Thank you all for the very helpful responses to my question about cleaning keyboards! I have included them below in case they would also be useful to anyone else:
*I bought a bunch of super inexpensive keyboards, and am using those--they get wiped three times/day--we have hand sanitizer for before & after at each station, too.
*We got some silicone ones [covers] off amazon (9.99 each) that seem to be working well. They just lay over the keyboard and don’t slide off because of the silicone, so we just remove them, spray, wipe and put back on. You just need to make sure the version you get is the correct for your model of keyboard. Here is a link to one we got: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W9CFJKC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
*We have used a light spray of Lysol. Per our fire chief and safety officer, Lysol kills on contact. We do not have to wet anything down, just a light mist and the alcohol (or whatever is inside) evaporates. We do it between each patron use. We cover the mouse, keyboard and back of the chair that they grab to pull out and sit down. [Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist are the only two Lysol products currently approved by the EPA as effective against SARS-COV-2 human coronavirus]
*I ordered Green Onion Supply Universal keyboard caps through Amazon. They come in packs of 3 for about $14.00. When my first set arrived, they looked about as flimsy as plastic wrap, but I have been pleasantly surprised at how well they have held up. We have been using the first 3 I bought for more than a month with no tears in them yet. And people don't seem to find them too annoying to type through (although they do make seeing the keys a little more difficult for some people who are not terribly familiar with which keys are where).
*We're using Glad Press n Seal wrap. Works like a charm. We don't even clean it - we just change it after each patron uses it. You get so much in a roll - we haven't used a whole role in over a month. I imagine it would wipe, and that would be less waste, but we're taking the safest route which is to recover after each use. As far as staff keyboards, we don't share pc, so we're wiping ours down once a day.
*We are using Glad Press n' Seal wrapped around each keyboard. We wipe down the keyboards after each use. If you need to replace the wrapping it is cheap enough. We opened on June 1st with the wrapping. It was slow at first but now we have been having 1-2 people daily fairly regularly at each computer. We have not changed the wrapping yet due to the low number of people and the fact we are wiping them down after each use.
* We are planning on using Press N Seal from Glad as keyboard covers because it adheres to itself and can easily be changed between patrons and just thrown away. We plan on using a disinfecting wipe on the keyboard itself and then letting it dry for 10 minutes (if possible) before putting Press n Seal on it. Then the patron will use the computer during their appointed time in the library and when they leave we will remove the Press n Seal (wearing gloves) and use a disinfecting wipe to be sure the computer is disinfected. We will not put Press N Seal on until someone schedules computer usage.
* We are using Glad Press'N Seal - works pretty good, but we don't have a whole lot of traffic yet.
I also found that the Maine State Library has some keyboard cover/cleaning options listed in this document: https://www.maine.gov/msl/libs/services/documents/COVID_Supplies_Libraries.pdf
With appreciation,
Janet S. Bolduc, MSLS
Medical Education Librarian
MaineGeneral Medical Center, Alfond Center for Health
35 Medical Center Parkway|Augusta, ME 04330
[log in to unmask] |207-626-1325
-----Original Message-----
From: Bolduc, Janet
Sent: Thursday, July 9, 2020 12:59 PM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Revisiting Computer Keyboard Cleaning
Has anyone had good luck with a certain type of keyboard cover or tried washable keyboards? We are using disinfectant wipes between computer uses but I am worried the keyboards will become damaged by the constant moisture. I saw in the MSL Zoom chat that some had tried the elasticized bowl cover types but they weren't sturdy enough for the constant disinfecting that we are doing now and will be doing even more of when open to the public...
Janet S. Bolduc, MSLS
Medical Education Librarian
MaineGeneral Medical Center, Alfond Center for Health
35 Medical Center Parkway|Augusta, ME 04330 [log in to unmask] |207-626-1325
|
