What Are the Germiest Places in an Office?

Posted on June 17, 2021

Your staff spend a large portion of their day being productive in the office, but do you know that germs also thrive in the same environment? It’s not a great idea to think about, but knowing the germiest places in an office helps you be proactive in keeping the place sanitary for your team. Here are some common areas to watch out for.

Keyboard and Mouse

Computer keyboards have many nooks and crannies, so it’s not surprising that all sorts of microbes like to hang out here. Also, keyboards and mouses tend to be handled a lot, and you’ll find plenty of germs, food crumbs, and dust in these devices. That’s a lot of nasty stuff, but it’s nothing a good cleaning and sanitizing can’t get rid of.

Elevator and Vending Machine Buttons

Think of the number of people who go in and out of the building, pass through the elevator, and press its buttons daily. Very rarely do these buttons get a wipe down, so it goes without saying that such areas are often a big hive of bacterial activity. The same goes for vending machines, which is worrying if people handle food right after without washing their hands.

Handles

You would be surprised how many handles there are around the office, whether they’re door handles, microwave handles, fridge handles, and faucet handles. These areas are home to bacteria nests that will keep multiplying unless the office gets a thorough cleaning at least once a week.

Handrails

As the name suggests, handrails come in contact with many hands as people move up and down the stairs and escalator. Nasty stuff like E. coli, mucus, and respiratory flora have been found on handrails. This makes sense since people often cough into their hands, then walk around touching handrails all day. That’s why it’s a good thing to sign up for commercial cleaning services that address these problem areas regularly.

Desks

On average, a regular desk contains 400 times more germs than a toilet seat. That’s because desk surfaces come into contact with many objects, and most germs are transferred from other not-so-clean areas.

Don’t stress now that you know which areas are the germiest in your office. As mentioned earlier, commercial cleaning services can come to the rescue since they’re trained to recognize these germ-infested areas and clean them properly.