Here’s a surprising fact: according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we spend more waking hours in our offices than anywhere else — including our homes.
So it’s a good idea to keep your workplace as clean as possible, especially during these uncertain times. To do that, a good starting point is to find out the germiest items in your office and disinfect them regularly to make it a safe environment for everyone.
Here’s a list of the six most common workplace items that are breeding grounds for germs.
1. Door Handles
Since everyone uses door handles to get around, there’s often a wide variety of germs on them. The best way to keep door handles clean is by asking everyone in your workplace to wipe down and sanitize them after each use.
If that seems like too much, encourage everyone to sanitize their hands every time they enter a room.
2. Telephones
Did you know the office telephone contains more germs than every other equipment in your workplace? According to recent reports, the average office phone has 25,000 germs per square inch, making it even dirtier than your office desktop, printer, and shredder.
So it’s a good idea to wipe it down with an alcohol-based sanitizer a few times a day, especially if other people also use it.
3. Elevator Buttons
Elevator buttons are the dirtiest buttons of all. Think about it. How many people press the "going up", "going down", and “lobby” buttons on the elevator every day? The answer is a lot. That’s exactly why recent reports suggest that an average elevator button contains about 40 times the germs on an average toilet seat.
So you may want to clean and disinfect them more than once a day.
4. Dispensers
This one comes as a surprise to most. Since no one thinks of water dispensers as equipment that needs regular cleaning, they are often neglected. People touch them throughout the day without even considering to wash their hands first. As a result, they are among the six dirtiest workplace items.
5. Coffee Makers
Who knew making a cup of coffee at work could lead to harbouring thousands of germs and bacteria inside your office? The dark and damp insides of coffee makers are usually the dirtiest. So you may want to wash them at least once a week.
To clean and disinfect every part of your coffee maker properly, use this simple three-step procedure:
1. Fill your coffee maker with 4 cups of plain white vinegar
2. Let the vinegar stand for thirty minutes before letting it run through
3. Now, clean it with three cycles of water or until the vinegar smell is gone
6. Desktops
Desktops are far dirtier than you think. Recent reports suggest that an average desktop has 400 times more germs than a toilet seat. That's about 21,000 bacteria, viruses, and fungi — making it the second dirtiest workplace item only behind telephones.
So don’t make the mistake of missing the desktops when the time comes for cleaning.