Classroom Tech: A Breeding Ground for Germs?

Computers, laptops and tablets are now deeply engrained in K–12 education. It is estimated that of the 30 million Chromebooks sold in 2021, four in five were for a student.¹ Within K–12 schools today, there are at least 48 million laptops¹. Electronic devices are major high-touch surfaces, but unlike doorknobs, desks and tables, cleaning professionals are told not to clean or sanitize them. Cleaning these devices thus falls on teachers and staff, who may not do this frequently. One school told us the student devices are cleaned just once a year and only during summer break.

By 2032, it is estimated that spending for education technology will hit $132.4B.² Schools have made huge investments in electronics and need to make sure these devices last. Without routine cleaning, dust and debris can accumulate in keyboards and air vents and lead to trapped heat, corrosion and other issues that can cause electronic degradation. In addition to dirt and grime, school electronics can harbor bacteria that may lead to illness and spread contamination to other surfaces. Light switches, desks and doorknobs are only as clean as the hands that touch them, and those hands are only as clean as the devices students use throughout the day.

Bacterial contamination from students’ electronics can contribute to increased illness and make it more difficult to maintain a clean school environment. With an estimated 189 million missed days of school each year due to illness, it is essential to take proactive steps to prevent the spread of germs.³ One simple and effective measure is for schools to provide teachers and staff with sanitizing wipes to regularly clean shared electronics.

Tiny hands, big impact: Children are good at spreading germs

Kids catch three to four colds per year on average, creating many opportunities to spread germs.³ They are also six times more likely than adults to be infected with multiple viruses at the same time.⁴ Children’s behaviors play a large role in the spread of germs in school settings:

• Children are estimated to touch and retouch a surface up to 300 times in as little as 30 minutes.⁵
• Children typically do not cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze. And if they do, they often use their hands instead of their elbow or a tissue.⁶ Oftentimes, you will see a child with their hands in their mouth, which is an easy way to get sick.
• Children often skip proper hand washing: They may not scrub their hands well, or they might use hand sanitizer instead of soap and water.

Given student’s behaviors, it is no surprise that teachers are exposed to seven times more bacteria per square inch in their workplace than doctors!⁵ The increased use of electronics in schools has created a new pathway for germs to spread, but currently, there is no strategy in place to prevent this.

Addressing the overlooked risk of electronic contamination in schools

We might not be able to change how kids help spread germs, but we can take simple steps to regularly clean and sanitize the surfaces they touch. The problem, of course, is that in most cases, cleaning contracts explicitly state that custodians do not clean electronics. This is especially true in schools where most electronic devices, like laptops and tablets, are removed and locked up at the end of the school day. However, schools can add sanitizing electronic wipes to classroom supplies as part of a cleaning contract. Alternatively, if you are a facility manager for a school, you may want to request funds to supply sanitizing electronic wipes to teachers and staff for use on student electronics. Why wipes? Because they are intuitive and easy to use for people who are not trained custodians. Teachers and staff can easily understand how to use them on the student laptops and tablets, making it an easy but impactful task to add to their day.