Where do you think the most bacteria ridden place is in the home? The toilet seat? The old veg at the bottom of the fridge? The dogs favourite toy? Under the bin?
No no and no. Despite all these locations not being the most hygienic of sorts, they are nowhere near as bacteria ridden as the filthy desks and computer equipment that we use day in and day out.
The average desk and keyboard is more that 400 times dirtier than the average toilet seat. If that doesn’t make you feel a little uncomfortable then we don’t know what will.
To put it all in a perspective, a toilet seat has 49 microbes/ square inch. A keyboard has 3,295 microbes/ square inch, and a computer mouse 1,676 microbe / square inch!
If you’re thinking, they’re just my own germs – surely I won’t get sick, then think again! Most of the things you touch throughout the day, are likely to be covered in germs. This means that even if you wash your hands carefully, you are inevitably going to be carrying germs around.
So what can you do to take a pass on the common cold and live another day? Let’s have a look:
Wash your hands, with soap!
Another fun fact for you. According to a study made by Cleaning Services Group, 32% admit to not washing their hands after using the toilet. 30% said they only use water to wash their hands.
There’s a reason why we teach kids how to wash their hands properly. And by properly, we mean a good ol’ scrub with warm water and soap.
Do yourself, and everyone you meet throughout your day a favour, and wash your hands properly!
Wipe your desk daily
If you use your desk and computer daily, you really should give it a wipe daily. It takes less than 2 minutes to do, but can mean a big difference to your l health.
11% of people never clean their keyboards, 20% never clean their mouse, and 46% sanitise their keyboards less than once a month.
Buy a pack of antibac wipes, and get it done!
Sanitise your electronics
With the hours we spend on our phones, laptops, desktops and iPads – there should almost be laws about hygienic maintenance.
In a study carried out at Queen Mary University of London, they found that 16% of phones and 16% of hands harboured E. coli bacteria. In case you’re unfamiliar with E. coli, it is a bacteria that inhabits the intestines. E. coli is a pretty big deal, and if you are infected you will be down for at least a few days with fever, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, bloody poos and vomiting.
Wipe your electronics, wipe your keyboards, and wipe your desk. It’s not worth risking a nasty bug.
Don’t eat at your desk
As we mentioned previously, a desk is about 400 times dirtier than the average toilet seat. Would you eat your lunch of a toilet seat? Nah, we didn’t think so!
Whatever you’re doing at your desk, you need time to stretch your legs and you need to eat anyway.
When you take a few minutes away from the screen and have your lunch elsewhere, you can return with renewed energy and a full tummy. And most importantly, you can return to a clean desk.
This article was written by Safety Training Scotland
Anna Leake is a health blogger that focuses on topics related to nutrition, fitness, and mental health. She was born in New York City but at age 6 moved to the Midwest where she spent her childhood exploring nature with friends and family. Anna graduated from University of Michigan-Ann Arbor with degrees in psychology & human development.