Returning to work after COVID-19: Keeping your office IT hygienic

As businesses up and down the country prepare for a return to work, issues of office cleanliness are at the forefront of our minds. The recent pandemic has changed the way we look at the world around us and made us more conscious of transferring germs than ever. We’ve witnessed the full scale of what a virus can do and understandably, many are apprehensive about going back into an office space.

Keeping work and common areas as clean as possible is a vital step towards reducing the risk of transmitting illnesses, whether that is Covid-19 or a more general bug. The NHS suggests that some viruses can live for weeks on hard surfaces, such as door handles and kitchen worktops, but also, more worryingly, on many of the everyday items you’d find on an office desk.

The typical workplace desk is home to more than 10 million bacteria, that’s 100x more germs than kitchen tables & 400x less sanitary than the average toilet seat! Whether the bacteria is from home or the office commute, this dirty reality makes offices the ideal environment for spreading bacteria and viruses.

Grimy offices are one of the main causes of inefficiency, job dissatisfaction and reduced employee wellbeing. Keyboards are notorious for harbouring bacteria, especially as we press every single key continuously for up to 8 hours each day. Skin cells, food residue and sweat mature and spread in such a small space comparatively, generating more than 3,295 bacteria per square inch!

But keyboards aren’t the only culprits for desk bacteria. Who knew that a little thing like a computer mouse can contain up to 1,676 microbes per square inch, whilst the typical office phone has 25,127 germs per square inch! It’s going to take more than the average office cleaner does to eliminate this kind of bacteria.

While cleanliness across the office should always be a top priority, now more than ever it is vital to keep our shared spaces healthy. It is imperative to have a thorough office cleaning routine in place to create a safe and healthy working environment. If you haven’t done so already, now might be the time to call in the experts!

Techclean has been carrying out specialist IT equipment cleaning services since 1983. We are the UK’s leading expert in specialist Desktop IT cleaning & Data Centre cleaning. Much of our work is spent sanitising Desktop IT in modern offices – screens, keyboards, telephones, mouse. Our deep cleans prolong equipment life, help keep the staff healthier by using hygienic workstations – and minimises a ‘throwaway’ culture.

If you’re interested in learning more about our deep cleaning services and how we can help keep fight the office grime, call your local Techclean specialist today for more information.