minie812
Well-Known Member
Received this email about computer keyboards
...Cleaning Your Keyboard the Right Way
A Step-By-Step Guide
February 2010
by Robin Wark
Is your keyboard starting to look a little grungy? Would you feel a bit embarrassed if a co-worker needed to use it?
With the amount of time we spend in front of our keyboards – including eating and leisure activities – it is no wonder they get dirty. However, you should take time to clean it – and not just for the sake of appearances.
In 2008, the consumer group Which? tested 33 keyboards at its London offices. Four were considered to be potential health hazards. One keyboard was found to have five times more germs than one of the office's toilet seats. A microbiologist involved with the tests ordered the offending keyboard to be quarantined and cleaned. He was concerned about its potential to pass on bugs that could cause food poisoning and, in general, make people sick.
Cleaning your keyboard can help both your health and its looks, and does not take much time at all. But what is the best way to do it?
Some people opt to go all out and place their filthy keyboard in a dishwasher. Some keyboards are dishwasher safe, but many are not! Please check the manual and the back of the keyboard first. Besides, there's a far easier way to do it.
The simplest way to clean your keyboard is:
1.Disconnect your keyboard and shake it over a garbage can or newspaper to remove dust, dirt and crumbs.
2.Use a can of compressed air to blow between the keys and remove the dirt that you have just loosened. This is best done outside, if possible. You can also use a small, battery-powered vacuum that is designed for cleaning keyboards. However, do not use a full-size vacuum, asthese can cause a lot of static electricity that could hurt your computer.
3.Now you can use cotton buds (Q-tips) to clean the sides and top of your keys. Douse the cotton buds with a small amount of either diluted dishwasher detergent or a cleaning fluid that contains 90 per cent isopropyl alcohol.
4.Once the keys have been cleaned, wipe them dry using a lint-free cloth.
Some people like to go even further and remove the keys to clean them. Before you do this, check the manual to ensure that the keys can be taken off. As well, make sure you have created some kind of keyboard map so that you know where all of them go! You can find such a map online or, sometimes, in your computer manual. Or, you can create one yourself by photocopying your keyboard or taking a photo of it.
Use a small screwdriver, a Popsicle stick or a similar tool to carefully pry off each key. They should easily pop off. It is recommended that you do not remove the larger keys, such as the "spacebar," "enter," "shift," "backspace" or "tab." These can be very hard to put back on.
Once you have taken the majority of the keys off and cleaned them, you can use the compressed air or cotton buds with cleaning solution in the keyboard. Make sure it is dry before putting the keys back on. When replacing the keys, carefully snap them into place. Make sure that each one moves up and down before moving onto the next.
When you are all done, your keyboard should look much better! As well, the chances that it will make you and others sick are greatly reduced.
Copyright © 2010 ParetoLogic Inc. paretologiccustomnonerrorpage
A Step-By-Step Guide
February 2010
by Robin Wark
Is your keyboard starting to look a little grungy? Would you feel a bit embarrassed if a co-worker needed to use it?
With the amount of time we spend in front of our keyboards – including eating and leisure activities – it is no wonder they get dirty. However, you should take time to clean it – and not just for the sake of appearances.
In 2008, the consumer group Which? tested 33 keyboards at its London offices. Four were considered to be potential health hazards. One keyboard was found to have five times more germs than one of the office's toilet seats. A microbiologist involved with the tests ordered the offending keyboard to be quarantined and cleaned. He was concerned about its potential to pass on bugs that could cause food poisoning and, in general, make people sick.
Cleaning your keyboard can help both your health and its looks, and does not take much time at all. But what is the best way to do it?
Some people opt to go all out and place their filthy keyboard in a dishwasher. Some keyboards are dishwasher safe, but many are not! Please check the manual and the back of the keyboard first. Besides, there's a far easier way to do it.
The simplest way to clean your keyboard is:
1.Disconnect your keyboard and shake it over a garbage can or newspaper to remove dust, dirt and crumbs.
2.Use a can of compressed air to blow between the keys and remove the dirt that you have just loosened. This is best done outside, if possible. You can also use a small, battery-powered vacuum that is designed for cleaning keyboards. However, do not use a full-size vacuum, asthese can cause a lot of static electricity that could hurt your computer.
3.Now you can use cotton buds (Q-tips) to clean the sides and top of your keys. Douse the cotton buds with a small amount of either diluted dishwasher detergent or a cleaning fluid that contains 90 per cent isopropyl alcohol.
4.Once the keys have been cleaned, wipe them dry using a lint-free cloth.
Some people like to go even further and remove the keys to clean them. Before you do this, check the manual to ensure that the keys can be taken off. As well, make sure you have created some kind of keyboard map so that you know where all of them go! You can find such a map online or, sometimes, in your computer manual. Or, you can create one yourself by photocopying your keyboard or taking a photo of it.
Use a small screwdriver, a Popsicle stick or a similar tool to carefully pry off each key. They should easily pop off. It is recommended that you do not remove the larger keys, such as the "spacebar," "enter," "shift," "backspace" or "tab." These can be very hard to put back on.
Once you have taken the majority of the keys off and cleaned them, you can use the compressed air or cotton buds with cleaning solution in the keyboard. Make sure it is dry before putting the keys back on. When replacing the keys, carefully snap them into place. Make sure that each one moves up and down before moving onto the next.
When you are all done, your keyboard should look much better! As well, the chances that it will make you and others sick are greatly reduced.
Copyright © 2010 ParetoLogic Inc. paretologiccustomnonerrorpage
