Computer Keyboards Could Be Bad for Your Health
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Something right in front of you might be making you sick: your computer keyboard.
Eating lunch in your cubicle, having a late night snack while you tweet on Twitter and just general disregard for cleaning the keyboard can all lead to the risk of food poisoning and other common bugs—a condition recently nicknamed the "qwerty tummy" after the "Q-W-E-R-T-Y" keys on the keyboard.
Sticky fingers, crumbs and not washing your hands after using the bathroom can all add up to a very filthy keyboard. Thosecracks and crevices between buttons are a great place for germs to gather. The germs transfer to the natural oils on your fingers and then right to your mouth if you're eating while typing.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTA 2006 study published in the Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology revealedthat more than half of the keyboards they studied were contaminated with some pretty nasty germs: 100% of the keyboards hadcoagulase-negative staphylococci. Other organisms found on the keyboards? Diphtheroids (80%), Micrococcus species (72%), and Bacillus species (64%). Other pathogens that were detected includedORSA (4% of keyboards), oxacillin-susceptible S. aureus (4%), vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus species (12%), and nonfermentative Gram-negative rods (36%). These might just sound like long names to you, but the bottom lineisthey are all bacteria that can make you sick.
With the surge in people using their computers (not to mention smart phones) around the clock to work and stay socially connected, the germs harbored on these keyboards should be taken seriously. If it helps you realize that perhaps more than just a light dusting is needed to keep your keyboard germ-free, a study done by a microbiologist at Kingmoor Technological Services in Carlisle, England revealed that the swab of a keyboard contained more than five times more germs than a similarly tested keyboard.
Even worse? When you leave your office cubicle at night, if there are mice in the building, they may be running across your tasty, crumb filled keyboard and leaving you some lovely pellets as a parting gift. You may not notice them, but they will be getting on your fingers...which go into your mouth...and so on.
How do you keep your keyboard clean? Buy a keyboard cover. Retailers such as Best Buy or Staples sell covers that go right over your keys to protect them from crumbs and little creatures of the night. Wipe the cover off with a disinfectant wipe a few times a day.
If you don't have a cover, take the time to clean your keyboard daily if you use it frequently. Read the manual that accompanies your computer as there may be specific instructions to protect your keyboard from damage.
Other suggestions for good keyboard hygiene:
- Gently turn the keyboard upside down to lightly shake out any food particles.
- Buy a can of "air duster" specifically designed for keyboards that blasts compressed gas out of the nozzle. This aids in cleaning.
- Use a germ-busting wipe that is safe for computers to clean off the grimy keys. Enduster for Electronics is a popular pick.
- Don't eat near your keyboard.
Just not diligent enough to keep up with the cleaning process? Invest in a medical grade keyboard that can be thrown in the dishwasher. Used in many hospitals, the product is called "Seal Shield" and it's a fully submersible keyboard. It will cost you about $60 for a standard keyboard and $90 for a wireless. Find them online at NewEgg.com.
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