Visiting numerous hospitals I’ve noticed most facilities don’t have protocols for cleaning and disinfecting keyboards. Here is what I suggest:
Best Practice Protocol for addressing cross contamination at your multi user keyboard should be to wipe off your keyboard throughout the day. Wiping keyboards off throughout the day will reduce microorganisms by 99%, if not you will have 31% increase (Clorox study).
Lock Your Keys Using Man & Machine’s Tru-lock™ feature, wipe down after each use, shift, case or patient visit.
Remove All Visible Soil Bio-burden, gross contaminates and blood lead to infection.
Recommend Five Seconds of Friction Use any EPA approved alcohol wipe.
Remove Gloves Hand hygiene should be performed; hands should be washed with soap & water for 20 seconds, an alcohol rub applied to the hands prior to donning a new set of gloves.
In clinical areas with high-touch keyboards, they should be able to be terminally cleaned if needed.
Terminally Cleaned:
Keyboard should be sealed, low profile, submersible, hygienic white, withstand 1:10 bleach ratio.
The keyboard needs to be cleaned of all visible soil, bio-burden and gross contaminates then “Submersed” with 10% bleach solution in accordance with CDC Guidelines for blood spills and/or any EPA approved disinfectant/sporicidal to remove all known microorganisms.
The bottom line, keyboards are high touch items that don’t clean themselves. Get a plan together and implement that plan!
