Is Your Keyboard Really Dirtier Than A Toilet Seat? Be Safe, Win A Fully Washable Keyboard from Unotron (Now Closed)

Several years ago an article was written about a study which was done that compared the amount of germs on the average keyboard to a toilet seat and a doorknob. Guess what they found? That one of the keyboards tested had a germ level five times higher than the toilet seat. If you think about it, it’s not hard to imagine considering all that goes on around your desk. Now think about bringing kids into the mixture. Oh boy..

As a parent of a toddler, the wife of a truck driver, and a former home health care worker I am all too knowledgeable about the various bugs and germs that can inhabit a household or a workplace, and I’ve seen what kind of damage they can do. Because of that I’m always extra paranoid when it comes to germs and bacteria, especially around items that we touch every day, like our mouse or keyboard.

Do I even have to go into detail about all the gross things toddlers do and why I’d rather not have one touching my keyboard? Or the obvious reasons why I wouldn’t want my toddler touching the keyboard after his dad, who as a truck driver travels around the country, touching who knows what in dirty rest stops?  Of course they both know how to wash their hands, but both also suffer from bouts of forget-fullness, and it’s impossible to police them 24/7.

On the other hand I have my own bad habits that I’ve picked up over the years. Like most of you, I eat at my desk. Within the past 15 years of hanging out online I must have dropped every type of food you can imagine on and in my keyboard. Try getting yogurt out from underneath the keys on your keyboard. Not happening.

That’s why when I was introduced to the GermStopper SpillSeal® Washable corded keyboard I knew my readers would want to hear about it. You read right. A washable keyboard! Can you believe it? They have been on the market awhile now, mostly used in hospital settings where bacteria like MRSA (Staphylococcus Aureus) can be a real problem.

Fully Washable, and Spill-Proof

Unotron’s patented SpillSeal® technology delivers a standard keyboard and mouse that are completely waterproof and easy to disinfect. SpillSeal® keyboards feature tightly sealed casings that prevent solid matter and fluids entering the keyboard where they cannot be flushed out and sterilized. The SpillSeal keyboard also contains an antimicrobial additive in the plastic to protect the product.

Unotron sealed products can be washed under running or sprayed water, as well as sprayed with disinfectants.  They can also be submerged several inches under water, but due to pressure-related issues, it is not recommend submerging the products more than several inches.

The Unotron keyboard is patented with SpillSeal® technology and tested to the International Standards NEMA4X and IP66 (click to see what that means)

Results of Independent Study Show Washing Keyboards Reduces High Levels of Bacteria

A study was done on SpillSeal keyboards by an independent laboratory in the UK, where keyboards are often used in hospital settings. The lab contaminated several keys, that were identified as the most difficult ones to disinfect, with high levels of Staphylococcus Aureus.They then left the keyboards at an ambient room temperature for 1 hour. After the hour was up they used several different methods to clean the keyboards.

After washing by immersing and agitating the keyboard (by moving about and pressing the keys) and standing without rinsing or drying for 2 minutes. They found:

• Washing in water alone reduced the levels of staph by 86.29%
• Washing in water with a 10% antibacterial soap solution reduced levels of staph by 98.32%
• Washing with a solution of water and hospital grade disinfectant reduced levels by 100%

Peace of Mind At An Affordable Price

At an affordable price of $45.99, Unotron’s products are an excellent choice to have in any household, but especially one with children. No more worrying about spills, accidents, or bacteria.

Where To Buy

Several resellers offer Unotron products online. You can find one on the Unotron website or you can find the latest keyboard on Amazon for amazing prices (Currently $37.57) with free shipping. I’ve also included a handy link to the mouse.

Germstopper Spillseal Washable Antimicrobial Keyboard – in Black

Scrollseal Washable Optical Mouse – in Black

Want to win your very own Germstopper keyboard? Keep Reading

(Now Closed)

Congrats to Michelle H. and thank you to everyone who entered!

Prize: 1 reader will win their very own S6000K Germstopper Spillseal – Washable Antimicrobial Keyboard from Unotron.

To Enter:  Please complete the required task. If the required task is not completed then none of your entries will count.  After that you have several other ways of getting extra entries.  Make sure that for each one you do you leave a separate comment. Each comment counts as one entry. Please leave your correct email addy.

Required: Just answer one of the following questions by leaving a comment:  

What interests you about this keyboard? or Who is the messiest person in your house when it comes to using the keyboard/mouse?

2 Extra Entries

* Follow me publicly on Google friend connect (look to the right in my sidebar)
* Follow me on Facebook
* Share this giveaway on your FB and tag my fan page if you know how 
* Grab my new button and put it on your site (I’d love to exchange – let me know)

5 Extra Entries

*Subscribe to my site by Email or RSS then check your mail to confirm it (See top left corner of blog sidebar) (leave 5 separate comments to count as your extra entries)

1 Extra Entry Per Day

* Follow me on Twitter @detroitmommy then copy this and tweet it:

RT @detroitmommy How clean is your keyboard? Enter to win a fully washable keyboard right now at first-time-mommy http://bit.ly/gio89r

Leave me a comment with a link to your tweet.  You can come back each day and retweet for 1 extra entry per day. Just make sure to leave a comment each day you do it! (You can also use the green RT button at the top of this post)

(Don’t know how to show me you RT’d? Just place your mouse directly under your tweet where it says “1 minute ago from web” and click to get the URL of your status update. Copy and Paste.)

Good Luck!

Giveaway is open to residents of the US 18 yrs of age or older. Any posts not including the requested information will be deleted. This giveaway ends: Sunday, April 10, 2011 12am EST. Winner will be contacted immediately and announced Monday, April 11, 2011. In the event the winner does not respond to email within 48 hours I will choose another random winner. I will be using random.org to do this.