How to Keep Your Computer Clean | ArticlesBase.com

<p>Many of us use computers daily, touching the keys, the screen and our desktops thousands of times a day. Hands are not often the cleanest parts of the body, which means our computers quickly can become a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, says John Pletz, CEO of ServiceMaster Clean by Pletz, based in Crystal Lake, Illinois. <br /><br />The Clorox Co recently commissioned a survey to see which gender was the cleanest. The result may surprise you: it was not the fairer sex. The reason? Women’s offices may appear tidier on the surface, but they actually contain more germs. Makeup cases were found to be the top bacteria spot for women’s offices, with the phone, purse and desk drawer also common playgrounds for those nasty germs to breed.<br /><br /><br />The survey also found that women using hand lotion and makeup were two of the worst culprits. Both enable germs to be easily transferred from one surface to another. Another cause was food, with a whopping 75% of women keeping munchies in a desk drawer. All in all, it was discovered that an average office desktop has 400 times more bacteria than the average office toilet seat. <br /><br />Top Tips <br /><br />Keeping bacteria at bay is a goal of professional cleaning, but you can do your bit to help rid your office of germs. It is recommended that you: <br />Don’t eat at your desk or store snacks inside.<br />Wash your hands frequently.<br />Throw way pen tops and paperclips if you put them in your mouth.<br />Build in time each week/month to clean your keyboard, computer screen and telephone.<br /><br />Cleaning Your Keyboard: <br />Unplug your keyboard.<br />Get a can of compressed air.<br />Turn your keyboard upside down and shake the keyboard over the trashcan to remove the larger debris.<br />Blow the compressed air between the keys.<br />Using a terry towel/paper towel and even cotton swabs and a standard household cleaner, gently wipe down each key and between the keys. (Do not spray the cleaner directly on the keyboard â€" spray directly onto the cleaning towel!)<br />If your keyboard is excessively dirty, you may want to get a new keyboard you can easily replace a standard keyboard for under $20 at any office supply retailer. However if this is not an option, you can also remove the keys so that the compressed air can be more effective.  If you opt to remove the keys, take a picture of your keyboard so that you can remember the order in which the keys should be replaced.<br /><br />Cleaning Your Monitor: <br /><br />Office supply stores carry special LCD screen cleaners, as well as the lint-free wipes that you can use to clean your screen and the rest of your laptop. <br /><br />Keeping your computer in good repair and free of germs will not only extend the life of your office machinery, but will also help protect you and fellow co-workers. It’s a question of health and good practice, and it’s important.</p><strong>About the Author:</strong><br /><p>John Pletz is a writer for Yodle, a business directory and online advertising company. Find a <a href="http://www.local.yodle.com/articles" rel="nofollow">Professional Cleaners</a> or more <a href="http://local.yodle.com/articles/topics/home-garden/cleaning-services-home-garden/" rel="nofollow"> cleaning </a> articles at Yodle Consumer Guide. <a href="http://local.yodle.com/articles/all-about-computer-cleaning-and-sanitization" rel="nofollow"> How to Keep Your Computer Clean</a>
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