Since the beginning of time, people have been disgusted by certain things.
From an evolutionary-biological point of view, this makes sense.
A healthy disgust preserved and still preserves people today from carelessly putting poisonous substances in their mouths or handling dangerous materials or animals all too carelessly.
For this reason, disgust is still a powerful reflex, which is innate to us.
According to a study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, there are universal disgust triggers such as body fluids or spoiled and rotten things, but there are also cultural differences.
In Northern latitudes, many people feel revulsion against spiders, woodlouse, house dust mites, and similar creatures.
The current Covid-19 pandemic means that much smaller life forms are now also coming into focus: bacteria and viruses.
An adequate way to counteract this disgust is an increased level of hygiene.
In a house that is regularly vacuumed and wiped with a damp cloth, woodlouse, spiders, bacteria, and viruses have a much harder time holding their own in the field.
It is also important to continually clean those areas in which one spends a lot of time.
This certainly includes the work area, be it in the office or, as is undoubtedly much more common at present, in the home office.
Researchers at the University of Oregon, for example, examined an exemplary office building and found 30,000 different germs.
The effect on the human organism has by no means been researched for all of them.
The telephone receiver, keyboard, and mouse proved to be extreme germ-slingers at the workplace.
For years, various representative studies have shown that computer keyboards are among the dirtiest and most bacterially contaminated office products available.
Consequently, these devices, in particular, should be thoroughly disinfected regularly, preferably with a special cleaner.
The dirt in the keyboard comes from various sources. Dust is one of the most unavoidable because it is everywhere.
There is also a high concentration of foreign bacteria on our hands with which we operate the keyboard.
Additionally, external influences such as eating and drinking at work, bring further contamination to the keyboard.
Over time, hair and skin particles find their way into the keyboard and, together with other “organic matter, ” forming an ideal breeding ground for the cultivation of bacteria.
These impurities often remain hidden as dirt and bacteria collect under the individual keys.
But of course, that doesn’t have to be the case.
CHERRY, the oldest keyboard manufacturer in the world, offers a range of tips & tricks to help you clean your keyboard regularly and thus keep it in a hygienically perfect condition.
First of all, there is the more “tangible” method: shaking and tapping.
To do this, you first turn the keyboard over.
Wired models should ideally be disconnected from the computer beforehand. Additionally, it is recommended to remove the batteries for wireless versions.
Then the keyboard is moved back and forth with the keypad face down with circular movements.
In this way, the first crumbs and all kinds of loose dirt fall out of the keyboard and often provide a significant aha effect.
Then, by shaking it a little bit harder and tapping it gently, even the coarser particles of dirt are removed.
Then, deeper layers of dirt in the spaces between the individual keys are best removed with cotton swabs and soft brushes.
However, the cleaning solution should never be sprayed or poured directly onto the keyboard.
The more elegant method, which can also be used as a useful supplement to “shaking therapy,” is to use cleaning solutions from the outset.
Most CHERRY keyboards can be cleaned with it.
To do so, gently wipe the keyboard with a slightly dampened cloth using soap and warm water – these components should be found in every household.
Solutions based on isopropyl and ethyl alcohol are also suitable.
However, the cleaning solution should never be sprayed or poured directly onto the keyboard.
The slightly dampened cloth used should be fiber-free so that new fluff is not caught between the keys during the cleaning process.
It goes without saying that one should not use the keyboard again until it is completely dry.
At some point, however, even the most thorough cleaning is no longer of any use.
In case of extremely persistent dirt (or years of neglect), we recommend a visit to cherryamericas.com – to pick a new, completely clean keyboard.
Next consider a hygienic keyboard film specially developed to reduce the transmission of dirt, bacteria and viruses.
CHERRY WetEx® – THE HYGIENIC KEYBOARD COVERS
The CHERRY WetEx® to its range of products, a protective cover for computer keyboards that prevents dirt from penetrating under the keys of a keyboard, and also can be cleaned without difficulty using standard disinfectants*.
This provides simple but effective protection against bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants.
In clinics and doctors’ offices, for example, the keyboard’s entire contact surfaces can be disinfected quickly and easily regularly, which can protect your employees from illness.
WetEx® is a flexible protective film which is resistant to diesel, oil, detergent, and distilled water as well as conditionally resistant to petrol and 40% sulphuric acid.
It fits perfectly over the keyboard and offers an impenetrable surface.
Under normal conditions, WetEx® will last >10 million operating cycles and is ideal for home, office, and industrial applications.
WetEx® has been developed for a wide range of CHERRY products, including the KC 1000, G84-4100, KC 1000 SC, and STREAM KEYBOARD models.
It is easy to handle and provides comprehensive protection for the keyboard within seconds.
The CHERRY WetEx® keyboard protection is available immediately starting at a recommended retail price of $30**.
You can find further information about CHERRY WeTex.
*Tested with Isopropanol 70%, Dentavon liquid, Incidin liquid, Kohrsolin FF, Sterilium, Desomed Rapid AF, Dismozon. **pricing varies by model.
Finding a New Secure, Completely Clean Keyboard
The new CHERRY KC 1000 SC combines a reliable office keyboard with a secure card reader, eliminating the need to keep an additional external device on hand – creating less chaos and more space on the desk.
Another advantage is that the user’s card and the terminal are both visible at all times, and therefore easy to monitor.
The keyboard itself is equipped with useful features that promise an optimal user experience: 109 keys, including four hotkeys for “Calculator,” “E-mail,” “Browser,” and “Sleep Mode.”
Thanks to CHERRY’s high-quality standards, the keycaps are incredibly resistant to abrasion and can, therefore, withstand years of use in the office without showing signs of wear.
(The KC 1000 SC computer keyboard is a USB security keyboard with an integrated smart card terminal. This keyboard is available with or without TAA compliance. Courtesy of CHERRY Americas and YouTube.)
Reliable and secure smart card terminal
The class 2 card reader of the KC 1000 SC is deeply recessed in the housing and can be easily operated with only one hand.
The Class 2 card reader supports the PC/SC standard, is EMV 2000 Level 1 compliant, CCID compatible, enables reading and writing of ISO 7816 standardized smart cards, and supports the following protocols: T=0, T=1, S=8, S=9, S=10. The keyboard also meets all requirements of the Trade Agreement Act (TAA).
Also, the CHERRY KC 1000 SC meets the requirements of FIPS-201, the Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 201 (FIPS 201), Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors, a standard of the National Institute of Standards and Technology that specifies the technical requirements for access control for employees and contractors of the U.S. government.
The keyboard also impresses with its elegance. Once again, CHERRY proves that security can also be beautiful.
Looking for Higher Security?
Higher security is achieved through two-factor authentication using a smart card.
As a rule, the terminal with which the card is read out is required when processing smart card data.
Here, CHERRY follows the “Hit two birds with one stone” approach, and with the SECURE BOARD 1.0 offers a space-saving alternative: Because here, the card reader is integrated into the keyboard.
Also, the new addition to the CHERRY portfolio has a contactless card reader located on the back of the keyboard, which can also read RFID and NFC cards or tags.
With this equipment, a whole range of application areas for the new SECURE BOARD 1.0 are possible: For example, ID systems can be used for closed user groups via the keyboard, and company IDs can be easily read in.
Communication using NFC tags and a smartphone is also possible with the SECURE BOARD 1.0. Depending on which apps a user has installed on their mobile phone, NFC payment is possible.
The SECURE BOARD 1.0 also allows you to read customer or bonus cards, such as those used in fitness centers or loyalty cards.
Safe, convenient and comfortable
In addition to the ease of use, CHERRY, in its usual manner, has placed great emphasis on safety.
The integrated card reader meets the highest security standards and fulfills the requirements in the United States, according to FIPS-201.
The integrated terminal for PC / SC smart cards enables the reading and writing of ISO-7816 and ISO-14443-A / B-compliant cards.
Numeric PINs are entered securely using the numeric keypad on the keyboard.
To Learn More about CHERRY’s complete range of security products, please visit CHERRY.
Based in America’s Heartland, CHERRY Americas is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of computer input devices – focusing on applications for offices, industry, security, and German-engineered switches for mechanical keyboards.
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