Every office has employees that come to work sick. For a variety of reasons, employees feel that it would be better to tough it out for the day rather than stay home and get healthy. This results in a whole host of germs and bacteria being spread around the office that you and others will be exposed to. The Kimberly-Clark corporation did a study on which areas within an office harbor the highest levels of germs and bacteria. Having a better awareness of these “hotspots” can help you and other employees stay healthy and know which areas really need to be sanitized.
Common Spaces
Several common spaces harbor many germs in an office area. These include the water cooler or drinking fountain, vending machines and the floor area. Everyone has a pretty good understanding that the floor has germs and bacteria. Most people don’t spend their day working on the floor, but it is still easy to pick up bacteria or germs from floor spaces. A great way to keep these areas clean is to have the floors thoroughly cleaned using floor sweepers like those found at https://totalcleanequip.com. Having a regular schedule for cleaning floors with high-quality equipment can really help to keep the entire office area cleaner and fresher.
Break Room
Not surprisingly, the break room is one of the areas in an office that harbors the most germs and bacteria. The spaces that are the worst offenders are the break room sink handle, the microwave door, and the refrigerator door handle. These spots are touched by so many hands during the day and often are not cleaned or wiped down throughout the day. You can help improve the cleanliness of these spots by sanitizing your hands before touching anything in the break room. These areas can also be wiped down with a bleach and water solution throughout the day to help keep them clean and germ-free.
Desk Area
Another germ harboring area that you are likely aware of is your desk space. In many cases, a desk space might get used by more than one person throughout the day, and this leads to the spread of germs as well. Keyboards are the worst item in and around a desk area. Keyboards are touched so many times in a day by hands that it is easy to see why germs build upon them. A good tip for keeping your keyboard germ free is to use a sanitizing wipe on the keyboard a couple of times per day to eliminate germs and bacteria. To really get into all the nooks and crannies, you can use some compressed air and a cotton swab that has a bleach/water solution on it. Your phone is the other culprit in the desk area that needs frequent cleaning. This can be done with a sanitizing wipe as well.
Many employees choose to come to work sick because they feel an obligation to the job, or they feel they are unable to stay home and rest. Knowing which areas of the office tend to contain the highest levels of germs and bacteria can help everyone keep spaces clean and cut down on the spread of these harmful germs.
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