You won’t believe how many germs are on your desk! Did you know that the average desk harbours about 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat? Research undertaken shows that there are many different types of germs and little creatures living in your workspace, completely unknown to you. Everything that we come into contact with during our day to day working lives has the potential to harbour germs and then spread across your desks and general workspace, easily transmitting diseases such as the common cold and flu and causing ill health to spread like wildfire amongst employees.
The Main Culprits
We might just think it’s going to be our keyboards and mice that are harbouring the most germs, but your phone is the main culprit, harbouring up to 25,217 microbes per square inch. With 64% of us clean our desktops once a month or less, these germs could be spreading to other places too! Your office might have a cleaner that comes in once a week but often they aren’t required to clean your keyboard, mouse etc. or move anything around on your desk to do a proper clean. And since viruses, including the flu etc., can survive for two to three days on desktops, phones and computer keyboards, it’s important to give these a good clean more often than you might think.
80% of all common viruses are transmitted by touch, and research shows that the average computer keyboard could contain up to 6,500 different types of bacteria, making common diseases more prevalent in office environments. Allowing germs to spread across the office and multiply on your desk could lead to an increase in sick days being taken by employees; it’s important to consider how much time and effort could be saved by simply disinfecting items on your desk, including your phone, keyboard and mice.
How To Prevent Germs Spreading
There are a few simple things that you can do to stop germs from spreading around your office, start by wiping down surfaces and just practicing good hygiene as a vital first step to prevent the spread of infections. Try and limit the amount of food that is consumed at your desk, and remember to wash your hands and keep them sanitised, as these can both contribute to a high volume of germs being found living in your desk environment.
Not only can having a clean desk help stave off infection and diseases, but it could also help increase productivity amongst your workforce. Encouraging a tidy environment can create a calmer atmosphere where creativity can flourish and your employees will enjoy working and bring their best ideas to fruition.
If you’re worried about the amount of germs that could be living on your desk or workspace, and are looking for a fast solution – System Hygiene offer quality cleaning products, with a fantastic range to choose from, that can be with you the next day! Providing you with everything you need to keep those germs at bay in your office environment.
