Professional Office Cleaning: How Many Germs are in Your Office?

An average office desk contains more than 10 million bacterial organisms—that's 400 times more dirt than the average truck stop toilet! In addition to staphylococcus aureus, E.coli, salmonella, influenza, and coronaviruses, the average desk has more fecal matter than workplace toilets. 
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You'll be shocked to learn where germs are breeding in your office space. Desks aren't the only culprit, nor are they the worst. When you finish reading about the germs in your business office, you'll want to call the best commercial and COVID-19 office cleaning service.

Office Space Germ Hotspots
The modern method of hybrid flex work schedules means more people flow in and out of the workplace. Many people now share desk space with other employees on alternating schedules. Almost 19% of American office workers no longer have exclusive use of their desks.

More attention needs to be paid to regularly cleaning the following hotspots to ensure employee and customer health and safety:

• Bathroom door handles
• Coffee machine handles and buttons
• Door handles
• Elevator buttons
• Keyboard and mouse
• Kitchen sink tap and handles
• Printers
• Refrigerator door
• Telephones
• TV remote control
• Vending machines keypad and delivery door
• Water fountain buttons

You must take extra consideration with meeting rooms, where professional cleaning may not occur between meetings. Take the time to wipe down surfaces between meetings. Place disinfecting products in the conference room so employees and customers can take steps to protect themselves.

Bathrooms Are Safer
Touch areas in bathrooms, including the doors, stalls, faucets, and soap dispensers, house the most skin-associated bacteria. You will likely find fecal contamination on toilet handles and seats from toilet spray or direct contact.

Research shows 500,000 bacterial cells per square inch within one hour of regular public restroom use. Most bathroom bacteria cannot survive without nutrients, in cold environments, or around oxygen.

Most undisturbed bacteria die quickly on public bathroom surfaces. Simply washing your hands keeps off the rest.

Elevator Bacteria Findings
Elevator buttons have about 40 times more bacteria than a public seat toilet. The research on elevators in airports, banks, hotels, offices, and restaurants indicates bacteria on elevator buttons average 313 colony-forming units (CFUs) per square centimeter.

Compare this with the average of 8 CFUs on toilet seats, and you may give a second thought to taking an elevator over the stairs.

Kitchen and Break Room Bacteria Hot Spots
In 2012 Kimberly Clark conducted the most comprehensive study ever on bacteria. The study found areas, where office workers prepare and eat their meals, are germ hot spots. Completing the investigation meant analyzing almost 5,000 swabs of office buildings with more than 3,0000 employees.

Surfaces with an ATP count of 100 or higher include the following:

• Computer mouse
• Desk phones

Surfaces with an ATP count of 300 or higher include the following:

• 75% of sink faucet handles in breakrooms
• 48% of handles on microwave doors
• 27% of computer keyboards
• 26% of handles on refrigerators
• 23% of buttons on water fountains
• 21% of buttons on vending machines

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) measures animal, bacteria, mold, yeast, and vegetable cells. The presence of ATP at a reading of 100-300 means there is reason to improve cleanliness. Readings of 300 or more are areas with the highest risk of illness and transmission.

Key Takeaways:

• The average desk has more fecal matter than workplace toilets
• The average public restroom shows 500,000 bacterial cells per square inch within one hour of regular use. 
• Elevator buttons also have about 40 times more bacteria than a public seat toilet.

Professional Office Cleaning Services
A quick dust and vacuum to spoof up the office doesn't cut it anymore. Majik Cleaning Services has more than 20 years of experience providing commercial cleaning services. Our services include COVID-19 cleaning, window washing, general office cleaning, and more.

Check out our FAQs to get all your professional office cleaning questions answered, then give us a call us 917-473-1794 for a free estimate. Keep your staff and clients germ-free—call today!