first bugs, then viruses, now germs...

[ahhaa]

for any who've missed it:

Morning Edition, June 14, 2007 · Studies show that computer keyboards have more bacteria than toilet seats. But it's hard to clean all those keys. So some people advocate an extreme solution: Throw your keyboard in your dishwasher.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11029793

[ntscuser]

Other studies have shown than kitchen chopping boards also contain more bacteria than a toilet seat so I now use a toilet seat as a chopping board. Problem solved!

[jagabo]

Rinse thoroughly with distilled water.

[Ai Haibara]

Darn, now I have an image of people instant-messaging and web-browsing in biohazard suits. Where did I put mine?

[SCDVD]

There was a recent story in the news about a school that found that the water out of the water fountains had more germs in it than water from the toilets.

[Cornucopia]

Sounds like a lot of people with bad habits. Especially, NOT CLEANING their stuff.

I wanna know where these studies have been done so I can avoid these places!

Scott

[Xylob the Destroyer]

I recently saw a study/report in a similar vein that stated women's keyboards have 4 times as many germs & bacteria than those of men.

[Des]

I suppose there is always UV light, alchohol swabs or clean-freak mother in-laws.

I personally try not to pick my nose at the keyboard, that's my contribution to computer hygene

--dES

[Cornucopia]

Wonder if there's any correllation between the level of bacteria and the presence of downloaded PORN?



Scott

[lordsmurf]

I clean mine about every 6 months, using q-tips, alcohol, and a can of compressed air. It's mostly just dust, but you get a few other things trapped in there too.

[ahhaa]

well, PopScience has a list of the 10 worst jobs in Science- their worst was collecting whale excrecences, but mine was Hazmat divers going into a factory scale pig farm's sludge pond...

[SCDVD]

well, PopScience has a list of the 10 worst jobs in Science- their worst was collecting whale excrecences, but mine was Hazmat divers going into a factory scale pig farm's sludge pond...

Sounds like the factory in China where they make the dye for DVD media.

[edDV]

Keyboards are full of decaying food. The mouse is laden with anal bacteria. Worse than shopping carts they say.

[MOVIEGEEK]

The mouse is laden with anal bacteria.

What do you do with your mouse?!

I have a Ronco autoclave that I use to sterilize everything.

[ofbarea]

we need something similar to iSkin for all keyboards...

that could be wash at will...

[redwudz]

Seems a lot of the problems could be cured by just washing your hands after using a 'foreign' keyboard.

[edDV]

I keep those Lysol wet pads near the computer.

[thecoalman]

but you get a few other things trapped in there too.

Smurf turds?

[HemLok]

If I still used an amazing old built-like-a-tank IBM keyboard then I'd have no issues throwing it in the dishwasher. Newer keyboards are too easy to kill. It seems if you sneeze wrong they break. I prefer the newer keyboards usage-wise but they just don't stand up to wear and tear let alone the water and heat of a dishwasher.

[zoobie]

I read what's even worse is the tv remote especially in hotels...never cleaned.

[classfour]

There are keyboard skins available on the market.

Never heard of a mouse skin.

[ntscuser]

I read what's even worse is the tv remote especially in hotels...never cleaned.

Remove the batteries. Brush the buttons with methylated spirits. Leave until completely dry. Replace the batteries.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

I'm just not that paranoid about germs.
I survived a rather nasty case of West Nile virus -- that which does not kill me....