With how much time most people spend in the office, you’d think that people would go out of their way to make sure their office spaces were clean and healthy. However, this isn’t true; offices can be some of the grossest, germiest places out there. To make sure you and your coworkers stay healthy, keep reading to learn about the top five places in your office with the most germs.
- Keyboards and Computer Mice: With how much time many people spend on the computer while in the office, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that these are some of the grossest surfaces in your workplace. Keyboards especially can be magnets for germs, since dirt and dust tends to settle between the keys. Make sure to wipe down these areas regularly to reduce the risk of spreading germs.
- Coffee Pots: How many times have you touched this germ magnet so far today? Coffee pot handles can have as much as 34 times as many germs as a school toilet seat. Think twice before you head back for that next cup of coffee.
- Office Phones: Next time you get a call at the office, you might want to wash your hands afterward. On average, office phones have as many as 25,127 germs per square inch. That’s a lot of germs getting transferred to your hands, or even your face.
- Refrigerator Door Handles: Be sure to wash your hands before and after you get your lunch. Refrigerators in your break room can carry germs from everyone else grabbing their lunch. That means all the germs they’ve picked up in the morning get left there for when you’re getting ready to eat.
- Break Room Sink Faucets: Sink faucets, in general, are usual suspects for having high germ counts, since you have to touch them before washing your hands. Try to avoid touching them by using a paper towel or a sleeve to cover your hand.
To avoid picking up extra germs during your workday, use plenty of hand sanitizer and wash your hands as often as is needed, especially after touching any of these germ magnets. This will keep you and your coworkers healthy for longer.
