Generally, offices are thought of as being tidy and organised environments. However, if left unkempt, office spaces can be a lot dirtier then they may appear.

At KCS, we understand the importance of keeping a clean workspace, both to benefit your productivity and to ensure your space remains hygienic.

Here’s a count down from the top ten dirtiest places in your office – some of these may surprise you.

10 – COFFEE POTS AND KETTLES
Many don’t realise, but coffee pot handles and kettles are some of the dirtiest places in the office and require a good clean down at least once a week.

9 – YOUR COMPUTER MOUSE
Working in an office generally requires you to touch a computer mouse for most of the day. Bacteria and germs can transfer from your hands onto a mouse and then be passed on to others – make sure these are wiped down at least once a week.

8 – THE TOILET
Toilets are notorious for being dirty places, however the toilet is actually one of the cleanest places in an office building! Restrooms are cleaned on a regular basis and the same should apply for your desk space – the place where you spend most of your waking day.

7 – VENDING MACHINE BUTTONS
Vending machines are becoming fairly popular in office buildings. It may never cross your mind to give the buttons on vending machines a quick clean but this is a necessity to avoid passing on germs.

6 – WATER FOUNTAIN BUTTONS
Whilst water fountains may not be around as much anymore, if you have one in your office building, make sure that you wipe the button. Studies have shown that water fountains can contain around 2.3 million bacteria around the mouthpiece alone.

5 – FRIDGE DOOR HANDLES
Fridges are a necessity in office buildings for keeping your lunch fresh until the afternoon, however fridge door handles carry a vast amount of germs and bacteria and they must be cleaned regularly.

4 – KEYBOARDS
Trying to avoid touching your keyboard when you work in an office would be near enough an impossible task. Keyboards carry a lot of dirt, which can make you seriously ill if not kept under control. Studies have shown that there are over 20,000 germs per square inch of a keyboard – this can potentially make you seriously ill.

3 – MICROWAVE DOORS
Can you think of the last time you put something in the microwave at work? Did you know that touching a microwave door handle can be dirtier then wiping your hand along a toilet seat?

2 – SINK HANDLES
It’s drilled into us from a young age that staying hydrated is one of the most important things for living a healthy lifestyle. Sink handles require a seriously good clean at least a couple of times a week – without a designated office cleaner, does it ever get a thorough clean?

1 – OFFICE/MOBILE PHONES
Office and mobile phones are ridiculously dirty. It has been estimated that there are 25,000 germs per square inch that can live on the workplace telephone.

Offices require regular cleans, just like any regular household. Office equipment can carry a lot of bacteria and pose a higher risk of spreading illness than many people realise.

There are so many benefits to hiring a cleaning company to give your office the thorough weekly clean down it needs. Click here to read about KCS’s contact cleaning offering and find out how we can help you to create a germ-free working environment.