A flexible membrane that can be permanantly affixed to the top surface of a keyboard should work.

I totally agree. My keyboards are all dusty between keys,and i've accidentally spilled coffee in them, and all sortsof different foods and drinks over the years, sometimesresulting in the need to buy a new keyboard altogether.

It seems the computer industry designs its products to lasta very short while, to be replaced rather than cleaned. Howsilly. Its time they grew up and realized their products arevery poorly designed for cleaning. If you try to clean beneath the keys, it can pop off the keycaps and in some laptops even destroy the keys.

I am all for this idea... computer keyboards for real people!

If you look, you can find keyboards made for such an enviroment.

A plastic membrane isn't a bad idea, but think about it-- your fingertips are not the cleanest part of your body. And unless you took the membrane off every time you ate, washed it, and then put it back on, it would basically be like using the same plate day in and day out... and sitting there with your fingers on it sweating on it and tracking God-only-knows-what-else onto it.... really nasty, if you think about it.

Use the membrane to protect the keys (many cash registers use this), but don't be a slob-- just use a real plate.

still, it sound horrible unsanitary.Not to mention kind of pointless, why would I want to put my sandwich on my keyboard?

I thinks its a good idea, but it has actually been thought of before.

Here is an example to where you can find a rubber keyboard:Rubber Keyboard

I type a lot on my computer, so choosing they right keyboard is very important to me. The keys on these rubber keypads can get tedious and very annoying after a while. - So in my life, I would have 2 keyboards, when Im about to eat at the computer I will plug in the rubber keyboard - via a usb dock on the table! - and when I want my other keyboard just bring that back in...

I do agree however that there must be some way to keep our keyboards free from dust!!

I can't believe nobody has said this yet, but "why not walk away from the computer for five minutes and eat like civilized people at a table with a plate, fork, knife and napkin? Just like my French friends would say "C'est fous, les americains!

Here's a problem with that idea. I paid about $10 for my keyboard 4-5 years ago. It has all kinds of food and crap in it. It still works.

And if it stops working, I'll go buy another $10 keyboard.

Most modern keyboards have keys designed such that you can easily pop them off, clean under them, and pop them back on. Just be sure you put them back in the right places.

Here are some keyboards that you can get today to fill your need:

http://www.armagard.co.uk/products/keyboard-options.html

http://www.ruggedtech.com/

Just Google for "waterproof" or "rugged" keyboard :) Note that the silicone keyboards are quite annoying to use - the keyboards are made of silicone bubbles, so you have to press exactly in the middle of the key to register the press correctly.