Is your computer making you sick? It might be.
In fact, studies show that computers are a haven for germs. The average computer mouse is said to carry 3 to 5 times more germs than a toilet seat. In one study, one computer had 150 times the acceptable limit for bacteria and was ordered to be bagged and quarantined until cleaned.
So clean your computer on a regular basis. But how? It’s easier than you think.
Here’s how to clean your computer in 5 minutes with things you already have around the house. A little rubbing alcohol and a foam swab are all you’ll really need to disinfect and clean your computer. You can substitute a soft cloth if you don’t have a foam swab (Q-tips tend to leave fibers behind). And if you don’t have any rubbing alcohol use a 50-50 mix of vinegar and water with just a drop of soap added.
1 Minute
First turn off the computer and unplug cords. If you have a laptop, make sure you shut it down completely. To be really safe you might remove the battery but this isn’t’ necessary if you are careful.
Now, put a little rubbing alcohol into a dish and dip in a foam swab (foam is better than cotton or even cloth because it doesn’t leave fibres behind). Run the cotton swab over all buttons, vents, and grooves in the computer and follow this with a dry swab or cloth. The rubbing alcohol will help take away any grease or residue from air movement.
Wipe the screen starting at the top and swiping down with a barely damp cloth.
2 Minutes
Buy a can of compressed air. Hold the keyboard sideways over a garbage can and blast the entire keyboard and every small crevice you can find. If you don’t want to spend the 7-10 dollars on overpriced compressed air (I actually found the cans recently for 2 bucks at the dollar store), you can use your vacuum. A kids paintbrush can help here too.
3 Minutes
With a clean alcohol-dipped foam or cloth, wipe the top of they keyboard gently and then trace the outside of each key on your keyboard.
4 Minutes
With the rubbing-alcohol cloth, tackle the mouse, including the bottom. If it has a trackball, spin the ball a few times with your cloth. Turn the computer back on and get going on that brilliant novel/to-do list/e-mail you’ve been putting off.
5 Minutes
That’s it – you’re done. If you are REALLY pressed for time, you can use a disinfectant wipe instead of the rubbing alcohol mixture.
And one more tip: now that your keyboard is clean – wash your hands before you use it. 🙂
Just a thought.
Oh – and one more thing. While your at it, give the phone and your desktop a wipe too. You don’t want to know how many germs are on those! But they’re easy and quick to clean – so give them a quick go-over too.