If you’ve ever had the sneaking suspicion that working is bad for your health, it turns out you could be right. That’s because many of the surfaces in our workplaces harbour many more bacteria than a toilet seat.
Top of the list of germ hotspots in our offices are desktop phones, which microbiologists at the University of Arizona discovered were home to a hair-raising 25,000 germs per square inch. As a point of reference, a toilet seat is likely to have around 50 germs per square inch.
Coming in a close second are desktops, followed by computer keyboards and mice. But the bacteria bonanza doesn’t end there. Frequently touched surfaces including microwave doors, fridge doors and taps in shared workplace kitchens, not to mention water cooler controls, are also magnets for bacteria and viruses.
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Are we making it worse?
It seems that changing working habits may be increasing our exposure to potentially harmful germs at work.
Hot-desking, where workers share desk space or work at a different workstation each day, is increasingly common. But shared desks have a fifth more germs on them than desks used by just one person, research by Initial Washroom Hygiene suggests. And a shared computer mouse harbours 40% more germs than a mouse with just one careful owner.
Eating lunch at your desk never sounded less appealing, did it? But this is something that more than two thirds of UK office workers say they do, according to a survey by Total Jobs . If you count yourself among those who eat at their desks, you could be ingesting more than you bargained for, if viruses and bacteria hitch a ride on your sandwich.
How to protect yourself
Many of us don’t have a say in whether we have our own desks in the office, and we may not have the time or facilities to grab a bite to eat somewhere other than at our desks. But there is still plenty you can do, to protect yourself from workplace bugs. Here are our top tips.
Wipe down your workstation with an antibacterial wipe at the start and end of each day. Milton Antibacterial Surface Wipes (£3.30 for 30) are biodegradable so are a more eco-friendly choice. Don’t forget to wipe down the receiver, cradle and buttons on your desktop phone, too. Studies show that regularly disinfecting surfaces and often-touched objects significantly reduces the number of germs that could potentially make you ill.
Keep an antibacterial hand gel on your desk or in your bag. Use it after you make a cuppa in the office kitchen or get a drink from the water cooler. If you can’t avoid eating at your desk, use it before you tuck in to your food, too, if you haven’t washed your hands first.
Clean your keyboard and mouse regularly if you have your own desk or if you work from home, especially if you do tend to snack as you work. A compressed air spray costs just a couple of pounds and will help dislodge crumbs, fluff and dust from between the keys of your keyboard. Follow up by wiping the keys with an alcohol wipe. Wipe down the mouse, too, while you’re at it.
Don’t share mugs! Unless your office kitchen has a dishwasher to clean cups hygienically, you’re better off having your own mug and taking it home with you to wash at the end of each day. Lots of studies show that dishcloths and sponges are a breeding ground for bacteria – and let’s just say that some of those bacteria would be more at home in a toilet.
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