If you think germs are found just in schools, you might want to take another look. Our research showed that workplaces are filled with germs. Let’s look at 5 germ hot-spots that may surprise you.
1. Doorknobs & Entrance ways 🚪
Did you ever watch “Young Sheldon”? You have? Then you may have noticed that he doesn’t hold anyone’s hand, especially his brother without wearing his mittens. It’s actually not a bad idea in this cold season. There is no possible way to guarantee that everyone who has touched a doorknob has washed their hands thoroughly first.
In a CBS News study, researchers placed a tracer virus on office doorknobs and tabletops. Within hours, 40-60% of the workers had picked up the viruses; they had also spread it to several other surfaces.
We don’t want that to happen, so be aware of Doorknobs & Entrance ways. You might want to place hand sanitiser near most use entrance & place handwashing posters near washbasins.
2. Photocopiers, Coffee machines, Microwaves & Sink handles ☕
All communal machines are located in the common area of the office, and your staff room might also have a dining table and chairs. As we know, common areas carry more than enough germs to make photocopiers, coffee machines, and microwave buttons risky to click. Also, be sure to wipe down sink handles after you wash your hands! Those germ-ridden sink handles are problematic for food preparation surfaces. A study by Kimberly Clark concluded that “The results reinforce the crucial role of contract cleaners, whose services go a long way in successfully disinfecting office common areas at the end of every day,” but went on to add that as soon as workers began using the break-room, the germ cycle would start all over again unless office managers educated their staff on the importance of handwashing and use of sanitizing wipes.
3. Buttons 🛗
Yes, one of our biggest & most overlooked culprits. They are the breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria & viruses. Make sure your commercial cleaner has them on their wiping & disinfecting list. Every button in your office from Elevator, to vending machines, to microwaves to printers.
4. Desks and tabletops 🧑💼
As you read before, tabletops are a hot spot for germs. From desks & tabletops, germs easily get transmitted to laptop screens, keyboards mouse & phones. This is one of those staggering statistics that doesn’t seem to make sense. But on average, desks harbour 400 times more germs than toilet seats. Employees may be sneezing, coughing, blowing their noses, and then touching the desks. Therefore it is very important to ask your employees to keep hand sanitiser on their desks. Also, make sure your cleaning company is cleaning Desks & tabletops on daily bases.
5. Phones ☎️
Want to know how many germs are on an average cell phone? It’s 10 times more than on the average toilet seat!. Unlike many homes, landlines are still a popular means of communication in offices. Wireless handsets & their keypads are additional places for germs to hang out. Especially if you’re running a call centre.
Although you have no control over which people do or don’t wash their hands, you can make sure that the dispenser is always full. There are certain things you can’t control. If the people who do wash their hands improperly are a lost cause, focus your efforts on getting the remaining people to wash their hands properly. Your commercial cleaning company can conscientiously work to disinfect and sanitize.
We as a commercial cleaning company, train our employees in disinfecting methods & cleaning routines. Now after reading this document you are aware of the germiest hot-spots. It may also be useful to educate your staff, managers and visitors about these hot-spots and the importance of sanitizing wipes and frequent handwashing with soap so that they can pass on the cautionary tales to their employees, contractors, and family members.
Germiest Hot-spots Checklist ✔️
- Doorknobs
- Entrance ways
- Phones
- Laptop & Desktops
- Keypads & mouse
- Buttons such as lift button, Photocopier, microwave etc
- Handles such as door handles, fridge handles etc.
- Sinks handles in bathrooms, common area, etc
- Coffee machine
- Desk & table tops
- Touch screen
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