Wash Your Hands Before You Type

June 2021 — Tip of the Month

Over the past year, we were reminded hundred of times to wash our hands. It's good advice to prevent spreading germs but it's also a helpful way to keep your keyboard clean.

Before you start typing on your keyboard, it's a good idea to wash your hands. If you don't have a sink nearby, you can use one of those 20 bottles of hand sanitizer you have lying around from 2020. By wiping off your fingers before you start typing or using your mouse, you'll keep your input devices nice and clean.

While washing your hands keeps germs from spreading to your keyboard and mouse, it also keeps them free of dirt and grease. Sunscreen, lotion, hair gel and other greasy products can quickly build up on your keyboard. Dirt and other small particles can find their way between the keys and cause problems when typing. If you use a laptop, the dirt from the keys may transfer to the screen when you close it.

So keep your hands clean and your computer will stay clean too. If your keyboard and mouse get so dirty you need to wipe them off, remember to let them dry before using them again.

- Per Christensson