Did you know that the average desk harbors about 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat? Maybe you have read other articles about how clean is your desk, then you have already heard that… However, the risks of having a dirty desk/keyboard/mouse or workspace at all are usually quite phenomenal.
Why should we keep our workspace clean?
Funny how we go to the office or work at home without knowing the risks of having a dirty workspace. Who would tell us? School? University? Family? To be honest for me was University. Even I studied computer engineering we had a subject about safety at work. One of the projects we had was about a clean work environment. Here are some reasons why it’s bad to have a dirty workspace:
- More sick days – be able to get sick more easily
- Low productivity & Messy thoughts
- Allergies and Respiratory Problems
- Mold growth
- Low Morale
- and others
Common bad habits people have
Nail cutting on the desk
One of the things most people do at home is – nail cutting at their desks. There is nothing wrong with nail cutting, but those cuts always fly around the room or get stuck inside the keyboard! Next time you cut your nails, try to be more careful or choose another place.
Dirty hands
Not washing your hands in the office before starting work or after the lunch break brings a big portion of bacteria to your workspace. Most people are used to cleaning their hands when coming home but don’t do the same things in the office. Maybe you are one of them and maybe you should change that!
Eating at your workspace
I know most people love eating at their desks while watching something, I did it myself too. However there is no reason to explain how bad is it, you make dirty: the desk, the mouse, the keyboard, sometimes you spit a little while you eat… and sooner or later there are bacteria everywhere! Let’s not forget the people who split coffee on their keyboards.
Not showering
Oh wow, this sounds weird. Of course, when we are dirty we make the whole workplace dirty but that’s not my main point. For headphone users with oily or dandruff… not only your headphones are more likely to be thrown faster, but everything becomes messier.
Messy desk
Talking about the mess we should defiantly say that having too many things around or on your desk is not great. Sometimes we need those, but most of the time we don’t! Having a lot of things around you is distracting and unclean.
Never cleaning
Not cleaning your workspace? – Yeah!… you should clean it! What was the last time you took a cleaning cloth and went over your desk, keyboard, monitor, and other things around? I guess this wasn’t a recent event…
How to keep a clean workspace?
- Avoid eating or doing other things in your workspace that may cause chaos, mess, and sticky fingers
- Keep your workspace organized, with fewer things on the desk, and fewer bacteria. Make sure to put the objects you don’t use inside a drawer or organizer or just throw them away if they are for trash!
- Staying hydrated is important, and drinking from plastic is not that healthy, so having a glass bottle of water, or bottle for tea/coffee is great. Avoid cups and mugs.
- Make sure you take a shower regularly and your hair is clean too!
- Clean your workspace once a week or at least once a month! Use small vacuum cleaners and a cleaning cloth.
Useful products for a clean workspace
- Mini Vacuum cleaners/Compressed Air Dusters at the office could be really handy! You can clean your desk, keyboard, floor, and even your PC to work faster!
- Bottles for staying hydrated without having accidents (spilled glasses)
- Desk organizers- to keep our workspace tidy
- And a mini robot vacuum cleaner
Conclusion for a clean workspace
Having a clean workspace could be beneficial for your health and help you do your tasks better! Cleaning your workspace, making it tidy, not eating there, and being clean while working are the key points. With the given information you should not what are the next steps for creating a cleaner and healthier workstyle. Wish you all the best and stay healthy & clean!
We hope that this article gave you some inspiration for how to make your office a little healthier. It can be challenging to stay on track, especially when you’re stuck in an office all day and there are no opportunities for exercise outside of work. However, by incorporating these five items into your routine, you’ll be able to increase your strength and flexibility while also staying on top of your health goals.
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