How to Keep Your Office Clean and Healthy
Unhygienic offices could be costing your business a fortune. Staff sickness cost British companies £77 billion in lost productivity (Source: Consultancy UK).
As well as having to fork out for sick pay and staff cover, you’re also losing money on inefficiency.
Ever noticed your staff drop like flies once one has diarrhoea or cold and flu symptoms? Your office is most likely to be harbouring germs and dirt, even if it appears clean and tidy. Studies show that the average desk is home to 400 times more germs than a toilet seat.
Some businesses admit to only having offices cleaned once a month or less, making them a breeding ground for bacteria and a health hazard to workers.
As well as regular office cleaning and spring cleaning every few months, paying attention to these 7 things could make a difference to the health of your workforce, as well as save you money.
Desks
They may look clean after a wipe down but the average desk is disgusting!
If you move monitors and other equipment you’ll probably find dust. You’re also likely to find dust inside computer vents and are cables underneath desks.
Use a damp cloth to clean the dust. It’s a dirty job but by using a damp cloth you’ll stop the dust from going into the air.
Cleaning each desk at least twice a week will help keep on top of nasty germs.
Chairs
Often neglected, office chairs are home to more bacteria than desks. Both carry massive amounts of bacteria but how often are your office chairs cleaned?
If you want your staff to avoid germs such as Staphylococcus aureus you should aim to have all office chairs vacuumed once a week at the very least and have them deep cleaned monthly, reducing the build-up of bacteria and leaving your chairs fresher.
Phones
The biggest offender on your desks harbouring a massive 25,127 germs per square inch* are phones, the perfect place for a whole host of germs including E-coli.
You can do your bit to reduce the build-up by wiping phones down at least once a week.
*Source: Printerland
Every keyboard and mouse
Both are used regularly throughout the day, these pass hordes of bacteria back and forth.
And what about those staff that eat at their desk? Tip a few keyboards upside down and you’ll be disgusted at what falls out. We’ve seen no end of crumbs and dirt but also hairs and fingernails. Just imagine sharing a keyboard and mouse with someone that doesn’t bother to wash their hands after using the toilet, gross!
You should aim to clean every keyboard at least once a week and every mouse every three weeks. Use an anti-bacterial wipe or microfiber cloth for both. Cans of compressed can be used to blast out dust from under keyboard keys once you’re done.
Water coolers
Harbouring a massive 2.7 million germs per square inch, office water coolers need to be cleaned thoroughly and regularly to keep your staff safe.
Water coolers are swarming with germs and bacteria because they’re used by lots of different people. They can also become breeding grounds for mould if not properly maintained and cleaned on a regular basis.
Your water cooler should be deep cleaned at least once every three months, and the tank, lid and tap should all be removed and cleaned separately. You should also descale your water cooler regularly to keep it in good working order.
Air quality
The quality of the air in your office has a massive effect on the overall health and mood of your workers. Air conditioners are great. In busy offices in the heat of summer, they’re essential, but they do need to be serviced to stop excess amounts of dust from being blown around.
Adding real plants around the office will also improve the quality of air as well as look good.
Carpets
Office carpet tiles do well to hide the mould, dirt, dust and bacteria they hold. It’s essential to have your office carpets vacuumed regularly and steam cleaned every so often to kill bacteria.
Your staff will feel happier and healthier in a clean working environment. All of the above should be done on a regular basis, with once a week being the bare minimum we recommend.
A clean office is a productive office and you should also see a reduction in staff sickness.
If you don’t have the time or expertise to clean your office on a regular basis and want a quote from the best office cleaners in Nuneaton please get in touch to discuss your requirements.
