How Clean is Your Desk?

Posted on 3rd September 2020 • Categories: General

My desk is always clean and tidy,  but how clean is your desk?

A pet hate of mine has got to be, filthy corroded keyboards and dirty phones. I clean my desk and equipment at the end of every working day. If employers want to minimise absenteeism, then they should really look at using outside contractors who come in and sanitise phones, keyboards, etc.

If you can’t afford to hire outside contractors, then why not provide the office with its own antibacterial sprays, pc screen wipes and hand sanitisers.  Encourage staff to clean their own working area on a regular basis, including phones, keyboards, mouse, desk tops, even their hands!  Not only will the office look and smell clean and fresh, it will also minimise the spread of bacteria and germs, especially during flu season.  With more and more office workers not taking proper lunch breaks and eating their lunch at their desk, this is an attractive breading ground for all kinds of germs.

The key to having a clean desk is to reduce clutter and mess. One of the best ways to do this is to have a quick tidy up at the end of each day. This may simply be, putting all unneeded paper into the recycling bin, putting away equipment such as calculators, hole punchers, pens and staplers into a desk drawer, tidy away folders from your desk and from off the floor, then finally, give your keyboard, mouse, phone and desk a quick wipe over with antibacterial wipes.

Why not put signs up in the kitchen area, asking staff to make sure they throw out any unused food from the fridge, wipe around the inside of the microwave after use and wipe down worktop surfaces after preparing food.  Encourage the use of hand sanitiser, it may seem like an expensive waste of money, but if it cuts down on the amount of illnesses spread from bugs and germs, just imagine how many sick days will be saved.