Did you know that the U.S. economy loses over $150 billion a year due to colds and flu? The main culprit – GERMS! And if your office is like most offices, it’s full of them.
Research shows that most desks have 400 times more germs than a toilet seat. I know that sounds crazy but studies show that there are over 25,000 germs per square inch on your typical office phone, 3,000 germs per square inch on your keyboard and 1,600 germs per square inch on your mouse. These and other frequently touched surfaces like microwaves and refrigerators account for 80% of the germs that cause the colds and flu’s we get at work.
So, what should your cleaning company do to eliminate germs, and help reduce employee sickness?
- Disinfect Frequently Touched Items. Disinfecting kills nearly all of the germs on a given surface. It’s a quick and simple process, and it’s very effective. Items that people touch frequently, such as keyboards, phones, computer mice, door handles, microwaves, etc., should be disinfected as often as possible, especially during cold and flu season.
- Proper Restroom Cleaning is Critical. Restrooms are the primary breeding grounds for germs. In order to prevent the spread of germs in your office, restrooms need to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected from top to bottom every service.
- Avoid Cross Contamination. The last thing your office needs is to have germs spread from one part of the building to another, like from restrooms to a break room. Professional cleaning companies will avoid the risk of cross contamination by using a color coded cleaning system for mops and towels. For instance, yellow mops and towels would be used only in restrooms, green ones for cleaning and dusting general office areas, red for cleaning any equipment, and blue for windows and mirrors.
Most professional cleaning services will follow the above processes. If you’re noticing a higher than usual rate of employee sickness, then you may want to have a discussion with your cleaning service to find out exactly what they’re doing to control the spread of germs in your facility.