Hi Janet,
Your post re: computer keyboard grime reminds me of a
call for help I once received.... Seems a young lady
spilled a coke on her keyboard and took it home and
put it in the dishwasher... no, I'm not kidding!

It looked reallllyy clean... and it almost worked...

My personal experience says a lot of hair is in
the average keyboard...  cheers ....... murray


On 13 Sep 2000, at 10:32, janet paterson wrote:

> Computer filth exposed
>
> Wednesday, 13 September, 2000, 09:14 GMT 10:14 UK - The shocking secrets of
> the life of grime beneath your fingers have been revealed.
>
> Computer keyboards are accumulating up to two grams of dirt every month,
> research conducted on behalf of AOL UK shows.
>
> The crumbs and dirt collect beneath the keys because users eat breakfast,
> snacks, and lunch over their computer terminals.
>
> The personal grooming that people undertake while at their desk also
> contributes to the build-up of grunge.
>
> AOL collected the dust, dirt and organic debris accumulating beneath the
> keys of a keyboard in a typical London office for a month.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Keyboard crumb breakdown
> Corn Flakes (15%)
> Boiled sweet (15%)
> Noodles (7%)
> Vegetable piece (4%)
> Leaf (1%)
> Pencil shavings (1%)
> Staple (1%)
> Finger nail (<1%)
> Tape/plastic (<1%)
> Insect (<1%)
> Foil (<1%)
> Hair (<1%)
> Various particles resembling cereal grains, biscuit crumbs, bread crumbs,
> pastry flakes and chocolate crumbs (56%)
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The accumulated rubbish, which weighed in at a hefty 1.89 grams, was then
> sent for study at Reading Scientific Services, an independent food and
> drink analysis centre.
>
> The majority of the debris, 56%, was made up of food crumbs from the
> chocolate bars and biscuits that people like to snack on when using their
> computer.
>
> Much of the rest was also food-related, but also in the dirt were dead
> insects as well as fingernail parings, small patches of dead skin and the
> odd hair.
>
> If the keyboard studied is typical, AOL UK estimates that almost 0.318
> tonnes of what it calls "keyboard krumbs" will accumulate beneath all
> keyboards over the space of a year.
>
> A spokeswoman for Reading Scientific Services said the company operated a
> strict confidentiality policy and could not comment on the research, or
> whether the accumulating grime constituted a health hazard.
>
> To keep keyboards spruce, office cleaning firms recommend that people
> regularly hold their keyboard upside down and shake them vigorously to
> dislodge the debris.
>
> Alternatively, users can remove the keys, and vacuum, blow or shake off the
> dirt beneath.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Related to this story:
> Computers as clothes (04 May 00 | Sci/Tech)
> E-mail: Our right to write? (03 May 00 | UK)
> What's my line, again? (18 Apr 00 | UK)
> Do we work too hard? (10 Feb 00 | Talking Point)
> Technology boost for key skills (14 Jan 00 | Bett2000)
> Domino's e-pizza orders top £1m (20 Jul 00 | Business)
> Cold pizza passes the taste test (27 Mar 00 | Scotland)
> Britain's most irritating ads (05 Jan 00 | Entertainment)
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Internet links:
> Reading Scientific Services
> AOL UK
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> BBC News Online: Sci/Tech
> By BBC News Online internet reporter Mark Ward
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/sci/tech/newsid_921000/921923.stm
>
>
> janet paterson
> 53 now / 44 dx cd / 43 onset cd / 41 dx pd / 37 onset pd
> tel: 613 256 8340 url: "http://www.geocities.com/janet313/"
> email: [log in to unmask] smail: POBox 171 Almonte Ontario K0A 1A0 Canada


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