Gross

Yes, this is my keyboard. It’s covered with germs and crumbs.

I am a reasonably clean and germ-aware individual. In my opinion, I’m neither too obsessed nor too lax in my cleanliness. I flush the toilet with my foot, I wash my hands frequently, and I use a paper towel to open the door when leaving the bathroom. Because you know there are people out there who don’t wash their hands. (That’s a whole other blog rant.) But there is one location I conveniently forget when waging my mild-mannered war on germs: my computer keyboard.

Why do I never ponder how germy this keyboard is? I touch the thing every day. Sometimes, I’m repeatedly touching it all day long. And in between touching it, I’m touching folders and papers other people have touched. Plus I eat in my office, so there’s the build up of crumbs as well.

I’m kind of grossing myself out.

I recently found this article on how to keep your classroom keyboards reasonably germ-free. Sometimes it’s difficult to know what’s safe to use on electronics. And bonus! This article has the coolest name for “sneezing in your elbow.” Seriously. Your kids will love it, and you’ll never have to remind them again.

Now let’s all go and wash our hands.

Tags: classroom tips, clean classroom, clean computers, keyboard germs, teacher tips