Author Topic: Do you wash your hands after using somebody elses keyboard? (Read 6000 times)

CX23882 · « **on:** Tue, 20 January 2009, 15:59:49 »

Maybe it's OCD, but I find myself needing to wash my hands after using somebody else's keyboard at work before I'll even consider going back to my own. I'm not overly obsessive about germs, but keyboards (and mice) just gross me out.

cheater1034 · « **Reply #1 on:** Tue, 20 January 2009, 16:23:09 »

I wash my hands after using my keyboard and mouse every time

, although this logitech keyboard is crappy and greasy and nasty, but i don't have it much longer so i can toss it off the side of the building soon anyway.

I really don't clean them regularly like i should, this keyboard is probably 5 years old (and i hate it), but i don't remember cleaning it. Under the keys is pretty nasty with dust and stuff.

lam47 · « **Reply #2 on:** Tue, 20 January 2009, 17:15:17 »

I am a little obsessive. My brother has quite bad OCD and I do share some of the traits.
I tend to wash my hands a lot so the answer is yes.
However I clean my boards with alcohol then wash my hands before I touch them.
I like the feel of clean plastic. I cant normally use anyone else's keyboards.

Eclairz · « **Reply #3 on:** Tue, 20 January 2009, 17:17:06 »

iMav · « **Reply #4 on:** Tue, 20 January 2009, 17:24:57 »

I wash my hands BEFORE using a keyboard.

andb · « **Reply #5 on:** Tue, 20 January 2009, 18:41:34 »

Quote from: iMav;18982

I wash my hands BEFORE using a keyboard.

+1.

Every time I come back my computer I wash my hands. After that, theres not such a worry about whether the 'board is clean. The main reason I do it is to prevent contaminates from getting into the 'board, I do my best to keep all of the machines I use in perfect working order.

But anyway I'm one of the "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" school of thought and clearly remember even eating with utensils which went uncleaned for many a day while on backpacking trips...

Its people who are anti-bacterial soap and disinfectant obsessed who just make it worse for themselves, physically, immunologically and psychologically. No offense intended.

bhtooefr · « **Reply #6 on:** Tue, 20 January 2009, 18:45:29 »

Exactly. I've got a rather strong immune system - I believe last (school - I used to work at a school) year, I only called off four days.

Two days were in the summer, and were for attending a race.

One day, I actually was sick with something.

One day, I was insane. (Long story, part of which has already been posted somewhere on these forums, and after that day, was the day I quit that job, like a total idiot.)

I don't wash my hands after using other people's keyboards.

xsphat · « **Reply #7 on:** Tue, 20 January 2009, 23:41:54 »

Quote from: iMav;18982

I wash my hands BEFORE using a keyboard.

Ditto.

And I would wash my hands after using bhtooefr's keyboard, and I would be terrified to use webwit's.

xsphat · « **Reply #8 on:** Tue, 20 January 2009, 23:42:25 »

wellington1869 · « **Reply #9 on:** Tue, 20 January 2009, 23:55:55 »

Quote from: lam47;18979

I am a little obsessive. My brother has quite bad OCD and I do share some of the traits.
I tend to wash my hands a lot so the answer is yes.
However I clean my boards with alcohol then wash my hands before I touch them.
I like the feel of clean plastic. I cant normally use anyone else's keyboards.

I usually wipe down a new board with a lysol disinfectant wipe but thats about it. My boards can get a bit cruddy with my own detritus after a while. But hey, its all me in there.

As for public boards, they do scare me, but then I ride the subway without gloves on too, so what doesnt kill me makes me stronger I guess.

xsphat · « **Reply #10 on:** Wed, 21 January 2009, 00:05:22 »

Those DSI keyboards at the grocery store for filling out applications make me happy I am employed every time I see one. Can you imagine the amount of crap on them? I think if I touched one I'd just start to smolder as my body dies.

zwmalone · « **Reply #11 on:** Wed, 21 January 2009, 01:16:24 »

I DON'T use other peoples keyboards. I don't use the ones at school (if I know we need to use the PCs I bring my own (rubber dome + germs

) and I disinfect with GermX before that. But I have severe OCD so that's just me

xsphat · « **Reply #12 on:** Wed, 21 January 2009, 01:28:21 »

At my college we have those fantastic Dell $.50 jobs. Good times had by all.

wellington1869 · « **Reply #13 on:** Wed, 21 January 2009, 01:46:37 »

I think there are rats (or mice) running around inside the walls of my apartment. (to change the topic slightly). Lately I've been hearing "scurrying noises", thought it was the dog upstairs, but there is no dog upstairs. So unless there's a poodle roaming around between the walls, I think its probably rats or mice. Ugh.

xsphat · « **Reply #14 on:** Wed, 21 January 2009, 02:01:47 »

Look on the bright side — they might be giant ****roaches

EDIT: lol, that's c o c k roaches.

itlnstln · « **Reply #15 on:** Wed, 21 January 2009, 06:29:25 »

Quote from: wellington1869;19050

I think there are rats (or mice) running around inside the walls of my apartment. (to change the topic slightly). Lately I've been hearing "scurrying noises", thought it was the dog upstairs, but there is no dog upstairs. So unless there's a poodle roaming around between the walls, I think its probably rats or mice. Ugh.

One of the dorms I lived in during college was right along the side of a creek, and we had very large rats in our room. It was pretty nasty. It took awhile to get the maintenance guys out to fill in the hole they chewed in the wall. That place sucked.

wellington1869 · « **Reply #16 on:** Wed, 21 January 2009, 12:30:38 »

Quote from: xsphat;19052

Look on the bright side — they might be giant ****roaches

EDIT: lol, that's c o c k roaches.

lol, while manhattan does have giant roaches, (and rats the size of poodles), I'm hoping they're just mice... Time to tell the super I guess.

wellington1869 · « **Reply #17 on:** Wed, 21 January 2009, 12:31:26 »

Quote from: itlnstln;19073

One of the dorms I lived in during college was right along the side of a creek, and we had very large rats in our room. It was pretty nasty. It took awhile to get the maintenance guys out to fill in the hole they chewed in the wall. That place sucked.

I can handle mice in the room but I dont think I could handle rats. I'd move into a hotel till they got the problem solved, lol.

itlnstln · « **Reply #18 on:** Thu, 22 January 2009, 07:09:54 »

Quote from: wellington1869;19101

I can handle mice in the room but I dont think I could handle rats. I'd move into a hotel till they got the problem solved, lol.

My roommate and I slept in the TV lounge for several days.

ozar · « **Reply #19 on:** Fri, 06 February 2009, 22:38:39 »

Yes... I wash them before using my own keyboard, and wash them after using the keyboard of another person. Shaking hands with someone usually causes yet another hand-washing.

Unfortunately, all this makes for some very dried out knuckles.

itlnstln · « **Reply #20 on:** Mon, 09 February 2009, 06:59:22 »

Quote from: ozar;21001

Yes... I wash them before using my own keyboard, and wash them after using the keyboard of another person. Shaking hands with someone usually causes yet another hand-washing.

Unfortunately, all this makes for some very dried out knuckles.

And medication for OCD.

ozar · « **Reply #21 on:** Mon, 09 February 2009, 09:45:25 »

Quote from: itlnstln;21192

And medication for OCD.

Yes, and I think this relentless desire and need to type on a different keyboard and/or find the best keyboard available might be related to that as well.

As we all know, it's not an easy thing to shake.

noisyturtle · « **Reply #22 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 00:37:56 »

the **** GH mods, this poll isn't working!

get it together!

tp4tissue · « **Reply #23 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 07:35:29 »

I wash my hands before I use MY OWN keyboard..

I DO NOT Use other people's keyboards.

SpAmRaY · « **Reply #24 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 07:39:53 »

Quote from: tp4tissue on Fri, 10 June 2016, 07:35:29

I DO NOT Use other people's keyboards.

This.

I thought this was why 60% boards (especially the HHKB) are so popular so you can carry them around for whenever you need them.

You mean you guys don't do that?

SBJ · « **Reply #25 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 12:26:13 »

I have to use other people's keyboards because most of the employees at my job work on laptops.
And yes I wash my hands. A lot.

chuckdee · « **Reply #26 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 12:30:33 »

Quote from: zwmalone on Wed, 21 January 2009, 01:16:24

I DON'T use other peoples keyboards. I don't use the ones at school (if I know we need to use the PCs I bring my own (rubber dome + germs ) and I disinfect with GermX before that. But I have severe OCD so that's just me

I wish I didn't have to use others keyboards. But pair programming sucks. So I germx before, and wash after.

xtrafrood · « **Reply #27 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 12:33:39 »

Quote from: SpAmRaY on Fri, 10 June 2016, 07:39:53

Quote from: tp4tissue on Fri, 10 June 2016, 07:35:29
I DO NOT Use other people's keyboards.

This.

I thought this was why 60% boards (especially the HHKB) are so popular so you can carry them around for whenever you need them.

You mean you guys don't do that?

I tried to use a friend's keyboard once. At the time, I didn't notice it was covered in chicken grease until it was too late. Nope, not again. I'll bring my own thanks. It has been about ten years since I last talked to that guy and that keyboard still haunts me.

tp4tissue · « **Reply #28 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 12:37:59 »

Quote from: zwmalone on Wed, 21 January 2009, 01:16:24

I DON'T use other peoples keyboards. I don't use the ones at school (if I know we need to use the PCs I bring my own (rubber dome + germs ) and I disinfect with GermX before that. But I have severe OCD so that's just me

You shouldn't use GermX on keyboards, it's got lotion / or sometimes aloe extract..

That stuff gums up keys..

Gotta use straight rubbing alcohol...

xtrafrood · « **Reply #29 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 12:55:02 »

Quote from: tp4tissue on Fri, 10 June 2016, 12:37:59

Quote from: zwmalone on Wed, 21 January 2009, 01:16:24
I DON'T use other peoples keyboards. I don't use the ones at school (if I know we need to use the PCs I bring my own (rubber dome + germs ) and I disinfect with GermX before that. But I have severe OCD so that's just me

You shouldn't use GermX on keyboards, it's got lotion / or sometimes aloe extract..

That stuff gums up keys..

Gotta use straight rubbing alcohol...

Alcohol can strip the plastic (RIP pad printed legends). Clorox wipes have worked well for me, even on the pad printed type keycaps.

tp4tissue · « **Reply #30 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 13:22:09 »

Quote from: csmertx on Fri, 10 June 2016, 12:55:02

Quote from: tp4tissue on Fri, 10 June 2016, 12:37:59
Quote from: zwmalone on Wed, 21 January 2009, 01:16:24
I DON'T use other peoples keyboards. I don't use the ones at school (if I know we need to use the PCs I bring my own (rubber dome + germs ) and I disinfect with GermX before that. But I have severe OCD so that's just me

You shouldn't use GermX on keyboards, it's got lotion / or sometimes aloe extract..

That stuff gums up keys..

Gotta use straight rubbing alcohol...

Alcohol can strip the plastic (RIP pad printed legends). Clorox wipes have worked well for me, even on the pad printed type keycaps.

pad printed ?

Geekhackers don't use those...

xtrafrood · « **Reply #31 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 13:34:44 »

Quote from: tp4tissue on Fri, 10 June 2016, 13:22:09

Quote from: csmertx on Fri, 10 June 2016, 12:55:02
Quote from: tp4tissue on Fri, 10 June 2016, 12:37:59
Quote from: zwmalone on Wed, 21 January 2009, 01:16:24
I DON'T use other peoples keyboards. I don't use the ones at school (if I know we need to use the PCs I bring my own (rubber dome + germs ) and I disinfect with GermX before that. But I have severe OCD so that's just me

You shouldn't use GermX on keyboards, it's got lotion / or sometimes aloe extract..

That stuff gums up keys..

Gotta use straight rubbing alcohol...

Alcohol can strip the plastic (RIP pad printed legends). Clorox wipes have worked well for me, even on the pad printed type keycaps.

pad printed ?

Geekhackers don't use those...
Show Image

At the very least Alcohol dulls ABS plastic.. some people have some side facing pad printed legends.. :-[

mason · « **Reply #32 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 13:59:32 »

yes, especially after I use the nasty hp keyboards at school. the keycaps are shiny, and greasy, it's dusty and there's crumbs or hair in every little spot

noisyturtle · « **Reply #33 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 17:28:21 »

I actually used to wash my hands before using mine, but now I just wipe it down with disinfectant wipes if I've been eating at the computer or something. The board is destined to get dirty, who am I to fight it?

livingspeedbump · « **Reply #34 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 17:35:33 »

nah, but they should probably wash their keyboard after letting me use it

zombiegristle · « **Reply #35 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 17:45:01 »

I wash my hands anytime I have to LOOK at another person, or their keyboard. Or anything else of theirs. In fact, this thread makes me uncomfortable, I'mma go wash up.

SBJ · « **Reply #36 on:** Fri, 10 June 2016, 22:47:44 »

Quote from: mason on Fri, 10 June 2016, 13:59:32

yes, especially after I use the nasty hp keyboards at school. the keycaps are shiny, and greasy, it's dusty and there's crumbs or hair in every little spot

We have a lot of pc's at the school I'm at for students to use. The keyboards are so nasty. If it were up to me they'd get replaced every six months but I'm not the boss unfortunately.

rowdy · « **Reply #37 on:** Sun, 12 June 2016, 00:41:43 »

Quote from: noisyturtle on Fri, 10 June 2016, 00:37:56

the **** GH mods, this poll isn't working!

get it together!

Interesting wording (of the poll).

Quite an old thread though

News:

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Do you wash your hands after using somebody elses keyboard?

Author Topic: Do you wash your hands after using somebody elses keyboard? (Read 6000 times)