So, you wash your hands every time you go to the loo; you’re careful not to touch the escalator railing when you’re out shopping and you always use disinfectant wipes on your shopping trolley. Think you’ve managed to keep your hands germ-free? Not a chance!

Read up and spread the word around the east coast!

Where are your hands as you’re reading this? On your mouse? Keyboard? You may want to give them a good scrub after reading this…

You see, your office desk could be hazardous to your health. It doesn’t really matter if you’re working in one of the most environmentally-friendly office blocks in Durban or the most architecturally-savvy building on the east coast, if you don’t clean out your keyboard, you’re really hosting a germ-party!

Over and over again, research has shown that your office keyboard boasts more bacteria than a toilet seat. Think about that for a second. There’re more germs at your workstation than they are on a public loo – 400 times according to scientists.

Say “Ew!”
Research has found that the average desk is capable of supporting 10 million bacteria and the average office contains 20,961 germs per square inch.

Why? Well, because many of us eat at our desks so food particles, hair and skin build up in the grooves of our keyboard.  This provides a happy environment for bacteria and viruses to produce and spread.

It’s worse if you share your office space and equipment. Scientists from the University of Arizona who carried out one batch of research say when someone has a cold or the flu, they “contaminate” the surfaces the touch like the phone or your mouse and because the viruses can survive up to 72 hours, it increases the chance of you contracting them when you touch the same equipment.

You can do this
So what can you do to stop playing host to germs? Well, for starters experts say don’t eat at your desk.

Eating away from your office space isn’t just good for some mental and physical R&R, it’s also great in protecting your keyboard from fallen food morsels.

Use disinfectant wipes to clean your work area, including your keyboard, phone and headphones.

And of course always wash your hands after touching items exposed to a large amount of germs such as ATMs, escalator handrails and the buttons in an elevator.

If possible, try not to share phones as this is one of the quickest ways of contracting and spreading germs.  The same goes for your mouse and headphones.