With news of the workforce returning to the office dominating the media, there has never been a more vital time to get office hygiene right. It has been well known for some time that office furniture is one of the hottest breeding grounds for germs, yet companies continue to neglect the cleanliness of their hub.
With countless studies attributing a clean office to greater workplace morale, health and happiness, investing in office hygiene is by far one of the most important business moves you will make this year. To make the shift to a more polished workspace for your team even easier, we have compiled this handy guide to the dos and don’ts of office hygiene - as told by experts.
Generally speaking, it is good practice to have cleaning and sanitation stations spread throughout the office, with a variety of antibacterial sprays and wipes on hand to regularly clean your workspace throughout the day. Following any sneeze or spill, jotting these products throughout the office means they will be readily available, therefore protecting your staff from the spread of viruses and also protecting your furniture from further staining and ruin.
The importance of prevention is key when it comes to spreading germs, since it is predicted that the average worker takes almost a whole week off due to sickness every year!
It is also really important to recognise the most problematic areas of the office when it comes to germs! Highlighting these will not only allow your employees to take greater caution around these breeding hotspots, but it is also great to know which furniture and equipment to clean most regularly throughout the day!
In particular, we recommend that you regularly clean the following:
• Your keyboard - it has been found that a keyboard is a breeding hotspot for germs, able to accumulate 7,500 bacteria since it is what we have the most contact with throughout the day and in between tasks!
• Your desk - research has revealed that the average office desk contains 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, meaning it is always desperate for a quick clean! In fact, if possible, it is a good idea to prevent hot-desking! If you simply can’t arrange this, ensuring a thorough clean between staff sittings is strongly advised!
• Shared telephones - telephones are naturally unhygienic since they are communally shared within the office, meaning not only do many hands and faces touch them throughout the day, but studies reveal that most office telephones have never been cleaned - gross!
• Door handles - throughout one working day, door handles are touched hundreds of times, by different people going to and from different places. We advise trying to keep office doors open where possible, to avoid unnecessary door handle germs!
Whilst it is important for staff to keep up with regular and routine cleaning within the office, sometimes a quick wipe simply isn’t enough! We recommend that companies with the capital to do so arrange to hire professionals for a regular, monthly deep clean. That way, you can rest assured that all areas and equipment within your office have been thoroughly sanitised.
In particular, we recommend that you regularly clean the following:
As many studies have shown, germs and bacteria are not visible to the naked eye. However, many people continue to make the mistake of neglecting other surfaces because they aren’t marked or dusty. Therefore, it is really important to not only clean things that look visibly dirty, but also to regularly wipe all surfaces that get used regularly since more often than not, these are the breeding spots for germs!
By letting your desk become cluttered, it naturally becomes harder to practice good office hygiene for two main reasons. Firstly, germs can build up quickly within your cluttered area, particularly since we become less mindful of cleanliness when we are working in an already messy environment. Additionally, by leaving your workspace cluttered, it makes it difficult to reach and regularly clean the filthier surfaces, like your desk!
As a result, it’s a good idea to de-clutter your office space and get rid of old, broken and unwanted items by booking an office clearance company.