With the Covid 19 Lockdown being implemented, this will see users across the country looking to their personal spaces at home to work from. And whilst you may think your space is clean and tidy, did you know that the electronic devices you use on a daily basis are the biggest carriers of germs and bacteria. Be it your laptops, computers, televisions or mobile devices, these are objects you come into close contact with on a daily basis and we often neglect or forget that these devices need to be disinfected too.
Depending on the germ, it can stay alive on hard surfaces for up to 10 hours. All our devices come into contact with our hands and face on a continuous basis. We take many steps to keep our hands clean but never think of the devices we keep touching in-between.
The following is suggested to ensure a germ-free environment:
1. Disinfecting Mobile Devices and remotes
Switch off mobile devices and remove batteries and covers if possible. Spray a little hand sanitizer into a micro fibre cloth and wipe your device down thoroughly. It has been proven that chemical wet wipes do not damage your clear coatings on your mobile devices as tested by the Wall Street Journal, which you can see in the video below. You can also use a fresh wet wipe for your remotes. If you feel your hand sanitizer is too strong you can opt in for baby wet wipes or surface wipes that you can purchase from Dischem.
2. A sanitized desk
Make it a habit to clean your desk daily especially at the end of your work day. Majority of users tend to eat, cough and conduct video calls at their desks where you would find that droplets from your mouth tend to find it’s way onto your desk surfaces. Desks are covered with germs and offer the ideal environment for them to stay alive on for longer. Wipe down your desk with a microfibre cloth and some disinfectant or even a wet wipe or two.
3. Mouse and Keyboard
Your mouse and keyboard is like a magnet attracting anything you have touched. Aside from food residues, imagine the amount of dead skin, fingerprints and transmitted bacteria that is living in these devices? We recommend that your wipe down your mouse and keyboard with a slightly dampened cloth. Make sure your cloth is not soaking wet as you are dealing with electronic equipment. For additional cleaning you could use a wet wipe to also help clean more.
4. Monitors
Turn off your monitor or laptop prior to cleaning your monitor. Avoid using chemicals as this could affect the coating on your monitors or leave a nasty residue. Wipe down your screen with a damp microfibre cloth that is suitable to be used on TV’s and monitors.
It may seem like the most obvious steps to conduct in light of the global pandemic we are currently facing but often personal spaces get overlooked due to a stronger emphasis on physical hygiene and not so much our surroundings. By including this into your daily routine you will not only minimize your risk of infection, but you will also minimize the risk for your family.
