And that’s not an insult. I read this report on the Guardian UK website and it made me squirm. However, I’m not too surprised because this applies to piano keyboards as well. We spend so much time typing away, so much so that the grime on the keyboard builds up rapidly. Truth be told, there are some simple steps to avoid making your keyboards (whether computer or piano) a garbage dump for germs:
- Never eat when you’re using your computer. If you must eat, go somewhere else, chow down, and wash your hands thoroughly before using the keyboard again.
- Clean your keyboard often. I do it about once every two days, using just a moderately-damp cloth with a little drop of liquid soap.
- If you must sneeze or cough, turn away from your keyboard. It’s amazing how many people expel all that gooey stuff into their keyboards or their monitors!
- Every once in a while, I turn my keyboard upside down and give it a few sharp whacks. You’d be surprised how much crud falls out. And vacuum it if possible. Don’t do this for your piano keyboard though!
- Since I’m using a desktop PC, the keyboard is cheap and easily replaceable should a major disaster occur.
- Don’t forget to clean your mouse too!
