Keyboards 'dirtier than a toilet'

Keyboards 'dirtier than a toilet'

news.bbc.co.uk

Some computer keyboards harbour more harmful bacteria than a toilet seat, research has suggested.

Consumer group Which? said tests at its London offices found equipment carrying bugs that could cause food poisoning.

Out of 33 keyboards swabbed, four were regarded as a potential health hazard and one harboured five times more germs than one of the office's toilet seats.

(visit the link for the full news article)

A fresh article tho not particularly CT-related, I know, but I'm posting this as a public service on this high-profile area of ATS as it is good health information to know about, especially for anyone sharing computers in an office or public environment.

I hope the mods will indulge this post here to spread the word.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

EDIT: Please disregard.

Sorry, my mistake.

[edit on 2-5-2008 by Sir Francis Bacon]

reply to post by gottago


Yea, Im not supprised. I keep my keyboard and mouse really clean, but Ive used some peoples and some public computers and they are filthy - always make a point to wash my hands really well after having used them.

-fm

This doesn't surprise me a whole lot. The toilet seat is one of the cleanest places in any home. Myth Busters did a recent segment on how much bacteria a food item would pick up when exposed to various spots on the kitchen floor, and then they tried the toilet seat as well. It wasn't even close, the kitchen floor had way more bacteria than the toilet seat.

Knowing that.. if I still had to choose between the toilet seat and kitchen floor or keyboard, etc., I'd still avoid the toilet seat. Clean or not, no thanks.

reply to post by chissler


lol, you could eat off my best friends floor. His mum keeps it sooo clean.
But regardless Im sure in the typical house its as the myth busters tested it.


-fm

reply to post by chissler

Yeah those paper seat protector things are hilarious. Or those people that build a little birds nest out of toilet paper. Sure some people are incompetent and can't seem to manage to get all their waste in the bowl, but usually the seat is the cleanest place in the entire bathroom.

theres also a study that said women's keyboards are 5 times filthier than guys keyboard, which is ironic dont you think.

Link


i personnel prefer to keep things clean by not eating everywhere like some people but what worries me is cell phones, i put them so close to my ears...

You know what sux?
I eat using my computer and work computers all the time.
The upside is im probably building some super immunity to all the nasty germs and what not.

I have written a couple of posts for this thread, and then deleted them, because they showed just how obssessive / compulsive I really am.

Originally, I tried to use Lysol(tm) to keep things clean in my home office (the "study"). It's the one place where the kids aren't allowed.

In addition to my weekly or semi-weekly Lysol-ing of lightswitches,remotes, doorknobs, drawer handles, and toilet handle (after the cleaning-woman has pre-disinfected it, of course), I tried to disinfect my computer including keyboard, volume controls, CD operner, boot button, etc.

The problem is, Lysol degrades plastic with repeated application.

I am currently working on a system to sterilize my keyboard using UV light. I'm not sure how many lumens per second it will take. Once work slows down, the oldest child and I will get out my microscope and take some cultures before and after exposure to UV.

Yes, I have thought about using rubber gloves for the "public" computer at work. *shudders.* But I'm allergic to latex So I've settled on just surrounding the public computer with hand sanitizer dispensers, buying a slipcover for the keyboard, and washing my hands of the issue.

Don't even get me started on the public toilet. My employers have repeatedly refused my requests for my own personal bathroom at the office. I try to control my BMs to the point where I only sit down on Tues, Thurs or Saturday in the afternooons, just after the janitors have "cleaned" the facilities, and before most of the lumpenproletariat have digested their lunches.

For emergencies, I keep some flushable wetwipes in my desk, since the mens room usually has the toilet paper just lying on the back of the toilet, and people touching it repeatedly while in the process of wiping themselves.

.