Keep it Clean, else it is a Smart Home for Germs!

You Have 21,000 Germs Per Square Inch On Your handheld device, whether it be laptop, mobile or desktop! Can you believe this? Yes, it's a proven fact.

"A microbiologist at the University of Arizona counted bacteria on workplace surfaces for a study sponsored by The Clorox Co., makers of Clorox bleach. Office toilet seats had 49 germs per square inch, he found. But desktops had almost 21,000 germs per square inch. Desks, phones, computer keyboards and mice are key germ transfer points because people touch them so often..." ~ CNN.com

When it comes to day to day electronic gadgets, all we tend to think about is the stuff we see on the screen, keyboard and handheld mobile devices. Most of us tend to neglect the basic fact of keeping them clean.

Every computer, laptop (in fact all electronic gadgets) have vents that channel hot air out. These vents should always enable air to pass out. You should avoid any blockages. For example, if you are using the laptop on a desk and have blocked one of the air vents with a book or something else on the desk, it’s safe to assume the laptop will overheat, regardless of the design! Also, if there are vents under the laptop, you could try propping it over the desk by placing the laptop on a couple of books, taking care not to cover the vents.

It is common for dust and dirt to block air vents. In fact, computers fail and have intermediate problems due to excessive dust build up. Apart from air vents, laptops breathe through the keyboard. Therefore, ensure the keyboard is free of any dirt or grime.

 

 Bacteria Farm that live on smart phones

In a recent report, scientists have also found over 500 types of bacteria and nearly 30 types of fungi from 27 handsets. It was a study from UK that had suggested that mobile phones and computer keyboards are dirtier than toilet seats. Both devices carry the sweat and grime and provide a perfect breeding ground for microbes.

The University Of Surrey students made imprints of their mobile phones in a Petri dish which was allowed to grow for a few days.  Most of it was harmless, but they did find Staphyloccoccus aureus – which can cause everything from staph infections to food poisoning.

Messy keyboard when opened found food particles, kitten hairs and pet pheromones, and so on..

So, what can you do?

     

Avoid to have refreshment in front of a laptop especially keyboard (eating biscuits, shawarma, burger, and of course sneezing in front of laptop screen)

Keep clean to stay healthy:

No matter how tempting it is, swabbing with damp cloth will do to an extent, however washing with water is always a bad idea!!

First of all, you’ll want to turn off your computer and unplug your keyboard.

Turn your keyboard over and try to shake out any loose particles. This part can be pretty gross, especially if you tend to eat at your desk.

It is suggested to get a can of compressed air and spray it over the keys to remove any extra debris that may be lying in between the cracks. Compressed air is available at any supermarket or computer store.

Take a slightly damp cloth and run it over the keys to remove any fingerprints and any other dirt that might be settling in on your keys.

For laptops, use dusting brush and just run it over the keyboard to make sure all remaining particles of dust, dirt, food, etc. are removed. Take a slightly damp cloth and run it over the screen to remove any fingerprints.

 In a "nutshell", you can easily disinfect and sterilize the surface by dampening the corner of the soft cleaning lint-free cloth with a bit of water and an antibacterial cleaner designed for cleaning surfaces or sanitizing spray made for disinfecting electronics and gently wipe off the back of the smart phone and the buttons. That should take care of some of the nasty critters. Avoid using paper towel or tissue paper to clean as that can leave scratches on the screen just because they are made of wood pulp.