How Often Do You Clean Your Gadgets?

[Prof.]

Let's start with some facts:

15% of all mobile phones have human feces on them. Why? Because people, a) do not wash their hands (approximately 1/3 of men do not wash their hands after urinating) and b) people use their phone when they're going number 2.

A computer keyboard is home to hundreds of colonies of bacteria. In fact, there are over 200 times more bacteria on the average computer keyboard than the average toilet seat.

So, how often do you clean your gadgets (Apple products)? Personally, I wipe down my iPhone and MBP once a week.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I clean my iPhone when it's dirty. I always wash my hands and have never used it in the bathroom.

 

[avro707]

Wipe it down each day. Never use it in the bathroom - that's just disgusting.

I'm pretty careful about keeping things clean and hygienic.

 

[iJohnHenry]

Your gadgets could be squeaky-clean, but that's not the problem.

That just covers you, no one else.

Washing your hands properly before eating, and after, is more important.

Sticking your dirty fingers in your mouth/nose/other orifice is the culprit.

 

[Hastings101]

I never clean my iPhone and I use it in the bathroom. Wooo

 

[Renzatic]

I clean my iDevices constantly. I get made fun of for carrying a microfiber cloth around with my iPhone, which I always place over the screen before popping it in my pocket.

Yeah, I know. I could buy a screen protector sheet...but I don't like em, so I don't use em.

And my iPad? I give the screen a good rubdown at least twice a day, and clean the back off about once every other week.

Am I a little anal retentive? Eh. Maybe a little bit. It's not like I'm absolutely obsessed with cleanliness because I'm some weird germaphobe, so much as I really really can't stand finger smudge all over my stuff. Nothing's worse than opening your iPad in your car and the smoo being so bad you can barely see the screen underneath it.

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

I wash my gadget once a day.

For everything else, it's as required.

 

[yg17]

I never clean it, but I don't take my gadgets into the oval office and wash my hands before I leave.

 

[malman89]

Pretty sure that 1/3rd fact is highly unreliable to begin with.

I never "wash" my phone. I just wipe it down when it gets gross (typically a food or sweat related instance). I have had an iSkin cover on my MacBook for probably 3-4 years now. I just clean it when it looks visibly dirty.

 

[ixodes]

100% of US Cash money, from $1.00 bills on up in every denomination, contain between 600 ppm (parts per million) on up to 5,000 ppm of cocain across both sides of the bill.

The average debit card contains 20% more contamination, than cell phones, to include 88% of all known viruses, contaigens & feces.

I carry a small personal bottle of hand sanitizer & use it as needed throughout the day. After my Dr. suggested this five years ago, I've not had one single cold, or the flu, as I used to experience prior to the daily regular use.

It's so amazing if I hadn't experienced it personally I wouldn't believe it. In fact I procrastinated for months after I was told since I doubted the advice.

Now, I don't go anywhere without that small plastic bottle in my pocket.

 

[gsugolfer]

Phone's in an Otterbox Defender, so it never gets wiped down or anything. Screen protector portion of the case just gets wiped off.

 

[Prof.]

Pretty sure that 1/3rd fact is highly unreliable to begin with.

It refers to men who leave the bathroom without washing their hands after they urinate. I should have been more clear, I'll fix it now.

 

[boss.king]

Hmm, I replied to this thread earlier but it seems my post never went through

I clean my phone every few days, or whenever I feel it is getting to smudged. I also clean out the insides with a compressed air can, works wonders.
When it comes to my computer, I dust it off every few days (how it gets that dusty in the first place I'll never know) and I wipe the displays with a microfiber cloth (is there a better way? I've been told never to use window cleaner).
As for my mouse and keyboard, I use Cyber Putty every few months. I'd strongly recommend it, it's so quick and easy.
Anything else (HDDs, Wacom tablet, speakers) get cleaned either when I use them, or whenever I finally get around to tidying my desk (about 6 times a year).

 

[Mousse]

I wipe down the screen when the paw prints makes everything blurry. Other than that, I don't bother with cleaning. Like gsugolfer, I got an Otterbox, too. (The Cadillac of cases)

15% of all mobile phones have human feces on them.

Woohoo...I'm in the 85%.

Why? Because people, a) do not wash their hands (approximately 1/3 of men do not wash their hands after urinating

Like the 66% who don't wash our hands after a #1, Pops taught me how NOT to pee on my hands. I still wash my hands though. Mama taught me that.

and b) people use their phone when they're going number 2.

That's just wrong. Gawd. What is wrong with some people? Using the phone while "releasing the Kraken" is just disrespectful to the guy on the other end of the call.

 

[0098386]

I still don't believe that so many people don't wash their hands after going to the toilet. People cannot be that disgusting.

And is it just an internet joke that people use the phone whilst on the toilet? It takes what, up to 15 seconds for a wee and a minute for the other? How do you fit in a browser session around that . Or is it porn? Are you looking at porn whilst having a poo? Does it help?

 

[Apple fanboy]

100% of US Cash money, from $1.00 bills on up in every denomination, contain between 600 ppm (parts per million) on up to 5,000 ppm of cocain across both sides of the bill.

The average debit card contains 20% more contamination, than cell phones, to include 88% of all known viruses, contaigens & feces.

I carry a small personal bottle of hand sanitizer & use it as needed throughout the day. After my Dr. suggested this five years ago, I've not had one single cold, or the flu, as I used to experience prior to the daily regular use.

It's so amazing if I hadn't experienced it personally I wouldn't believe it. In fact I procrastinated for months after I was told since I doubted the advice.

Now, I don't go anywhere without that small plastic bottle in my pocket.

Are you this guy?

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...A65B394DFFB5A4263089CA2093A2C7350&FORM=IQFRBA

 

[R94N]

The only gadget I probably take into the toilet is my iPod, but it's in my pocket and I don't touch it.

 

[SkyBell]

I'll clean my Palm Pixi when it gets visibly dirty. Anything else, I'll clean maybe once or twice a year, when it gets bad enough that even I can't stand it.

 

[mrsir2009]

I only clean them when the screens are visibly dirty - I trust my tough immune system

----------

I still don't believe that so many people don't wash their hands after going to the toilet. People cannot be that disgusting.

Why do you need to wash your hands after urinating? Urine isn't poisonous. You can drink the stuff

 

[localoid]

Why be 1/2 safe with your "gadgets"?

Step #1: I always wash my hands before going to the bathroom to make certain that when I touch my biological "gadgets" during the process of going to the bathroom I'm doing so with clean hands.

Step #2: I always wash my hands after going to the bathroom so that when I touch my digital "gadgets" afterwards I'm doing so with clean hands.

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

Why do you need to wash your hands after urinating? Urine isn't poisonous. You can drink the stuff

Except that it is, urea is a poison. Not going to kill you on small samples, but the same can be said for many poisons.

Also, it's not always sterile - in a healthy individual it is - but do you know how many people carry disease / infectious agents that they aren't aware of?

I trust my immune system, however it did not evolve with our current society model, so I'd rather take a proactive approach just in case...

 

[NZed]

Let's start with some facts:

15% of all mobile phones have human feces on them. Why? Because people, a) do not wash their hands (approximately 1/3 of men do not wash their hands after urinating) and b) people use their phone when they're going number 2.

A computer keyboard is home to hundreds of colonies of bacteria. In fact, there are over 200 times more bacteria on the average computer keyboard than the average toilet seat.

So, how often do you clean your gadgets (Apple products)? Personally, I wipe down my iPhone and MBP once a week.

I wipe my mac every week. And also wash my keyboard protector every 2 to 3 days or sometimes if im lazy, once a week.

 

[espiritujo]

Step #1: I always wash my hands before going to the bathroom to make certain that when I touch my biological "gadgets" during the process of going to the bathroom I'm doing so with clean hands.

Step #2: I always wash my hands after going to the bathroom so that when I touch my digital "gadgets" afterwards I'm doing so with clean hands.

That seems a bit much, but I kinda like that idea. I might try that out today.

 

[wordoflife]

Clean my macbook pro whenever I need to take it out of the house - mainly the screen and aluminum portion. I have a keyboard protector which is easily cleaned more periodically.

iPhone - meh, don't really clean it that much. I mean, I'll wipe it down to get rid of debris and fingerprints on it ... but what do you mean by "clean?" ... like sanitize? Then no, not particularly.

 

[c073186]

b) people use their phone when they're going number 2

I'm not trying to take the side of these folks, but... even so, I would not think it would contaminate said device unless people touch the device again after cleaning themselves but before washing their hands. If that's the case, that is quite disgusting.

I still don't believe that so many people don't wash their hands after going to the toilet. People cannot be that disgusting.

I actually had similar thoughts until a few weeks ago when I was appalled at what I saw at the athletic club I go to. I was actually just washing my hands post-workout (I usually do a surgical scrub down type of routine after touching all the equipment at the gym, just the thought of it)... anyways, and I looked up and saw a guy coming out of the steam/sauna room and go into a bathroom stall. He was in there very briefly (apparently his business is fast... it was #2 by audible clues) - he actually went in and left the stall in the time I was washing my hands. Next he walked towards the sink area, walked past the sinks, and proceeded straight to his locked to get dressed. How one can touch a bathroom stall door, toilet flush handle, toilet paper, other things, and then not wash your hands is absolutely something I will never understand.