Table of Contents
As more and more companies have embraced the “work from home” approach, it is becoming more and more important to keep your home workplace clean.
How dirty are home workplaces?
The home workplace has the most bacterial growth than anywhere else in the home. The average keyboard has 3,543k germs per square inch which makes it 1.1 times more bacteria filled than your toilet seat.
With more than 1,600k germs per square inch, phones harbour 3 times more bacteria than a kitchen drain which has 567k germs per square inch. According to a study, phones carry 1,600k germs per square inch which puts them in second place for the filthiest items in the home workplace where you spend many hours.
Why You Need to Clean Your Home Workplace?
The dangers of an unclean home workspace
Viruses survive for longer on non-porous surfaces such as plastics and stainless steel than they do on porous surfaces like wood or metal. Viruses like flu and cold last on surfaces for 24 hours while pathogens like Hepatitis and MRSA can survive on hard surfaces for 42 days and 180 days respectively. MRSA bacteria can survive on hard surfaces for longer than COVID-19 and Norovirus because they thrive in places with low levels of moisture.
It is no wonder that 80% of infections are from surfaces which explains the high levels of sick leave. An unhygienic workspace contributes to 68% of sick leave resulting in an average of 5 days sick leave annually.
How home workspaces get dirty?
Keyboards are one of the filthiest items in the workplace. Over 62 percent of people eat lunch at their desks, and around 50 percent snack as well. From food crumbs to spilt drinks and dust, keyboards are notorious for harbouring germs.
Poor hygiene, such as not washing your hand after going to the bathroom, can contribute to the spread of bacteria. In fact, a staggering 39% of employees do not maintain proper hygiene with 47% of men and 34% of women not washing their hands after going to the bathroom. In addition, a survey revealed that 89% of workers do not clean their desk properly while 38% will only do a ‘quick clean’.
How to clean your home workspace?
Maintaining workplace hygiene has proved to be one of the most appropriate ways to avoid spread of bacteria. To keep germs at bay, soak a cotton cloth into rubbing alcohol and clean the edges of the keyboard keys. Get a clean, soft cloth and polish the keyboard. Moisten a clean microfiber cloth with rubbing alcohol and give your monito a good wipe.
Keep your phone clean with an all-purpose cleaner. Simply, spray a mild all-purpose cleaner onto a microfiber cloth and wipe away the phone. When It comes to cleaning a desk, all you need is disinfectant wipes. Wipe down the entire surface and then rinse it off before letting it air dry.
Hire a professional cleaner
Your office workplace benefits from professional cleaning companies. Why not hire a professional cleaner for your home and home workspace to ensure that you live and work in a clean, healthy environment?
You can hire 5-star home cleaners through TidyChoice. House cleaners are fully vetted and you can choose your preferred cleaner online and select your preferred times.
More information on home workspace cleaning
TidyChoice’s infographic ‘’Why you need to clean your home workplace’’ presents their top tips for keeping your workspace clean and preventing contamination. Cleaning your desk, keyboard, computer mouse and phone at least once a day, will help keep away germs and insects without the help of pest control experts and in turn avoid illnesses.
