Sunny Health

It's the season for spring-cleaning and many of us are working hard on cleaning our rooms and clearing out clutter. However, it is human nature to overlook the little things, such as our keyboards, which, according to a study, has 60% more germs than a toilet seat because we touch it so often, even when we're eating.

If you use your computer often and don't clean it, your keyboard would be home to many types of bacteria, including staph and strep bacteria. These can cause various infections like pharyngitis (strep throat), bacterial pneumonia and cellulitis which can lead to toxic shock syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease. If you touch your face often while working, needless to say, you're also creating a breeding ground for acne.

Clean your keyboard / laptop often

Make sure to clean your keyboard / laptop at least once a week, not just your own precious keyboard at home, but also the one at your office, which you probably use more.

First of all, lift up your keyboard / laptop and gently but firmly shake it so that bits and pieces like food crumbs and eraser shavings fall out of it. Wipe your table, and then use a keyboard brush to sweep in between the keys. That should dislodge more filth. Finally, use bacteria wipes to wipe your screen and the exposed surface of your keys. Don't use a wet cloth as water may cause your device to fail. Should you wish to use a wet cloth, make sure you wipe your device when it is turned off, and set it aside to dry before using.

For stubborn dirt and dust stuck in between the keys, there are USB vacuum cleaners to help.

Keep your hands clean

Keep a small bottle of hand sanitiser next to your keyboard, so that you can use it whenever you stop work to do something else. This will relieve the hassle of having to go to the toilet all the time.

And on the habit of your beloved gadgets, don't forget your touchscreen tablets and phones! Take a good look at them under the light, you might be shocked (but you shouldn't) to see it grimy and even with finger prints all over. Use a piece of wet tissue or better still, alcohol wipes, to wipe your screen. Do use a microfibre cloth to wipe your phone all over as well once it is dry. You should in fact make this a regular habit. We're so attached to our phones these days that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they are an extension of our hands, and every bit as dirty.