10 Things in Your Office That Are Dirtier Than You Think
A clean office is a healthy working environment for everyone. But often, when you’re cleaning, high touch items and areas go unnoticed and untouched (ironic isn’t it?).
These things, like light switches and door knobs, are breeding grounds for germs if they aren’t cleaned regularly. So to help you spot those dirtier-than-you-think items around the office, we’ve put together a list — so next time, you won’t miss wiping down the microwave keypad!
10 Things in Your Office That Are Dirtier Than You Think
Now let’s take a look at 10 things in your office that are often overlooked during cleaning (unless, of course, you hire a professional cleaning company like The Go-To Janitor…one with a keen eye for dirty!).
1. Light Switches
Light switches are small, but often overlooked, during weekly cleanings. Employees and co-workers flip them on and off throughout the day, making them a high touch item in the office.
To clean, turn the light switch off. Lightly spritz a microfiber towel with an all-purpose cleaner or disinfectant. Wipe the plate cover and the actual switch. Let air dry completely before turning it back on.
2. Door Knobs and Handles
Yet another high touch item — and boy are there many of these throughout an office! Door knobs and handles, inside and outside, need regular attention to keep germs at bay. So it’s best to wipe them down at least once weekly with a microfiber cloth and all-purpose spray or disinfectant.
3. Breakroom Sinks
Food splatter and endless amounts of coffee dumps can make the break room sink quite dirty after a day of work. Plus, if food splatter is left behind, it gets hard and stuck-on, which means soap grime, dirt, and other yucky things stick to it, only enhancing the growth of bacteria, which leads to foul smells in the break room. Talk about ewww…
So! You’ll want to give the break room sink a quick wipe at least once a day. Spray it down with an all-purpose cleaner and wipe well with a clean microfiber cloth.
It’s also a good idea to wipe down the backsplash and the countertop around the sink.
We also recommend cleaning your drains at least once a month with a drain-approved cleaner. Or, you can pour a few tablespoons of baking soda down the drain followed by a cup of vinegar. Let it fizz and bubble for a few minutes, then flush with hot or boiling water.
4. Office Chairs
Office workers sit most of the day. But have you thought about cleaning the chairs that they sit in?
Office chairs need a good deep cleaning at least once a week. Spray a microfiber cloth with an all-purpose cleaner and wipe down all surfaces, including the seat, back, arm rests, and legs.
5. Trash Cans
You change out the bag, but have you looked deep down into the abyss of the office trash can?! If not, most likely it needs attention — and STAT.
Trash cans get gross pretty quickly because they are the holders of all things trash — food, paper, coffee cups, gum, and the like. If anything misses the bag, or the bag falls into the trash can, it can spill out and make the trash can pretty dirty (and smelly).
At least once a month, take your trash cans outside and spray them down with water — inside and out. After, spray or wipe them down with a disinfectant cleaner. Let completely dry before replacing the trash bags.
6. Office Ceiling Tiles and Lights
Look up. Do you see those cobwebs, dust, and dirt stuck to the ceiling tiles and lights? Odds are, they haven’t been touched since the building was inhabited (are we right, or are we right?).
At least once a year, we recommend dusting and giving the ceiling tiles and lights a deep clean. This will improve your indoor air quality and keep the office space healthier and cleaner. You can take a vacuum, with the long extension and brush to gently remove cobwebs, dust, and dirt trapped above.
For extra dirty ceilings, turn off all lights (and maybe use a lamp or something to illuminate the space) and give them a good wipe down. In this case, a damp microfiber cloth should do the trick. Let everything dry before turning the lights back on.
7. Shared Office Items
This includes any desk phones, shared keyboards and mouse, pens, etc. Give them daily, or weekly, wipe downs to remove dirt, dust, and to prevent the spread of germs.
8. Air Vents and Returns
Vents collect dust, pollen, mold spores, and debris over time. When the system runs, those particles get circulated through the space—impacting breathing, allergies, and overall comfort.
It’s also a good idea to clean them regularly to improve the HVAC’s efficiency.
At least once a month, or quarterly, plan to clean the air vents and returns in your office. To do this, turn the HVAC system off. Remove the vent covers and vacuum off any dust using the brush attachment. If needed, you can soak the air vents in a sink of warm soapy water and give them a good scrub. Dry them completely before returning.
9. Elevator Buttons
Employees and customers use elevators to get to and from the floors they need to access. But have you thought about the buttons they have to push to get there? Every day, plan to wipe the elevator buttons down with a disinfectant wipe.
10. Baseboards
If there’s one place that traps dust and dirt more than any other item around the office, it’s the baseboards. Build up of dust alone can make your office baseboards look and feel grimy. So be sure to clean them regularly to keep your office looking nice and well-tended to.
In fact, we wrote this blog about how to clean office baseboards!
Keep Your Office Clean by Hiring a Professional Janitorial Company in Asheville, NC
If this list feels overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. Let The Go-To Janitor take cleaning off your plate — we’ll keep a close eye on all the details that often get missed.
We’d love to offer you a free estimate and start the conversation. Or, give us a call at (828) 536-0555.
