There’s nothing bacteria loves more than a thriving office that’s bustling with people going about their business.
Take a moment to look around your office. How many of the same things have you (and your colleagues) touched today? That’s a lot of bacteria being shared from one person’s hands to another.
It’s almost enough to make you go ‘ewww’!
With everyone being more hygiene aware, regular hand sanitising to help prevent the spread of bacterial illnesses is more prominent than ever before. As is the need for regular office cleaning to hit all these bacteria hotspots.
Let’s take a look at the 10 dirtiest places in your office. Some of these may surprise you!
Bacteria hotspots in your office:
1. DOOR HANDLES
If you’re the type of person who uses toilet paper to touch the toilet seat, you may also rethink how you look at a door handle. Office door handles have been found to hold the highest levels of bacteria. As it’s a high touch point with so many people coming and going, it’s said to hold more than 30 times the amount of bacteria you’d find on a toilet seat!
2. SINKS
As it will be in your home, a kitchen sink can be one of the dirtiest places in your work environment. Think about how many people empty food or drink into the sink and don’t wash it down properly. Or they’re in a hurry, so put their dirty dishes in that are left to fester and grow bacteria. In an office environment where multiple people do the same thing, the sink can be one of the fastest-growing bacteria hotspots.
3. MICROWAVES AND FRIDGES
Many people take their lunch to work and pop it in the fridge to stay fresh until lunchtime.
The fridge is once again opened and often followed by using a microwave to reheat the food.
That’s a lot of people who touch the fridge and microwave handles, along with the buttons on the microwave. And how often have you found accidentally forgotten lunches rotting away at the back of the fridge? It’s no wonder fridges, and microwaves are bacteria havens.
4. CHAIRS
Many office workers will have their own chairs, which prevents too much bacteria from being shared. However, coworking office situations will have multiple people sharing office chairs, with bacteria being easily spread from sitting or touching the chairs. It’s a good idea to have bacterial wipes handy so office chairs can be wiped down routinely, especially with multiple users.
5. KEYBOARDS
You may not want to know this, but your office keyboard may have as many germs as a kitchen bin! Not only is your keyboard touched all day, but if you eat at your desk, you’ve likely got food particles stuck under your keys. These tiny particles can be a prime breeding ground for bacteria who love snacking on your food scraps. Make it a habit to eat away from your desk, shake out your keyboard and wipe it down at the end of the day.
6. MOUSE
Your computer’s mouse is another piece of equipment that is handled regularly. If the mouse is in a shared use position (e.g. a reception desk), it’s a good idea to wipe it before use to stop the spread of bacteria. It can take just one person sneezing or not washing their hands to touch your mouse and cover it with nasty bacteria.
7. PHONES AND HEADSETS
You may not realise your phone is a ripe breeding ground for bacteria. Whether it’s your mobile phone or an office phone/headset, you use it often during the day. It’s wise to wipe down your phone using antibacterial wipes regularly. And, if you’re sharing a headset or phone (e.g. reception areas), the equipment should be cleaned between each shift/personal use.
8. DESKS
Although not as bad as the office door handle situation, desks can be three times dirtier than toilet seats. People see obvious dust particles as a sign to clean their desks, but the bacteria you can’t see really need attention (and cleaning) every day. Bacteria thrives on office desks from everything that’s placed on it. And it may not just be from the physical touch points, but from the bacteria circulating in the air that settles (invisibly) onto your desk.
9. WATER FOUNTAINS
When you’re working in an artificial air type of office space (with no opening windows), you’re going to get thirsty. Companies that provide fresh water from water fountains are doing a good thing for their employees. However, if the tap or buttons aren’t wiped down regularly, they’re prone to become a major bacteria hotspot. Bacteria can also spread easily from drink bottles being refilled, where one person touches the mouthpiece of their container to the tap while refilling their bottle.
10. KETTLES OR COFFEE MACHINES
Kettles and coffee machines are among the most used items in a busy office. There’s before work coffee, coffee-break coffee, lunch coffee and working back late coffee! That’s a lot of people touching the same buttons and handles in one day. It’s also worth considering if your coffee machine needs a good clean (particularly drip trays) to prevent stagnant water from breeding bacteria.
Our team are on hand to help you with all your office cleaning needs
It’s a great idea to instil some basic cleaning measures in your office. You could try gentle reminders like signs encouraging people to clean their own dishes, desks, phones and chairs each day.
However, regular, thorough office cleaning is best left to the professionals. As experts in commercial office cleaning to the highest hygiene levels (which was made stricter due to COVID-19), our team are on hand to help you keep your office clean and bust those bacteria hotspots.
To ask any questions about what we do or to book your office cleaning, please contact us today.
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