Tackling Germ Hot Spots in an Office Space

There are hundreds of offices in Lancaster County. Whether you are in your office every day or just a few days a week, germs are present. That’s because microbes exist in any shared space, and germs are especially present in the areas that are used the most.

Angie’s Custom Cleaning believes the most unsanitary and commonly used areas/items in an office space are the kitchens, bathrooms, floors, and doorknobs, light switches, and handles. To properly clean these germ hotspots in an office space effectively, your commercial cleaning staff must use the right techniques, tools, and frequency. Here’s a breakdown from Angie’s Custom Cleaning about how to properly clean each of these germy areas and items.

Kitchen

The germiest spots in a kitchen are the faucets, countertops, microwave handles, refrigerator doors, cabinet handles, and shared coffee machines. In order to clean these items effectively, you should have someone dedicated to performing the following tasks daily.

• • Wipe down all high-touch surfaces with a disinfectant (EPA-approved for viruses and bacteria).
  • Clean sink and faucet with disinfectant and scrub with a brush.
  • Use disinfectant wipes on appliance handles and buttons.

Once a week, the inside of the microwave, coffee pots, and refrigerator shelves should be deep cleaned.

Bathroom

The second germiest area of an office is the bathroom. Hotspots include toilet handles, faucets, door handles, light switches, and soap dispensers. To clean these objects properly, you need to have someone dedicated to performing these tasks daily, using disposable gloves and disinfectant spray on all touchpoints:

• • Disinfect toilets, sinks, counters, and faucets.
  • Refill soap and paper towels to encourage handwashing.

In addition to these daily tasks, someone should also clean the bathroom walls, partitions, and floors once per week.

Floor

The third germiest hotspot in an office environment are the floors. The office entrance, area under desks, and the breakroom floors tend to be the dirtiest. To maintain these areas effectively, you need to have someone dedicated to performing the following tasks at least once per week.

• • Vacuuming the carpets and any rugs, especially in high-traffic areas.
  • Sweeping and mopping resilient floors with a disinfectant floor cleaner.

Any spills that occur on the floor should be spot cleaned immediately. It is also recommended to have an office carpet cleaning performed, in order to deep clean carpets, at least once per month. Using walk-off mats at the entrances and cleaning them regularly will reduce dirt and bacteria being tracked into your facility.

Doorknobs, Light Switches & Handles

The fourth germiest items in an office space are the doorknobs, light switches, and handles, which can be found everywhere in your facility— offices, bathrooms, meeting rooms, and breakrooms. To effectively clean these items, you need to have someone dedicated to cleaning them daily by wiping them with disinfectant wipes or spray.

In addition to cleaning these four germy areas and items regularly, you should also contract with a professional cleaning crew that can clean everything in your office thoroughly at a minimum of twice per month. General cleaning tips that should be followed for all office spaces include:

• Using disposable gloves and washing hands after cleaning
• Following contact time on disinfectant labels — and not wiping disinfectant off of surfaces too soon, so it’s effective
• Keeping cleaning logs/checklists to track which areas have been sanitized
• Training staff and/or cleaning personnel on the proper disinfecting protocols.

In any office environment, there are several areas that tend to harbor the most germs, due to frequent human contact and shared use. Identifying these germ hotspots and cleaning them correctly is crucial for maintaining a clean and hygienic workspace.

For more information on how Angie’s Custom Cleaning can help sanitize and clean your office effectively, visit https://angiescommercialcleaning.com/.