If someone asked you what the dirtiest spots in your office were, you’d probably rattle off a list of the usual suspects: the bathroom, garbage disposal, trash can, the kitchen, and maybe a few other places that come to mind. You’d be right—each of these is infamously known for playing an unhealthy part in contributing and spreading germs within the workplace, but unfortunately, there are a few areas that often go unnoticed. They’re a little more insidious when it comes to germs, and while we all have a part in maintaining a thorough cleaning routine in the spaces we occupy, that doesn’t mean we’re getting rid of it all.
Therefore, we’ve put together a list of spots in the office that need a little extra cleaning:
Door handles carry bacteria
Entering and exiting rooms is quite common, and the number of people who pass-through means that there are multiple opportunities for germs to spread from person to person simply from the touch of a door handle. When you think about it, you enter buildings, go into the office, go to the restroom, open and close closet/storage doors, shut doors because voices carry from one room to another, and open the refrigerator to store and take out food.
Simply put, doors and their handles cannot be avoided no matter how hard we try. Roughly 26% of refrigerator door handles are highly contaminated with growing bacteria and all it takes is one germy doorknob to infect the entire office.
Computers, Keyboards, and Mouses
Technology is such a large part of our lives, and we’re all glued to a screen at some point in the day—whether we’re checking text messages, catching up on emails, typing up work documents, or doing extensive research. Because we spend a considerable amount of time in front of our screens, it means our devices carry evidence of where we’ve been and the surfaces we’ve touched: if we’ve been eating or drinking, if we’re sick and spreading germs, if we’ve gone to the bathroom, if we’ve touched other surfaces filled with bacteria and transferred it over to our desks. A keyboard and mouse are especially dirty given their concave designs where germs and bacteria live in between the keys. When’s the last time you thoroughly cleaned your desk and accessories?
Light Switches
When you enter your place of work, you might be the first person in the office. Therefore, you might also be the one switching on the lights. Same as if you’re the individual leaving the office late and having to turn them all off for the night. With that in mind, let’s say you touch several light switches because they need to be turned on or off, and then you have multiple people who do the same thing throughout the workweek—that’s a lot of opportunities for germs to spread. Can you honestly admit when the last time it was you wiped down a light switch in your office?
Kitchen Sponges
We like to think that the disinfectant solutions we use to clean surfaces in the office are free from germs and bacteria, but that’s far from the truth. Kitchen sponges usually made to clean coffee mugs and lunch containers frequently contain more active bacteria than anywhere else in an office. A study in Germany found 362 different species of bacteria on a sponge.
The best way to prevent a sponge from becoming infested with bacteria is to be mindful when choosing one to clean up. It’s typical to reach for the sponge to wipe up spills and scrub away stains from containers, but next time, try using a paper towel for those cleansing needs and frequently replace dirty sponges.
If you’re really concerned about the germs on your surfaces and whether you’re doing a proper job of cleaning, installing an ActivePure Technology™ unit will help with viruses, bacteria, and more. ActivePure Technology is your one-stop-shop for total air and surface purification.
If you’re looking for an all-purpose solution to health and wellness aside from just the regular cleaning routine, then ActivePure Technology is a really great source to keep bacteria, germs, and viruses from spreading, contaminating, and risking the health of everyone in the office. Tested in both university and laboratory environments with incredible results, ActivePure is used in numerous commercial and industrial settings that face particularly high-risk issues. Our proprietary technology is engineered to eliminate contaminants in the air and on surfaces to enhance a healthier and cleaner atmosphere.
All our products include the same patented technology. Reach out to us today to learn more about ActivePure Technology and which of our products would work best for your space!
