Dear IT Professional colleagues,
Please find below a summary of best practices for cleaning electronics. While there is a newly created KB document centered on these practices, we want to ensure this information is conveyed as soon as possible and to the widest audience.
Best Practices for Cleaning electronics
To stop the spread of infectious diseases such as the coronavirus, it is important that all computers, computer accessories, touchscreen devices, printers, and electronics in shared locations be cleaned and disinfected frequently, ideally after each use.
When cleaning, follow manufacturer recommendations for specific cleaning requirements, as not all cleaning products work with all electronics.
Cleaning supplies
- Protective masks. Please avoid buying N95 masks as those should be saved for use by medical professionals.
- Disposable gloves. Please use latex-free gloves to avoid problems for staff who may have latex allergies.
- Hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
- Equipment and surface-cleaning products:
- Lysol wipes
- Clorox wipes
- 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipes or liquid. (If you use liquid, you can mix with water and use from a spray bottle: two parts alcohol to one part water.)
- Note: Products like Windex are good for cleaning glass smudges but do not kill germs.
- Keyboard skins are an option for some equipment to help with cleaning time.
Cleaning guidelines
- Always wear disposable gloves and protective masks when cleaning equipment.
- All shared equipment should be cleaned frequently, including equipment in labs, shared work spaces, and classroom equipment used by instructors.
- Clearly define a cleaning schedule and communicate it with the people who are sharing the space and using the equipment.
- If an area has not been maintained previously with regular cleaning practices, it is a good idea to thoroughly clean it prior to making equipment/space available for general use.
- Always unplug equipment prior to cleaning.
- Never spray cleaning products directly on equipment.
- All touch surfaces should be cleaned including keyboards, mice, screens, touch pads, monitors, and any connected equipment.
- Tables or counters where equipment is sitting should be cleaned when equipment is.
- Machines that are brought in for service should be cleaned prior to service occurring and upon completion prior to returning to the individual.
- In order for most germ-killing products to be effective, they should be left on the equipment’s surface for three to four minutes prior to being wiped off. For best results, let the surface air dry after cleaning. Most products will have contact time required for killing germs on their label.
- If using cloths for cleaning, choose a microfiber, lint-free material that is frequently washed.
- Once equipment is cleaned in public spaces, mark the machine as clean with signage (index card or sticky note, for example) to alert the next user. Place signage directly on machine or keyboard so it must be moved to use the machine. Place the signage in the same location on all machines—movement of the signage will be the indicator that machine has been used and requires cleaning. Signage should include information about the cleaning process used. Note: if signage is not placed on the equipment, that means it was previously used by others and should be cleaned.
- Post signage in your work or lab areas about the cleaning processes used and where cleaning products are stored.
Additional considerations
- Portable UV wands for sterilization. These tools are relatively new, and studies have shown that the ultraviolet-C (UVC) light emitted by these hand-held devices is noted for its germicidal abilities. However, it’s not clear whether using them prevents infections in people. Studies have also found that the wands do not kill germs on surfaces with lots of nooks and crannies, like keyboards.
- Space equipment in computer labs so that the social-distance guidelines (at least six feet of physical distance between individuals) are followed.
- Review how many computer labs you presently have and their usage. Consider closing labs that are not very busy to reduce the number of machine areas requiring cleaning. Communicate with your users so they know what is available and where.
This page was created with information from the following sources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention document “Cleaning and disinfecting your facility”
- “How to clean your Apple products”
- “Clean and care for your Surface”
- “Guidance for Keeping Your Dell Technologies Equipment Clean”
-IT Community Partnerships on behalf of Emergency Management and Continuity, Office for the Vice President of Information Technology