Yeah, yeah... we know. Eating at your home office desk is a bad idea. But sometimes — whether you have too much to do, or if you just want to enjoy lunch while you stream a movie — it can be neccessary. Here are some tips to keep clean and do it the smart way.
Before you dig in at your desk, try one of these strategies to keep clean (and avoid gross-out-worthy crumbs between the computer keys):
• Eat greasy snacks like potato chips with chopsticks to avoid getting grease on your keyboard and mouse.
• If you already have greasy fingers, lay a napkin or paper towel over your computer's trackpad— it will still register your touch through the napkin.
• Keep drinks in cups with lids, and not within 1 foot of your mousing hand — that's just a spill waiting to happen.
• To avoid crumbs between the keys, cover your keyboard with a silicon skin (like these for Apple and Sony products), or this keyboard napkin.
• Cover the area where you plan to eat with a placemat. It will catch any wayward crumbs or spills for easy clean-up.
• Throw food trash away in the kitchen to avoid lingering odors, especially if you don't frequently have to empty your office trash bin (and especially especially if you don't have one).
Bonus home-office-eating tip: You can use your office supplies as a benchmark to gauge portion sizes, according to Self magazine. A computer mouse is about the size your baked potato, rice or pasta serving should be, a thumb drive is about the size of an ounce of cheese, and your pencil holder should fit about 1 serving of cereal, pretzels or other snacks. Check out the rest of Self's office eating portion-control tips right here.
Do you have any tips for staying clean when you eat at your desk?
(Images: 1. Shutterstock, 2. alleinwohner.ch)
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i wrap my sandwich in saran or cling wrap, and i eat at my work desk everyday. i open the wrapper and it lays nicely over the keyboard. everything is protected, when yu are done, clean up takes 2 seconds, done and done.
Eating potatoe chips with a chopstick, really? Sounds silly. It's much healthier to walk away and eat. It's gives the brain a break.
If you HAVE TO EAT at your desk, I like all the suggestiosn except the chopstick. I can get over how silly that sounds or is it just me?
You know a super smart tip to keeping your desk clean after eating at it? Walk over to the supply closet, get yourself some spray cleaner and alcohol wipes and clean your desk, keyboard, phone every few days.
Didn't know this sort of thing was not common sense.
@LyonStill: not just you. Can you imagine what the coworkers will think of the person who actually tries this? Hey Taryn - you should add a warning to your chopstick tip, "Caution. Do not do in sight of boss, may result in permanent reputation harm and decreased chance for raise."
Hmm, that will do wonders for my reputation at work if I break out the chopsticks every time I want to snack on some potato chips. My colleagues certainly won't think I'm a freak or anything.
The chopstick idea reminds me of the Seinfend episode where George eats his candy bar with a knife and fork...
I don't think anyone is going to do that.
I can't believe you guys are reacting so strongly to the chopstick suggestion. Back in college (20 years ago), my go to all nighter supply was a bag of Cheetoes, a huge Diet Coke, and a pair of chopsticks. Chopsticks are perfect for eating Cheetos. I use it even today (now a mom and a lawyer) if I want to eat Cheetos and read a book, and do anything else really. My other option is to keep a wipee on hand and wipe my fingers in between every Cheeto (or chip), but honestly, that's more of a pain than the chopsticks. Plus, you have to find someplace to put the wipee where the moisture won't cause damage.
FYI, I do live in California and eat sushi weekly. Do other states have an anti-chopstick bias?
Maybe I should add that I am Asian (born in the U.S.). Maybe this is chopstick racism! (J/K)
Um yeah, if I saw someone eating chips or cheetos with chopsticks, I would think that was intensely strange, regardless of law degrees and children.
It's a great idea guys. Not something that I would take the effort to do, but I definitely wouldn't think of somebody as a freak for using them. Keeps you from getting greasy fingers!
I've read about it a few times on this site. I'm sure it's one of those things that, once you do it once, you cannot do it any other way. We use utensils for everything else. Who cares?!
I used to eat Cheetos in college with giant forceps (tweezers) for the same reason as azuresong. Only my roommate knew how nuts I was. I didn't like getting that Cheeto dust on my textbooks. (non-Asian in Chicago, although forceps are not Asian) Before the haters chime in, the forceps were new & only used for that purpose.
I would do it (use chopsticks for a greasy snack). I might get some funny looks, yes. But I bet some of those people would try it. I certainly see people eating with chopsticks all the time (just not chips).
AzureSong: I also live in California...native. Still think the chop thing is silly but hey, to each there own so you rock them girl.
I kinda think eating chips with a chopstick would only help your chances of getting a raise. It might make you seem a bit odd, but it doesn't really reflect on your work ability or work ethic (especially if you're eating at your desk). So yes, your manager may tease you about it, but they'll remember who you are -- and people who you stand out in your mind are the ones that typically get raises.
Personally, I stick potato chips into my sandwich, which resolves the greasy finger issue... but anyway.
Go and eat somewhere else !
Silly post.
Oh my god, so much ranting over the chopsticks. Of course, everyone just HAS to be the same and NEVER do anything that's not precisely what other people do. Relax, would you? no harm in thinking out of your little box.
Also, this post is about a home office desk. So really, there shouldn't be anyone there to see how "insane" you are for daring to eat in a different way than what's socially accepted.
If I'm eating something greasy, I just use my left hand to eat, and then my right to use the mouse. I always do this with Cheetos. :)
If I saw a coworker eating with chopsticks I would find it endearing and want to befriend them.
An almost foolproof way to prevent accidentally knocking over a taller cup or glass is to set it inside a coffee mug, (think for example a paper or styrofoam cup of soda). Best reason in the world for the office to keep ceramic mugs available in the office kitchen . . .
Chopsticks are a great way to eat greasy or cheesy foods and reduces mindless eating.
For non-native chopstick users, they also slow down the number you can eat.
I think this is a GREAT post. I don't drink caffeine and grazing keeps me alert all day so I always eat at my desk at work and I won't lie, over time the buildup is pretty gross. (It's for this reason that I never eat in my home office.) But I love the chopstick idea. One thing I hate about chips is how the back of your hand gets greasy when you reach into the bag. Chopsticks would be long enough to avoid this - and would save a bowl. I definitely favor real dishes and mugs for less knock-over potential and also a large napkin to save your clothes.