How Clean Is Your Office Space?

Clean Office Space

Like any communal zone, an office can be home to millions of germs, dust mites, and bacteria – and that’s before you go anywhere near the rest and tea rooms. But unlike the family home, the office should reflect a professional and clean environment 24/7. By law and as an image, it should encourage health and safety, and the general well-being of all who enter the premises. With these points in mind, how does your office rate on the cleanliness scale?

The bathroom

In a perfect world, everyone has impeccable hygiene and washes their hands at regular intervals, but the office bathroom is a testament to the fact that this is not the case. A recent study found the office restroom is the number one danger zone for germs and bacteria, with feminine hygiene units, followed by door handles, the major offenders. The study also noted 1 in 4 people do not wash their hands after leaving the bathroom. If this weren’t the case, the spread of bacteria could be reduced by up to 80 percent.

The bathroom is also one of the easiest areas to remedy the spread of germs through regular professional cleaning. If your office bathroom needs some serious TLC, research companies like Superior Cleaning, who offer comprehensive solutions for a variety of businesses.

The desk

The next time you sit at your work desk to nail that deadline in peace and quiet, remember you are not alone. In fact, you may be sharing your workspace with up to 10,000 germs per square centimeter of desk area. That means your desk has around 400 times the bacteria of an average toilet seat. Now that’s a little food for thought … and speaking of food, if you eat at your desk, be prepared to share your dining experience with a breeding ground of bacteria. If this doesn’t appeal to you, avoid eating at your desk and clean it regularly with disinfectant.

The equipment

Thought you were conducting a private conversation on the telephone. You’re not with that lab’s worth of micro-bacteria on the handset! Research indicates commonly touched equipment like telephone handsets, mice and keyboards are a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. In fact, research by the University of Surrey even found out that the humble mobile phone boasts a bevy of bacteria, some of which are the disease-carrying staphylococcus variety. So wipe down your equipment at regular intervals, particularly to ward off viruses.

The kitchen

What’s a pet peeve of many, but a party town for germs? If you answered the office kitchen, you’re right. Used by a multitude of people, this area accommodates food bits, dirty plates, and unwashed coffee cups. And, as people don’t wash their hands as regularly as they should, the kitchen also boasts bacteria and germs on drawer handles, fridge handles, taps, and cupboard doors.

Germ-related illness is one of the biggest costs to businesses in terms of sick days each year. And it’s one of the most preventable outlays. With regular professional cleaning that targets bacteria hotspots and some improved hygiene, your office could be one of the healthiest in town.

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