What Places in the Office Are Dirtiest and Have the Biggest Health Risks?

What Places in the Office Are Dirtiest and Have the Biggest Health Risks?

September 16, 2020

With so many people in one space for eight hours a day, five days a week, offices are bound to get dirty—but some places in the office tend to be dirtier than others. Continue reading to learn more about the dirtiest places in offices in Walla Walla County, WA and how you can prevent all of that bacteria from getting people sick:

  • Copier buttons: It’s safe to assume most people in the office use the photocopier at least a few times a week, if not more. All of those grimy hands lead to a ton of bacteria. In fact, a study of one copier button showed 1.2 billion colony-forming units (CFU), the unit used to estimate the number of bacteria in a sample.
  • Coffee pot handles: All of the coffee drinkers in the office also touch the coffee pots on a daily basis. The same study above found that an office’s coffee pot handle had over 108,000 CFU per square inch.
  • Elevator buttons: Whether you’re going up or down on the elevator, you’re bound to touch a germ-ridden button. In one study conducted at a hospital, 120 elevator buttons were swabbed over 10 days. Unfortunately, 61 percent of the buttons showed microbiological growth.
  • Pens: Writing utensils seem to get passed around an office quite a bit. As you can probably tell by now, that means they pick up quite a bit of bacteria along the way. In one study, 14 percent of office pens tested positive for Staphylococcus aureus—the bacteria that causes staph infections.
  • Computer keyboards and mice: We know that common areas in an office are germ-ridden, but what about personal computer equipment? Research shows that keyboards and mice can contain up to 10 million bacteria. The same study also concluded that accountants have the dirtiest computers, while lawyers have the cleanest!

Reducing germ spread in the office

The good news is that you can prevent germ spread, even in the dirtiest places in offices in Walla Walla County, WA. These are a few of the top tips to prevent bacteria and viruses from spreading all over the place:

  • Hire the right cleaning service: The best way to eliminate germs in an office is by investing in regular professional office cleaning services in Walla Walla County, WA. Professional cleaning services handle everything from cleaning windows to sanitizing all surfaces. You can rest easy knowing that even the kitchen will be spotless!
  • Keep hand sanitizer around: Washing hands is proven to reduce the spread of germs. However, sinks and hand soap aren’t available everywhere you go. Help keep hands clean by placing hand sanitizing stations throughout the office.
  • Practice disinfecting surfaces: In between professional cleaning appointments, designate a few people to wipe down common areas in the office. You can drastically reduce the number of bacteria with sanitizing wipes, helping to keep all employees safe.

With COVID-19 spreading around the globe, there’s never been more important to hire regular professional office cleaning services in Walla Walla County, WA. Regardless of the size of your commercial space, the professionals at Supreme Cleaning Services will have it spotless in no time at all. Contact us today to learn more.

Categorised in: