This is the astounding revelation of a study conducted by “Which? Computing” magazine in association with microbiologists, following atheanalysis of 30 computer keyboards from a typical London office.
The results are unequivocal: four keyboards were found to be hazardous for health and one of them, which was “five times filthier than a toilet seat,” was recommended for removal. This meant it had 150 times the recommended limit of bacteria. The germs found could cause food poisoning.
There are many ways keyboards can get infected. For instance, if you eat lunch at your workstation, the crumbs that fall into the keyboard encourage the growth of millions of bacteria. And poor personal hygiene, such as not washing your hands after going to the washroom, could also result in contamination.
The statistics are enlightening: 10% of people polled said they never cleaned their keyboard and 20% never cleaned their mouse, while half the panel cleaned their keyboard less than once a month.
What about you? Where do you stand?