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The Top 3 Germiest Places in Your Office

While we all might breathe a collective sigh of relief when flu season is over that does not mean the germs just fade away into the summer sunlight. Unfortunately, germs and illness can still be spread regardless of the season. Here are some of the surprising spots within your office that contain germs.

1. Computer keyboards

The workplace keyboard can have more than 200 times as many bacteria as a toilet seat. To begin with, it is often touched throughout the day, so wherever those fingers have been, it’s likely the computer keyboard has been there too. It is also the perfect surface for catching sneezes and all the times people cough while sitting at their desk, either into their hands or out in the open.

It's no surprise - we eat at our desks, drop all sorts of things on our keyboards and rarely wash our hands before we start using the computer. Caleigh Jerde

2. Telephones

Think of all the different people in a single day who are touching the phone with the hands while their putting their mouth near it as they speak. It was estimated that there are 25,000 germs per square inch that can live on the workplace telephone.

3. Break Room Sink Faucet Handles

In a study by Kimberly-Clark Professionals, 75% of break room sink faucet handles were found to be extremely dirty and at high risk for spreading illness, while 91% needed to be cleaned overall. You might have noticed a trend: Most of the dirtiest places in your office are surfaces that are meant to be handled, but that don’t get cleaned very often.

Other seriously dirty germ hotspots in your office are:

  • Fridge door handles
  • Water fountain buttons
  • Vending machine buttons
  • Computer mice
  • Phones
  • Coffee pot handles

Buttons, door knobs, handles, and other places that are touched by lots of people are hubs where germs and contaminants spread. That’s why keeping your office well cleaned is so important!

Caleigh Jerde Author

Caleigh Jerde is a writer and producer for TIME Healthland. She is a graduate from the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism.

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3 Comments

  • Lisa Mack

    28 April 2018 at 5:35 am

    Excellent article Zuzana and really like the Slideshare. Which of the 3 do you think would rank as the worst for the spread of infections?

    • Yoshiko Mraz

      28 April 2018 at 5:35 am

      Hi Lisa Mack. Thank you! Out of the 3 Most Germiest Places, I think Computer keyboards is the worst for the spread of infections primarily

  • Kole Bednar

    28 April 2018 at 5:35 am

    People tend not to remember to wash their hands before and after using public transportation simply because they are on the go, and also because they are rarely cleaned properly. At least for me, it's something I have to remind myself to do!

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