We all make a conscious effort to keep our homes clean, tidy and free of harmful germs. But when we come to work, it’s probably not something we really think about too much. However, some of the dirtiest items in the office environment might have you reconsidering your hygiene practices whilst you’re at work.
Here are the 9 dirtiest items in your office right now.
- Water cooler
Often the hub of the office where people congregate to gossip about office politics or regale coworkers with weekend activities, the water cooler is actually the filthiest thing in your office. According the Public Health Organisation there’s a staggering 2.7 million germs per square inch on the average water cooler spigot making it a magnet for bacteria. Who knew catching up on office gossip and staying hydrated was so dirty?!
- Office fridge
Apparently 7,850 bacteria colonies are present per square centimetre in the average office refrigerator. It’s recommended that you should clear out your office fridge every two days to keep bacteria to a minimum but we all know someone who likes to hide gone-off milk at the back of the fridge or forgets about their sandwiches for two weeks.
- Microwave
Even in the smallest of offices, the microwave is likely to be used at least a couple of times a day, and for a variety of different dishes. In this warm, moist environment, bacteria can multiply rapidly and without proper cleansing and disinfecting, the microwave can be a real health risk to those that use it.
- Soap dispenser
You would think that a soap dispenser would be a germ free item – but really, how can it be? You go to the bathroom and wash your hands with the soap dispenser so it’s obviously going to get contaminated. But don’t worry, if you thoroughly cleanse your hands with soap once you’ve touched the dispenser, you’ll be fine!
- Your desk
You may be shocked to learn that your desk harbours more bacteria than your toilet seat. 400 times as much to be exact. That’s around 10 million germs. To ensure your desk is kept clean, you should wipe it down with an antibacterial wipe at least once every week.
- Your keyboard
Your desk may be extremely dirty but your keyboard in particular gets so much use each day that a concoction of food, sweat and skin cells accumulates which amounts to more than 3,295 bacteria per square inch. Because of the design of a keyboard, it’s easy for dirt and grime to get stuck in between the keys. That’s why it’s important to shake out your keyboard and wipe it with a damp cloth each week.
- Your mouse
Coupled with your keyboard, your mouse sees a lot of use each day. Holding it for up to 8 hours can mean that sweat, dust and bacteria can accumulate with up to 1,676 microbes per square inch (which is again much more than your average toilet seat!). Apparently 10% of people have admitted to never cleaning their mouse either…
- The printer/copier
The average printer/copier is touched up to 300 times a day and more often than not it’s in the same place. Because of the constant touching, bacteria breeds quite rapidly and should be cleaned and wiped down daily.
- Your headset or headphones
You probably wouldn’t share your personal earphones with anyone but it’s common for people in offices to share headsets whilst they’re working. However, make sure you clean your headsets or headphones between each use as bacteria spreads so rapidly due to earwax and hair fibres. After only one hour of use, the amount of germs and bacteria can increase 700 times.
To ensure your office is kept clean and bacteria free, you can hire industrial cleaning equipment from us here at Karcher Hire. Contact us for more information.
