18 Places in Your Workplace Where Viruses and Germs Can Be Found

Did you know offices and workplaces were one of the first things that the governments around the world ordered to close down during the Coronavirus lockdown? Wondering why? That’s because offices are highly sensitive places and can become prone to community transmission of viruses if even one person/worker is infected.

Theoretically, an office or workplace should be a very pure and highly safe place, as this is where you show your creativity and productivity and get the work done. Working in an office environment that is dirty or poorly maintained is not only difficult but also can discourage creativity.

By nature, an office space should inspire productivity, which is only possible if the place is cleaned, disinfected and maintained properly and on a regular basis.

But, no matter how much you want or try, there are certain areas and spots in your office where viruses, germs & bacteria will continue to thrive, which is why regular office cleaning and maintenance of these areas is very important in order to ensure the health safety of everyone in your workplace.

Top Places in Your Office Where Pathogens Live

Floor

Your office floors are the most prone to viruses, germs & bacteria. Your floors are used by all your employees every day. All of them walk on it, mostly with their shoes on. So, you can expect the dirt, bacteria and germs from the shoes to get on the floors.

Moreover, the wet areas on your office floor invite germs and viruses, who can eventually make a home there if not cleaned regularly. Use a good quality solution to scrub or wash your office floors daily.

Restroom

Restrooms or break rooms at your office are used by all your staff, so the chances of the spread of infection are the highest here.

Common areas and things like toilet seats, sinks, washbasins, dustbins, tissue holders, driers, mirrors, water taps, doorknobs, etc. are highly prone to viruses and bacteria, which is why they must be cleaned as well as disinfected regularly to maintain the safety of your people and prevent the virus from spreading to other areas.

Meeting Room

The meeting room in your office is another place where bacteria can get accumulated. The room is commonly used by your staff. At a time, multiple people can be using it and so the chances of the infection spreading are higher. Moreover, if you or someone in your office is using the meeting rooms to eat, the risks of infection can get even higher.

Cafeteria or Pantry

The pantry or cafeteria at your office is one of the most crowded places, as many of your employees visit there frequently to charge themselves with a cup of coffee or to grab a bite of their favourite snack when feeling hungry. It gets even denser during lunchtime.

As many people use this area, it’s very important to keep your office pantry clean and well-maintained to avoid unwanted health issues. Not just the food you’re providing but also the area itself, electronics, bench, utensils, etc. must be cleaned and disinfected regularly to keep the bacteria at bay.

Kitchens

Same as a cafeteria, your office kitchens are highly prone to germs and bacteria, as they deal with one of the sensitive things called food.

Bacteria can often be found on rotten food, unwashed dishes and utensils, which is why it’s important to keep the kitchens clean to maintain hygiene and protect the health of your people. Besides food, your kitchen electronics like the refrigerator and microwave might also be storing germs.

Elevator

Elevators are an important part of modern, hire-rise buildings and offices. If your office building has an elevator, most of your employers will be using it. That means a lot of people are constantly pushing elevator buttons and touching the surfaces around them.

These elevator surfaces may have germs and bacteria stored in them, which can easily transmit to the hands of the users. So, keep your office elevators clean and get them disinfected to kill the germs.

Staircase

Your building’s stair railings are another place that is constantly touched by people, which means bacteria might be breeding there as well. So, even if you are not using the elevators and only using the staircase, you can still get germs by merely touching the railings.

However, if your stair railings are made of steel, they are less prone to pathogens and easy to clean with disinfectants.

Door Handles

Door handles are something that everyone has to use when entering or exiting a room at their workplace. And since a lot of people use them, the chance of the spread of virus infection through the door handles is always high.

In addition to keeping the door handles cleaned and disinfected, it’s also important to instruct your workers to wash their hands regularly with soap or sanitiser. Keep the doors open to avoid having to touch the handles, as much as possible.

Computer Systems

From your hands, bacteria and viruses can get to everything you touch, and with your hands touching your computer desktop multiple times a day, there is a huge probability of germs being found on your office systems.

Washing your hands as well as cleaning/sanitising your desktops is the only way to get rid of infection-causing viruses.

Keyboard

Besides the constant touching of your fingers (dirty or otherwise), your computer/laptop keyboard has to endure a lot like you sneezing or coughing on it, spilling drinks or eating over it, and more.

All these things invite germs to gather on your keyboard. Even worse, if your keyboard is being used by other people it can also contribute to adding germs to it.

Telephone

Your office phone is shared by multiple people, so the chances of germs on it are even higher than that on your desktop. Make sure to keep your telephone sanitised and cleaned and avoid sharing it with others.

Water Dispenser

If your office uses a water dispenser that needs to be manually operated, germs can get stored on them and transmit to your hands when touched. Several people in your office use the same water cooler multiple times a day. To ensure their safety, keep the cooler cleaned. Also, avoid sharing your water bottles with others.

Office Equipment

Common office equipment like printers, copiers, fax machines, etc. that are shared between multiple people can easily invite and host germs that can further transmit from one person to another.

Coffee Maker

Other electronic items in your office, including coffee maker, coffee pot, cups, etc. that are shared between people are often prone to germs.

Bacteria can breed inside these machines if not cleaned regularly. So, make sure that all the machines around your office, especially ones that deal with food or drinks, are being cleaned regularly and properly.

Utensils

Utensils and dishes used to cook and/or serve food may accumulate germs and bacteria if not cleaned for some time. It’s best to clean the dishes immediately after using them.

Sink/Basin

Sinks and washbasins in your office are other common areas where you can expect a lot of germs and viruses to be found, especially when you are leaving dishes in them.

So, you have to make sure to keep your sinks clean and dry. Also, clean and disinfect the faucet handle, tap and valve after each use. In addition, get the kitchen sponge cleaned and dried after each use.

Fridge/Microwave Door

A lot of people touch the door handles of your office fridge and microwave, whenever taking their food out or putting it in.

To ensure their safety and to avoid the spread of viruses, make sure to sanitise and clean the door handles frequently and with high-quality solutions.

Vending Machine

Same as your fridge and microwave, the vending machines in your office are also used very frequently by many of your office workers.

Just by touching the vending machine handle, you might contribute to spreading the virus. Keep them clean for everyone’s safety.

How to Clean Your Office for Pathogens (Viruses, Germs & Bacteria)

Every company employs cleaners for the basic cleaning of their premises on a daily basis. But, that’s clearly not enough. You must make sure that your cleaners are trained experts and have experience in cleaning virus-prone areas in an office.

They must be able to identify the places in your office where viruses and bacteria are gathering and should have the right resources/training to take care of these harmful substances to ensure the complete safety of your property and workers.

In addition to regular cleaning and sanitising, it’s also important that everyone at your office follows strict hygiene practices to keep the workplace clean and safe as much as possible.

If your existing/regular cleaners are not up to the task or have no idea which areas in your office viruses and germs can be found, maybe it’s time to hire a professional cleaning agency with dedicated resources and expert cleaners to take care of your office cleaning needs in line with the highest quality standards.

Clean Group is an expert and highly trusted office cleaning agency based in Sydney that has been providing result-oriented commercial cleaning services to businesses with a 100% success rate for over 20 years now.

We also have experience in Coronavirus cleaning, and our cleaners are trained to find and remove pathogens from every corner of your office.

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