Toilet seats are cleaner than your keyboard

The term “computer virus” has just taken on a whole new disturbing meaning.

Microbiologist James Francis recently conducted a study on the cleanliness of the average computer keyboard and mouse. He swabbed 33 different keyboards in an office building. As a means to have something to compare his findings against, Francis also collected samples from an office toilet seat and a restroom door knob.

Here’s the bad news: the toilet seat was cleaner than all 33 keyboards in the test. Here’s the worse news: four of the keyboards he swabbed were potential health hazards—meaning that serious health problems and sicknesses could arise by simply coming into contact with the germs on the keyboard.

Why are keyboards so dirty? It’s simple; most germs are transmitted by our hands. If we touch something dirty or contaminated, then touch a keyboard, the keyboard becomes infected. If you share a public keyboard, or fail to clean it regularly, it becomes a breeding ground for germs and viruses.

Get into the habit of washing your hands after you use the computer. And be sure to disinfect your keyboard and mouse on a regular basis. A little bit of prevention will go a long way in maintaining your health.

[Source: Consumer Affairs, May 5, 2008 “Study Gives Whole New Meaning to ‘Computer Virus’]