As we continue to face the coronavirus pandemic, everyone’s safety remains a top priority. Therefore, washing our hands regularly, keeping a safe distance from one another and wearing masks is extremely important since the primary way COVID-19 spreads is through respiratory droplets in the air. However, the jury is still out in terms of if droplets land on objects or surfaces, how long (if at all) are those areas cause for concern of catching the virus. Therefore, as a safety precaution, it’s generally a good idea to keep your workspace and technology clean and disinfected—and to clean it daily. Here are the methods and products we recommend using so that your workspace is safe, but also so that you don’t damage your tech in the disinfecting process.
Step 1: Clean Your Keyboard and Mouse
In order to operate your computer, it requires typing on your keyboard and moving your mouse with your HANDS. Therefore, these become the number one priority for cleaning and disinfecting since that’s what you mostly touch, and you should hit them daily.
- First, make sure to turn off your computer and unplug your mouse and keyboard if possible.
- Second, using a toothbrush or small brush and tilting your keyboard at an angle, brush away any loose debris and dust from it. You can alternatively use a can of compressed air to blow the crumbs away.
- Third, clean the keyboard and mouse using a disinfectant wipe (like Clorox) or use a microfiber cloth, damp with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water. Make sure either of these are damp—not dripping with moisture. And most importantly, do NOT use sprays or any products containing bleach.
- Lastly, for really stubborn dirt in between keys on the keyboard or the scroll wheel of your mouse, use a cotton swab, dipped in the same liquid as used in the previous step.
Step 2: Wipe Down Larger Surfaces–Your Monitor and Desk
Using the same products as you did on your mouse and keyboard, you’ll want to wipe down your computer screen (you touch it to turn it on and off, possibly more if it’s a touch screen), as well as the surface your computer sits on. Begin by generally removing the dirt, dust and grime, and then disinfect them. For your desk itself, it also helps if you keep your workspace neat, so germs can’t hide amongst the clutter.
Step 3: Don’t Forget the Small Stuff!
What about your cell phone? Pens? Stapler? Earbuds? Review your desk area and make note of all the small items you regularly touch. One touch and/or one sneeze, and those items are contaminated as well, so it’s important that they be wiped down too! Especially your cell phone—it’s a good idea to hit this item more than once a day due to the amount of use it generally gets.
Dirt Got You Down?
Keeping your workstation clean will keep you safe, but there’s an added bonus—it will help your technology run more efficiently. Computers covered in dirt, dust and grime often overheat, slowing your computer’s performance. It can cause system crashes and internal damage—resulting in slowing work efficiency and production.
By having a Managed IT service run your help desk and tech support, you’ll have a team of experienced professionals to help you through such problems. At Great Lakes Computer, we offer managed IT services throughout Northeast Ohio. We can provide the support you need to keep your technology running smoothly!
