When working in an office, it tends to turn into your second home. You don’t just work there, you eat, drink and use the bathroom facilities. Whilst working, it’s very unlikely that you consider the germs that are being spread in the office. Although this most likely is not a priority in your mind, the spread of bacteria in the office can be dangerous.
To prevent catching an illness from bacteria spreading, you need to be aware of what things in your office are germ-ridden. Once you are aware, you will be able to disinfect these products, to make your working environment a safe place.
DOOR HANDLES
It goes without saying that if germs travel through your hands then things like door handles will be germ-ridden. Think about how many different people come in and out of the office, bringing germs from all over the place. You can't ensure that everyone keeps up with good hygiene, therefore it is essential, alongside constantly washing your hands, that you wipe and disinfect the door handles daily. This will reduce the chances of getting ill and spreading bacteria.
DESKTOP
The place you sit at every day to do your work. You may be surprised to know that the desk carries about 400 times more germs than a toilet seat! That is equivalent to around 21,000 square inches of bacteria, fungi and viruses. Your hands are a germs paradise. They travel and spread rapidly just from your hands. This is why it is vital to constantly wash your hands as your desktop will constantly be building up bacteria if not.
KEYBOARD
You’ve probably eaten over it, drunk and even sneezed on it, but hardly or never clean it! And then alongside all those risk factors, you use your hands, the biggest risk factor of all. And if you share your keyboard with other colleagues the risk is even higher. This is why wiping down your keyboard daily, getting rid of all the nasty germs is vital.
MOUSE
Linking to the last point, alongside using your keyboard, you also use your mouse. This too will be infested with germs. Working can be stressful enough and having to worry about getting ill is added stress that really isn’t needed. Therefore cleaning your bacteria-ridden mouse can really help in the long run.
TELEPHONE
Your office telephone tends to be answered by numerous people in the office. It’s very unlikely that you consider disinfecting the phone after use, but this is a step that should be incorporated into your working day. It takes less than a minute to rid these germs, compared to being ill for possibly weeks, it makes sense to take one minute out of your day to disinfect the telephone.
WATER DISPENSER
Keeping hydrated at work is a necessity however think about how many people use the water cooler a day. Numerous hands will have touched it, and then you proceed to touch your cup and drink from it. This is how illnesses get spread. Now of course the water dispenser is needed to quench your thirst throughout the day, therefore to make it safer for everyone in the office, disinfecting the tap before use is vital.
With all of these causes for concerns, there are no wonder illnesses spread within the office.
Prevent germs from spreading by taking a tiny amount of time out of your day to disinfect these items you use daily. Keeping yourself and your colleagues safe is essential during your working week, so don’t take any chances and improve your hygiene in the office!