We wanted to know how often you clean your keyboard and controller. And a third of you completely ignore hygiene. MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann is surprised by this.
What kind of survey is this? Recently, we asked our readers on MeinMMO how often they clean their keyboard or controller. Until February 12, 2026, 853 people voted. And I was actually surprised by the results:
- A third (30%, 259 votes) admitted that they clean their devices almost never.
- 44% of participants (379 votes) stated that they at least clean their devices when they look like they need cleaning.
- At least a quarter of the respondents reported that they clean their keyboard regularly once a month or several times a year.
I truly cannot understand this situation and am shocked that people do not clean their devices regularly, at least a few times a year. For me, the keyboard is one of the most important tools in everyday life that requires attention.
Mouse and keyboard are my daily tools and need to be maintained
My keyboard is my essential tool in everyday life. Whether at work or while gaming, the keyboard is always with me. Without a keyboard, much is not possible, although I occasionally pick up a controller. Most of the time, I estimate 80-90% of my gaming time is spent using a mouse and keyboard.
And for me, it’s simply part of the routine to clean my daily tool regularly. With pets in the household, it is essential, as pet hair usually ends up everywhere. And since I also clean my computer regularly, the peripherals are included as well. A clean keyboard just feels “better”. And with PBT keycaps, the keys also get dirty half as quickly.
Moreover, you should not underestimate the cleaning of your keyboard or controller, as the keyboard can become a real hygiene problem in everyday life.
Several studies consistently report that you can find more germs on your keyboard than on an average toilet seat. A few years ago, British consumer protection advocates tested dozens of keyboards in an office for health risks and also warned of high germ levels (source: srf.ch).
If you play on your keyboard after work and regularly stick your fingers into a chip bag, then the germs from the keyboard also migrate into your mouth along with the chips.
And cleaning a keyboard is really not complicated and with a few simple tips, you can free your keyboard from dirt. You just need to take half an hour in your daily life to properly clean your peripherals. After that, the keyboard not only feels better again, but you also reduce the wear and tear on your hardware.
But maybe we won’t need keyboards at all sooner or later. The CEO of the German company SAP stated in a conversation that keyboards will become unnecessary soon. Because speech input for AI is now so good that we will soon not need keyboards anymore: The CEO of a German tech company says that in three years, no one will need to use keyboards anymore
