Why Your Keyboard May Be Harmful to Your Health

Can you type over fifty words a minute? Who cares if you're on your way to getting sick? A study found that your keyboard may be just plain dirty. And when I say dirty, I don't mean dusty or a little untidy, but dirty like toilet dirty. Here are some new reasons why your keyboard may be harmful to your health.

First, it's important to mention that not only are keyboards breeding grounds for many germs, but computer mice as well. In a study performed in the United Kingdom, a British microbiologist James Francis took swabs from 33 keyboards, a toilet door handle, and a toilet seat. Four keyboards he tested were potentially hazardous to health and one had some five times the amount of germs found on the toilet seat.

In another study done in 2005, Gary Noskin, MD and some others at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital were curious to see if bacteria from someone's keyboard could get onto someone's hands if given the opportunity. They tested three different keyboard germs and all three stayed alive for at least an hour on the keyboards. Two of the germs survived for a day and in that time span, they grew.

The heavy keyboard use today is something new to doctors who grew up in a time when people used typewriters. That means that today's keyboard bacteria is often understudied and overlooked. But that's no reason why you can't do something to make sure your keyboard is not hazardous to your health. Here's what you can do.

Wash your hands.

This is the most effective way to keep germs and bacteria at bay. However, suprisingly, many people do not wash their hands often.

Keep your keyboard private.

If you are the only person who uses your keyboard, you are less likely to pick up any diseases from keyboard use. However, if you are using a common keyboard in a workplace for instance, beware and consider packing hand sanitizer.

Keep your keyboard clean.

The percentage of people who clean their keyboard once a month is frighteningly low. But if you keep your keyboard clean, you can wipe out deadline bacteria such as MRSA and PSAE.

There are also some cleaners made specifically for keyboards. However, it's debatable whether these work to get rid of stubborn bacteria like MRSA. Doctors still believe that the most effective way to keep diseases at bay is to simply wash your hands.