Bacteria and viruses are everywhere, but in the home most people can keep them at bay with a little vigilance. It’s no different in an office building. However, there are a few places where germs can hide and fester and they’re often in places that are hard to reach or clean.
The next time you have a chance to clean your office, check out these common germ spots:
Touchscreen keyboards: We touch keyboards all day long, so it makes sense that they might be germ hotbeds. That’s why it’s important to keep your hands away from these gadgets when you sneeze or cough. Additionally, be sure to use an antibacterial wipe on the keys before you start typing to avoid spreading germs from keyboard to keyboard or person to person. Click on the link for more info.
Coffee pots and water bottles: Unlike at home, where we can fill our own cups of coffee or bring our own bottles of water, many of us use communal coffee pots and water bottles in the office. This is another hot spot for germs because many employees simply grab the closest cup or bottle without thinking about what it might have touched before their arrival.
Secretaries’ desks: Many people get their work done at a desk but many forget how many germs this place has. Secretaries are usually the ones who handle all the mail, which means they will also touch all of it with their bare hands. This will lead to the spread of germs and if you sit at this place, you will actually be putting yourself in danger. The best thing to do is to wear disposable gloves when handling mail and keep your hands away from your mouth, nose and eyes.
Tray tables: The cafeteria tray tables have been found to have more germs than anything else. This is because food spills on them, especially if you have had your lunch there. Tray tables have been found to have more foodborne pathogens than toilet seats! So when you go for a meal, don’t forget to wipe down the table before sitting down.
Tissue Boxes: The tissue box is one of the most contaminated areas in the office. The problem is that everyone uses the same box to blow their nose, cover their mouth when they cough, and throw used tissues in. The obvious solution is to use your own tissue box, but this may not be feasible for some people. In that case, try to wash your hands after touching the tissue box and keep it at a distance from where you work at all times.
Desk Drawer: When was the last time you cleaned out your desk? If it’s been recently then there’s good news because this is one of the cleanest places in your office. However, if it has been a while then there are probably a lot of old papers and documents that should have been thrown away long ago. You should clean out your desk drawer once every couple weeks and get rid of any unnecessary papers so they don’t accumulate dust and potentially get infected with germs.