The office environment is a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. For office workers, this means being exposed to potentially harmful bacteria for up to 40 hours every week. So why and where exactly do offices harbour so many germs?
“The most unexpected places include computer keyboards, where there is up to 200 times the number of bacteria as there is on a toilet seat!”
You would expect the dirtiest place in the office to be the toilets, however, due to the fact most offices have regular toilet cleaning in place, this is not always the case. Office germs tend to lurk in places that you wouldn’t always expect to find them. The most unexpected places include computer keyboards, where there is up to 200 times the number of bacteria as there is on a toilet seat! In fact, germs thrive in a warm environment, so anything kept warm by a power supply is likely to be highly concentrated with bacteria. This includes touchscreens, telephones, computers, headsets, printer and copier, computer mouse, televisions, and radios. These busy, interactive environments make it extremely easy for germs to get a free ride from one person to another.
“Office water fountains can have up to 2.7million bacteria covering every square inch”
Communal kitchens and staff rooms are some of the worst affected areas. Tea towels and cloths are riddled with bacteria from food and worktops. Microwave doors and taps are also problems areas, with 75% of facets reported as being highly contaminated. Office water fountains are not much better, with up to 2.7million bacteria covering every square inch. Suddenly, getting a refreshing drink of water doesn’t sound so tempting. And lastly, for those employees who often have a working lunch, it has been discovered that people who eat at their desk have three times the amount of bacteria on their workspace, compared to those who don’t.
It is important to remember that germs are common and linger everywhere but being exposed to too many can be bad for your health, hence why coughs and colds are spread so easily in the workplace. It is also likely to affect work morale if the office is constantly dirty and untidy. We understand that employees don’t place ‘cleaning the microwave’ at the top of their priority list, nor have the time to deep clean their desks and toilets.
Handing over the cleaning gloves to the professionals means you can relax while your contract cleaning company takes care of everything from the communal kitchen and carpets to the washrooms and windows.
Atkins Gregory serves a variety of clients across Cambridge, Peterborough, Huntingdon, St. Ives, Ely and beyond. For more information regarding a deep clean for your office space or regular office cleaning services, call 01223 438118 or fill out the form below.
