Keys in the office Keyboards should be cleaned regularly

Attention germs in the office: Clean keyboards regularly
Anyone who has an office job uses the computer every day. What many people do not know: If you do not regularly clean the keyboard and the mouse, you will have optimal breeding conditions for bacteria, fungal spores and other germs. With a weakened immune system, the pathogens can be a danger to your health. The news agency "dpa" talked to experts from Tüv Rheinland about how best to clean the keyboard, mouse and joystick and protect it from germs.

Countless germs on keyboards
"For healthy people, contact with germs is generally not a problem," explains Wiete Schramm, a doctor at Tüv Rheinland. "It's different with a weak immune system or with cold waves." Because then the risk of infection is significantly increased.

Germs on keyboards and PC mice. Image: Alexander Raths - fotolia

The germs pass through the hands of the users on the keyboard and from there into the eyes, nose or mouth, if you hold each other in the face. The microbiologist Prof. Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona discovered in investigations on average about "511 different microbes per square centimeter on PC keyboards". It should not look much better on "joysticks and other devices for computer games".

Clean the keyboard with a damp cloth and a small amount of detergent
The TÜV Rheinland advises to clean the game and input devices regularly. For this, usually a damp cloth with a little detergent, if the manufacturer gives no other cleaning instructions. For safety reasons, the plug should be unplugged or batteries removed before cleaning. The device is best turned on again when it is dry.

However, the Tüv experts advise against using a keyboard vacuum cleaner or compressed air for cleaning. This will remove the coarse dirt, but the germs remain. Those who eat at the desk often struggle with crumbs in the keyboard. These can easily be shaken out. To keep the germs from getting to the keyboard, regular hand washing is essential.

According to Gerba, the highest bacterial load in the office can not be found on keyboards, but on telephones. Make-up remains, sweat, saliva and dust make it the germ-spinner. In addition, many people often use the same phone. On average, the microbiologist discovered around 3,895 different microbes on one square centimeter. (Ag)