Is your office desk a haven for germs?

You can’t see them, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Check out which items at your office desk are a haven for germs.

If you could see the swarming hordes of germs that lurk unseen on the desk equipment that you use every day, you’d be reaching for the disinfectant immediately. Banish the nasties by hiring a reputable cleaning company such as AMC Brisbane to keep your desk and other work areas sparkling clean, or if you can’t afford a professional, keep an eye on the following germ hotspots and clean them regularly.

Door Handles

Admittedly these aren’t desk items but you must use them in order to get to your desk. Door handles are top of the list because they are high contact objects and are touched innumerable times every day – sometimes by clean hands but more often than not they are touched by unclean, germ-ridden hands – especially those door handles to the toilets, bin-area, copy room, etc.

Your Phone

Imagine if, instead of a charming ‘ring-ring’, your phone emitted a screeching ‘dirty-dirty’ when you received an incoming call? That would be a quite accurate assessment of the situation because your phone is a veritable nest of germs and bacteria. Regularly disinfect your phone with a spray or wipe designed specifically for the job – after all, you’re putting that thing near your mouth and just who is using your phone when you’re not around? Probably Coughing Bob from Accounts, that’s who.

Your Keyboard

Your keyboard is harbouring crumbs, hair and microscopic germs; between every key lurks the remnants of your last sandwich and/or cookie, plus a host of potentially illness inflicting bugs. A can of compressed air can blow your keyboard clean but to truly disinfect it you’ll need to unplug it and get an antibacterial wipe (squeeze out any extra moisture before commencing) and give the keys a good once over. Try and get between the keys if you’re confident.

Your Actual Desk

Research suggests that some desk-tops are actually dirtier than an average toilet seat. It doesn’t bear thinking about; you’re working in an environment that is more germ-laden than a rest room and you need to do something about it. A regular ‘purge’ of your desk-top will help reduce clutter while a weekly spray down with anti-bacterial spray will help keep those nasties to a minimum.

Stationery

There’s nothing wrong with being collegial and lending someone your stapler or scissors, but when it’s returned, are you getting back more than when you lent it? This doesn’t mean that you should stop lending people your desk items, but an occasional wipe-down with anti-bacterial solution could help reduce sick-days for both yourself and your colleagues. Just don’t do it immediately upon the return of your stapler while your colleague is still standing in the room, as it may send out the wrong kind of message; for example, that you think they are a dirty, unclean person!

How do you keep your workspace germ-free? What other items do you think belong on this list? Were you aware of all of the above? Share your thoughts and answers by leaving a comment in the section below.