Is Your Computer Keyboard Filled With Germs?

People do just about everything with their computer keyboards. They communicate over them, they eat over them and with the popularity of Internet porn, well, we’ll leave that to your imagination.

But while your keyboard is as much a part of your computing existence as your operating system, you may not be aware that it can get as dirty as the stuff in your laundry hamper. Studies have shown viruses, E. coli and salmonella all thriving on keyboards and phones. Enter Jacqueline Miller, a woman with an unusual profession and an equally unusual obsession – cleaning your keyboard.

“When they’re not cleaned often or ever cleaned then, yes (they are dirty),” she stated.

Miller practically turns keyboards inside out to make sure they are spotless.  In the process she removes hair, crumbs, fingernails, and just about anything else that could lodge itself in the inside the crevasses of computer equipment.

Besides making workplaces clean and shiny, Miller’s work may bring other long-term benefits.

“There are people that have said…’This is amazing. We haven’t had anybody off sick,’ ” she boasts.

Jacqueline charges an average of $6.50 to clean your keyboard, about 5 bucks for your phone.

Jacqueline Miller
computercleaningservices.com

How to clean your computer keyboard

Other areas to watch for

The Kitchen Counter

It’s where you prepare a lot of your meals and it can be easily contaminated with meat juices, E. coli, salmonella and other hostile beasties. Use a disinfectant and clean it after every meal you make.

The Refrigerator

It keeps food from going bad longer, but it’s not foolproof. The cold slows down the bugs, but it doesn’t stop them. It’s a good idea to clean it out thoroughly every now and then, especially if you’ve spilt anything in it. And while you’re likely thinking about the inside, don’t forget the outside. The top and back of your fridge are almost always out of sight, but they’re dust magnets and prone to having lots of dirt all over them.

Air vents

When was the last time you got all your ducts in a row? The amount of dust in your home circulates unseen and can be coming up from the furnace. Make sure you clean them often or have a professional take on the challenge.

Your bed

You can’t see them, but you’re sharing your sleeping quarters with a whole host of microscopic creatures that live on your skin. Vacuuming your mattress once in a while is a good way to keep them in check.

Your sofa cushions

As Fonzie was fond of saying, “sit on it!” And you do, probably every day. But when was the last time you cleaned under them or on top of them?

Plush toys

Every child loves them and getting them away from the kid long enough to clean them can be a challenge. But teddy bears and their brethren get dragged, crumpled, slept on and manhandled every day, creating a germ factory you don’t want your young ones – or you – exposed to.