Did you know that in the first few minutes at work, you’ve already touched the 10 dirtiest things in the office without you knowing it?
Here is a compilation of the dirtiest items in your desk space, just to give you an idea about the importance of disinfectant and sanitation:
- Your Keyboard. Keyboards are notorious for harboring bacteria, especially as we press every single key continuously for up to 8 hours each day. Skin cells, food residue, and sweat spread easily in small spaces such as offices. With more than 3,295 bacteria per square inch, shake and wipe down your keyboard weekly with a slightly damp cloth.
- Your Mouse. Your office mouse is one of the most used tools in your office every day. With 10% of office workers admitting to never cleaning their mouse, a study found that they can contain up to 1,676 microbes per square inch.
- Coffee Pot. Just think of all the hands that grace the handle of a coffee pot every day. Not all of those hands are 100% clean. According to research, 48% of coffee pots contain harmful bacteria on their surface so make sure to wash your hands after using one.
- Microwave & Refrigerator. An office fridge should be cleared out every two days, especially when the average fridge contains 7,850 bacteria colony-forming units per square centimeter. Your office microwave can be used up to 30 times each day, harboring a combination of meat and vegetable particles, and creating a nest for bacteria. Germs need warmth, food, and moisture to multiply, and allowing the internal top of the microwave to be splattered with food particles can cause a potential health risk. So, wash your hands and disinfect that handle as soon as possible.
- Water Cooler. It is free and refreshing but 23 percent of water cooler buttons contain enough bacteria to make you ill. According to the Public Health organization, the office water cooler is a known magnet for gathering all kinds of nasty bacteria, with 2.7 million germs per square inch on the average water spigot. Make sure to sanitize your hands after refilling your water container.
- Your Desk. There are more than 10 million germs to be found on the average work desk, it can accommodate 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. It is important that you keep your workspace clean by wiping it with an anti-bacterial wipe or vinegar-based solution.
- Your Headset or Headphones. It is common in an office to share headsets especially those offices with shared stations, it would be wise to sanitize your workstation headset before using. Bacteria spread like wildfire after one hour of using your headsets, bacteria, and germs can increase 700 times.
- Elevator Buttons. If your office happens to be in a commercial building and people use an elevator to move between floors, the elevator buttons are another dirty thing that can hold and transfer germs.
- The Printer and Copier. The average printer and copier machine are touched up to 300 times a day – especially an interface and touchpad. This makes it a key nesting ground for nasty bacteria. Simply wipe over the surface and keypad with a PC wipe before each use.
- Soap Dispenser. A study by the University of Arizona found that a quarter of office dispensers are contaminated with fecal bacteria. If you wash your hands thoroughly, that’s fine, but be wary of the number of germs you gain just before you wash them.
You might be paranoid now touching those 10 dirtiest things in your office, don’t worry, we are here to help! Give us a call and we will keep your office clean!