How often have you gone into the breakroom in your office, refilled your water bottle or cup, and headed back to your desk? Pretty often, we would guess! Now, have you thought about how many people have touched that faucet handle each day? Is it clean? What did all those hands touch prior to refilling their cup? Chances are, you don’t want to know the answer to that last question.
Having a professional commercial cleaning service on your side, coming in to “clean house” for you after hours can not only keep your office space looking top-notch all the time, but also keep you and your staff healthier!
Researchers, backed by Kimberly Clark Professional, once swabbed nearly 5,000 surfaces in a number of office buildings to find where the most germs lurk. They used a device that measures Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) – and readings of 100 or more meant the surface needed a seriously cleaning! Readings of 300 or above mean serious contamination problems, and an increased risk of illness for people coming into contact with that surface.
According to the New York Daily News, here are the places with readings of 300 or more:
- 75% of breakroom sink faucets.
- 48% of microwave door handles.
- 27% of computer keyboards.
- 26% of refrigerator door handles.
- 23% of water fountain buttons.
- 21% of vending machine buttons.
And here are the places researchers say “could be cleaner” (aka: ATP readings of 100+):
- 91% of breakroom sink faucet handles.
- 80% of microwave door handles.
- 69% of computer keyboards.
- 69% of refrigerator door handles.
- 53% of water fountain buttons.
- 51% of computer mice & desk phones.
- 48% of coffee pots & dispensers.
- 43% of vending machine buttons.
Time Magazine ran the results from the same study, and quoted a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona who said while people are keenly aware of germ problems in bathrooms and the need for bathrooms to be cleaned thoroughly and regularly, the breakroom often goes unnoticed and quickly becomes a breeding ground for germs and illness.
Hiring a professional janitorial service, like Quality Janitorial Services, means knowing your office space is not only vacuumed and dusted, but also wiped down and truly clean. It is proven that a clean work environment can boost employee morale and productivity. And let’s face it, when your employees are happier – so are your customers, most likely! QJS takes this one step further than just cleaning your space, our crews use the least toxic yet effective cleaning products available on the market today. That means we are not only protecting you and your team, but also the health of our environment.
In between those cleanings, do not hesitate to remind your employees to practice good hygiene? This could mean putting hand sanitizer pumps around the office and making disinfectant wipes visible and easily accessible in the breakroom and kitchen. Encourage your workers, even simply by example, to keep their desk areas clean (phones included!) – wiping them down often with disinfectant.
Contact QJS To Clean Your Office Today!