We’ve all made considerable efforts to keep our homes clean, wash our hands, and wipe down surfaces. But one place in particular that might be overlooked?
Your computer’s trackpad or mouse might grow dirtier than you might imagine. For those of us who work from home, recent environmental sampling research has brought to light the need to maintain a clean desk area, including for mice.
A Well-Maintained Mouse
To better understand their maintenance practices, Cinch Home Services, an appliance insurance and repair firm, polled close to 900 remote workers for this report (1).
The workers collected germ samples from different surfaces in their home offices and sent them to the lab for analysis.
According to the findings, mice tended to be the dirtiest item in people’s home offices, with as many as 4,000,000 colony-forming units (CFUs) per 10 square inches. 3,448 times more bacteria are present there than on an ordinary toilet handle.
Although not as much as the mouse, computer headsets and displays also have a fair number of germs on them.
How to Keep your Mouse Clean
To put it briefly, it is imperative that you clean your office, inside and out, at least once a week.
Furthermore, cleaning electronics differs slightly from cleaning conventional hard surfaces, as you may have thought. Fortunately, cleaning your trackpad or mouse is simple. You should disconnect your computer and mouse before proceeding.
If you just want to quickly wipe it down, use a towel that is a little moist. Water sprayed directly onto the surface itself may cause harm, so be careful. Experts advise wiping the computer mouse or trackpad with some rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth and letting it dry if you’re seeking for some disinfecting action.
Use the same technique with your preferred natural cleanser, and to get into the mouse’s hard-to-reach areas, consider putting a cotton swab into the cleaner or rubbing alcohol. As easy as that!
Just keep in mind to establish the practice of doing this once a week, maybe on Fridays when your workweek is over.
Related Post: Mindful Decluttering: Creating Space for Positive Energy
![How to Clean the Dirtiest Place on Your Desk](https://i0.wp.com/jasminefeliciano.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/How-to-Clean-the-Dirtiest-Place-on-Your-Desk-PIN.png?resize=683%2C1024&quality=80&ssl=1)
To Wrap Things Up
Maintaining a clean workspace, especially your computer mouse, is crucial for hygiene. A study revealed that computer mice in home offices harbored significantly more bacteria than a toilet handle.
To keep your mouse clean, disconnect it and use a slightly damp cloth or rubbing alcohol for disinfecting, ensuring you reach all crevices with a cotton swab. Regular weekly cleaning, ideally at the end of your workweek, can prevent the buildup of harmful germs and contribute to a healthier home office environment.
Source |
Leave a Reply