If your mouse and trackball haven't been cleaned in a while, chances are excellent -- especially if you share your equipment with others -- nasty bacteria reside in those computer accessories. The same can be said for that keyboard you're using too, according to a new study (free study link below).

University of North Carolina researchers tested 25 keyboards taken from the burn intensive care unit at the school's Health Care System along with laptop keyboards contaminated with bacteria. Every keyboard tested showed signs of a staph bacterium, a common cause of infections suffered by hospitalized patients. Diptheroids, a problem for patients with weakened immune systems, was also discovered.

Scientists compared the effectiveness of various disinfectant cleaners, including water, alcohol, chlorine and store-bought wipes made by Clorox. Although all cleaning materials were effective, no surprise, the Clorox-made wipes lasted longer than the others.

Most wipes you find in a grocery store near you, however, expose your family and pets to all sorts of harmful chemicals people and animals were never meant to handle. If you've been looking for a healthy alternative to keep your office, computer and home clean, you may want to consider the PerfectClean products I recommend in my Web store.

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, Vol. 27, No. 4, April 2006 Free Full-Text Article

WebMD April 26, 2006