyboard responds quicker too, so isnt it worth an hour of your time?
10. At May 7, 2008 11:48 AM, J G Dawson wrote:
You'd think someone in China would have come up with a soft keyboard cover by now similar to those used on tills in pubs and clubs to prevent liquid ingress - Whoops have I blown a patent here?...
11. At May 8, 2008 8:07 AM, Dr J Zoidberg wrote:
the farnsworth parabox : in my experience keyboards have all sorts of wonderful plankton that can be found, maybe some cheese... mmmm... oh and this one time pepperoni! what a wonderful day that was!
12. At May 12, 2008 4:30 PM, Marc Ferguson wrote:
@J G Dawson
Businesses should go one step further and employ the use of waterproof roll-up keyboards.
http://www.hela.co.uk/duraflexcomfort.htm
More ergonomic and don't take a PhD to be able to clean.
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1. At May 2, 2008 5:12 PM, kim wrote: