7 tips to maintain hygiene in the office

Hygiene in the office  Furniture

Maintaining hygiene in the office is essential to preserve the health and general well-being of those who work in it. However, if we consider that this is the place where we spend a good part of the day, maintaining proper hygiene in the office can be a difficult task. Especially when time pressure increases, since many employees sometimes forget to clean.

Therefore, beyond ordering it, ensuring its cleanliness is essential not only to have healthy employees, but also happy ones, being in an environment that is comfortable and pleasant, which undoubtedly translates into a greater productivity.

Likewise, having a clean office is essential for the good image of any company and especially those that seek to attract customers. So, for all these reasons, we bring you the best tips and tricks on how to maintain hygiene in any office.

Hygiene in the office  Desk
Image By fredericomeyer from Pixabay

1. The best way to maintain hygiene in the office is not to make a mess

Although this is no secret to anyone, keeping a clean office should be more of a routine matter. Therefore, we must adopt a series of actions so that, as far as possible, we try not to dirty our workplaces. For example, do not eat in the office or in front of computers, as this can bring unwanted odors, but, in addition, crumbs and food scraps could attract mice and insects or fall into places that are difficult to access. Among them the keyboards or the interiors of office sofas, which are heaven for germs and viruses, where cleaning becomes more difficult later.

If you are hungry, choose instead to take advantage of your free time to eat in designated areas, like the dining room or the office cafe. Another way of do not make a mess is to minimize the number of objects on our desk, since the more of them it will be more difficult to clean or remove dust.

Likewise, having clean floors is one of the best ways to maintain hygiene in the office. Let’s say we have tidied up and cleaned all the office surfaces, but this will not mean anything if the floors are dirty. Well, the useful life of the office supplies will also depend on this. For example, desk chairs on wheels could get stuck in dirt, making it difficult to move around the office.

2. Screens must be shiny

Computer screens are one of the places where dust and dirt easily get concentrated. For this reason, if we want to keep them shiny, it is necessary to clean them regularly and properly. And the best way to do it is by using a chamois cloth moistened with a glass cleaner, which we will go through the screens gently. It is important that it does not have ammonia or acetone among its components, as they damage the screen protector.

In the same way, if there are other screens that we touch too often, we must also clean them regularly. We refer specifically to the screens of our phones and tablets. Two places that have been shown to be home to many viruses and bacteria such as E. coli, staphylococci, streptococci, the common cold virus, or the flu. And we end up placing that directly on our face, near the mouth, nose, cheeks and ears.

Therefore, depending on how often we use these devices, it can be a real problem. So, to reduce the amount of bacteria and germs, you can spray your screens with a little disinfectant and wipe it with a microfiber cloth. Also do not forget to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. Because if your hands remain clean, they will transmit fewer germs to your phone or tablet, and of course the probability of getting sick will be less.

3. Dirt and germ free keyboards

Although it seems like a little known fact, up to 7,500 bacterial organisms can remain around your computer keyboard. But also, as with the screens of tablets and smartphones, most of the bacteria come from our own hands. So it is important that we regularly clean the computer keyboard, in fact, it is recommended to clean the keyboard once a week. But also, experts suggest that we should wash our hands before and after using any computer, whether or not it is shared.

To clean it, it is recommended to use cotton swabs, a cloth and isopropyl alcohol. The first thing we will do is disconnect it. Then, we will turn it over and tap it gently to make any dirt fall out. Next, with a cloth moistened with a little of alcohol, we will pass it over the keyboard. Once this is done, we will use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol and surround each of the keys. This way we will avoid that the microorganisms remain between them and we will have the guarantee that the keyboard is free of any type of bacteria.

4. Don’t forget about trash and its disposal

Although it is best to avoid leaving garbage in the office. On many occasions, and perhaps due to laziness, we end up leaving packaging or papers that remain on our desk for a long time. Therefore, it is best to always have a bin near our workspace, as well as containers for recycling.

In this way, we will not only prevent waste from accumulating but also ensure a proper disposal of them, which is an important part of office hygiene. Whether it’s orange peel, old papers, or packaging, waste must be disposed of periodically to protect employee health. It is most appropriate if garbage cans can be emptied at the end of the day to avoid unpleasant odors the next morning.

5. Hire someone to do the cleaning

Hiring a company to keep your office clean is essential, especially because many employees do not have time to commit to a thorough cleaning. Thus, using the services of a cleaning company may be the best way to go. Because, besides helping the good image of our company, employees will have more confidence if they know that they work in a healthy and comfortable environment.

6. Print as little as you can

If you want to maintain hygiene in the office, it is not necessary to have an endless pile of papers on your desk and print without control. Ideally, only print the documents that are indispensable and necessary. In this way we will reduce the excess paper that only contributes to the clutter and accumulation of dust on our desk and office. Fortunately, thanks to technology, today we can stop printing the vast majority of documents. What, in addition to helping us decrease costs and reduce the amount of paper we print, it also helps the environment.

7. Bring nature into your office

As a final tip, try adding a touch of nature to your work environment, as some plants are great for purifying the air. What helps to maintain hygiene, by detoxifying the office and improving the physical and mental health of those who work there. Furthermore, according to researchers at the University of Exeter, the plants contribute to increasing employee productivity by 15%.

However, plants need watering and at least a little fertilizer occasionally, as well as enough sunlight and a moderate temperature to survive. In this sense, it is important to know which plants that purify the air in the office are and above all which of them require less care.