Cleaning computers

[JJonas]

A couple of questions on computer cleaning...

 

Are there any guidelines/legal/health and safety requirements on how often we should be cleaning computer keyboards/mice?

 

How often are you cleaning yours?

 

 

thanks

[apoth0r]

I think it tends to depend on your school really.

In my previous role in a primary school I used to take 1/2 a day once a month for cleaning and preventative maintenance. Which included giving everything a damn good scrub.

These days I don't tend to be involved in the cleaning, but if a machine comes into the workshop I usually give it the once over with some cleaning stuff.

[Fontayne56]

We clean ours every three years when we put new ones in

 

The cleaners usually dust the tops off !!

 

Ryan

[rad]

We clean ours every three years when we put new ones in

 

The cleaners usually dust the tops off !!

 

Ryan

 

Cleaners, what are they!!

 

If the school do do it, they get the cleaners to do it, using wet cloths on TFT's. We all cringe in the ICT office as the school choose them as they are cheaper than we could do it at. A

[Sirbendy]

we do ours...whenever we think about it. We've just bought a compressor to dust the PCs/projectors, and I'll probably use it to blow the crumbs/dribble/snot/skin/dandruff/bodily hair out of the keyboards, but...that's about it.

 

I'm not worried - if we lose a few to germ warfare, that's a bonus..

[plexer]

We clean the screens in the it suites quite regular they are hard glass tft's so it's quite easy.

 

Otherwise we don't.

 

I clean toner out when changing carts.

[enjay]

The desks around the computers may or may not get dusted by the cleaners, depending entirely on which cleaner does the room, other than that the cleaners don't touch them - at my request. I've seen too many get "cleaned" with soapy water and a J-cloth, so have asked the cleaning supervisor to tell them not to leave the computers.

 

Monitors are cleaned when I notice big finger marks on them, ball mice are cleaned when needed (which seems to be almost monthly with those vandal-proof RM ones), keyboards are given a blast with an air-duster and a wipe down with some anti-bacterial stuff a couple of times a year. Staff who routinely eat at their desks will sometimes clean the keyboards themselves more frequently.

[ejsaunders]

Get a couple of the nerdy kids (if you're a secondary) and some valved mist masks, goggles from the science dept and a variety of cleaning fluids (i.e. antistatic foaming cleaner, Isopropyl alcohol, etc) and scrub away.

 

H&S wise, if you wanna be more boring, only you should handle it, using the correct things like a valved mask for vapours and VOCs, I use the 3M half-face mask for painting, the blue one you can get in B&Q. Wear gloves, preferably chemical resistant ones (also available from B&Q, but most places sell vinyl gloves that look like rubber gloves for washing up).

 

Use foaming cleaner for stains on cases, screens etc

use antistatic screen cleaner for TFTs and monitors of the normal persuasion

use isopropyl alcohol for pens, inks, whiteboard markers on IWBs or permanent ink on anything

use static reduction polish for a nice smell, a shine, and less dust in your babies afterwards

 

Suggest plenty of J-cloth (CPC do rolls), or pop in the pound shop, some dusters, some long-sticked cotton buds (CPC), plenty of rubber gloves if you don't want to use the more restrictive vinyl gauntlet type (I prefer latex), a waterproof overall (B&Q, CPC) so you don't mess your clothes up, a portable compressor and attachment for blowing the shite out of stuff, goggles, the mask, and your selection of music, since its VERY boring, particularly if you do it on your own.

[Sylv3r]

No cleaning programme in place here. The cleaners will wipe the computers generally during the summer holidays - damp cloth on keyboards etc. Wiping the benching down, but we don't systematically clean on a regular basis.

 

As someone else mentioned - we just replace the PC's reguarly rather then clean them!

[Linfit]

We now only buy black keyboards. These don't show the dirt as much so there are fewer complaints from pupils about them !

 

We don't have a regular cleaning program except for projectors where we do the filters and brush the dust out every term. Other kit only gets cleaned if it comes into the office for some other reason or if it is so bad it gets commented upon. The foaming cleaner mentioned in earlier posts is the stuff - it will clean cases and keyboards brilliantly, and we use whiteboard cleaner to get biro and ink off.

 

I find staff computers often get into the worst state. Some of the keyboards in offices get really filthy, but people tend not to notice how disgusting they get until its pointed out to them.

[ejsaunders]

This stuff: http://cpc.farnell.com/servisol/100002000-400ml/servisol-foamcleanser-30-400ml/dp/SAFOAMCLEANSER is fantastic. Spray, leave it on a bit, let it foam off (it goes intoa liquid), then wipe, removes almost anything. Probably take the hair of bill bailey's back! It smells funky too, it used to say "lavender" on the can, now it doesn't, but meh, I like it whatever. Some smell like incontinent cats, the CPC own brand isn't bad either, its cheaper and works the same, but the smell is different.

[ejsaunders]

God, third today, I've been searching since I've nothing better to do today, and as far as I can tell, there appears to be no major imperative for cleaning aside from parents evening or some sort of formal event. The only things I can think of are:

 

* Outbreaks of something contagious (i.e. give the keyboards a wipe after you know the dude had haemorragic fever)

* Hygiene for kids/staff who (cough) smoke (cough) and leave your keyboards nicotine yellow

* Monitors (mostly non TFTs) CAN cause headaches at the best of times, if there's filth all over it, its likely to make it worse

* Whiteboards/etc vandalised are a nuisance, or if teachers PERSIST in using permanent marker on them, get THEM to clean it off with IPA wipes

 

I generally give them a wipe at all the term breaks if I'm feeling generous and not on holiday and ask some of the kids who're interested/lustful (you know the ones, usually called Nick Rogeringam-Sideways or Cecil) of IT to come in and then they get a game of quake2 to test the machines are working or last class of term helps me.

 

Just obviously if you get kids involved, wear protection, make THEM wear it, and don't let them inhale compressed air since its not really air in the sense you can breath it and not die. Reminds me of the time I forgot to lock the cleaning cupboard door and found a sixth former...

[synaesthesia]

I almost bought a few cans of compressed air to help with cleaning out projector filters (especially ones way up high), varying fans and other general IT odds and sods, to be told by my boss that its not actually permitted - can't have them in schools for H&S reasons being a "hazardous gas".

 

Yeah, air.

 

Otherwise I keep a couple of horsehair brushes with me at all times to get at the worst of the crud :/

[EduTech]

I normally go round every now and again and give everything a scrub, but just to busy the past few holidays lol.

 

our cleaners clean the work surface and move the keyboard and mice to one side and just leave it in a mess... they get told not to touch them...

 

 

[Jobos]

I’ve been told that the computers and trolleys are classed as technical equipment and as such the cleaners are not allowed to touch them. Just a cop out if you ask me.

[enjay]

I almost bought a few cans of compressed air ... to be told by my boss that its not actually permitted - can't have them in schools for H&S reasons being a "hazardous gas".

 

Yeah, air.

 

It isn't air in the truest sense of the word, as there is the propellent and gubbins in there too. Have you note noticed the smell of the stuff? That said, it is less hazardous than the cans of Lynx and Impulse which the students are all carrying (those are flammable, after all) and it is far less hazardous than half of what the Science Prep Room contains. Keep them locked away when not in use, and you'll be fine.

[ejsaunders]

There is NO air at all in there, there is only the gas, which is self-propelling in most cans. Its highly dangerous as it is a bit like Monoxide, if you inhale enough, it will replace your oxygen and you can't oxygenate your blood, so *bump*...

 

Usually its an ethane, like Difluoroethane

[ejsaunders]

Haha, I just read that Diflouro can actually catch fire... FROM STATIC! How muppety is that, apparently they use Triflouro mostly these days, especially if it says "static safe" on the can. Most have bittering agents added, and are Triflo so they are safe for use on electrical equipment, but both are still asphyxiants, and while its unlikely you'll die in a large volume of air (its heavier than air), you could possibly die (several reported cases in the states where muppets have used it to get a high from oxygen starvation) if you inhaled it directly from the can.

 

Also, apparently, don't shake, as its compressed at a LOW PSI, so it will mix the air and gas and defeat the purpose of it, and therefore spray more liquid than gas, wasting it. Store below 25 degrees C and it'll last longer too.