Study shows that office desks have 400 times more germs than a toilet seat!

What could be dirtier than a toilet seat? Well, probably your desk.

Studies have revealed that the average office desk carries 400 times more germs than the average toilet seat – around 10 million bacteria.

The study’s author, Dr. Gerba says: “We don’t think twice about eating at our desks, even though the average desk has 100 times more bacteria than a kitchen table and 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet. Without cleaning, a small area on your desk or phone can sustain millions of bacteria that could potentially cause illness.”

So what can you do to make sure you banish all of those horrible germs? What tips can we give you to ensure that your desk is (almost) clean enough to eat your dinner off?

Catch it, bin it, kill it

We all know that sneezing and coughing spread germs, but how many of us have tissues to hand to catch and bin those germs? A few strategically placed boxes of tissues will help.

Don’t eat at your desk

Not only is the desk an unhealthy surface to eat from, but the crumbs and spills that inevitably occur provide the right environment for bacteria to thrive.

Regularly clean and sanitise your desk

The average office desk simply isn’t cleaned often enough – or thoroughly enough.

It is recommended that your desk surface, telephone, keyboard, mouse and any other desktop items are thoroughly cleaned at least twice a week – and, preferably, even more often than that.

Don’t be tempted to take short cuts. Simply dusting the area is not an effective infection control measure. More likely you’ll spread germs around than kill them.

Firstly, give the surface a thorough clean, get in every nook and cranny. Move your intray and clean behind it. Check between the keys of your keyboard for stray crumbs and other debris. Wipe off any dust from seldom-used stationery. Only once the surface is clean can you effectively sanitise it – killing germs.

And, while you are at it, now is also a great time to declutter. If there is anything on or around your desk that doesn’t need to be there then get rid of it. Otherwise, it is nothing but a magnet for bacteria and dust.

Sanitise

If you want your desk to be not just nearly clean, but really clean, then use disinfectant wipes or solutions.

Studies have regularly shown that the use of disinfecting wipes on desk surfaces can boast a 99% reduction in bacteria levels over a 48 hour time frame.

Without the use of disinfectant wipes, research suggests that bacteria levels on desktop items like telephones and keyboards can rise by up to 30% within just one day!

Rinse & Repeat

This is not a one time process. Once you’ve got your office desk clean, decluttered and disinfected, get a system in place to keep it that way.

Put Your Desk’s Hygiene In Our Safe Hands

If you feel that your current cleaner might not be up to the task and worry that some bacteria might still be lurking around the desks in your office then maybe it’s time to give us a call.

We can eliminate those germs from your office workstations and prevent them from getting a foothold again in the future. Get in touch now for a competitive cleaning quote.