While we may talk about computer viruses a lot, we wanted to change tack briefly and talk about the other kind–the kind that makes you sick, rather than your technology. With COVID-19 still plaguing the news, we felt that there was no time like the present to do so.

With all things considered, the office is as close to a perfect environment for bacteria and viruses as any. Let’s face it, lots of people plus lots of surfaces plus a small area equals plenty of potential for an illness to spread.

Just take a look at how common bacteria is on average office surfaces and items:

• Office phone – 25,000 varieties
• Keyboard – 3,000 varieties per square inch
• Computer mouse – 1,500+ varieties per square inch
• Toilet – <300 per square inch

So it is safe to say that, even under normal circumstances, keeping the office clean should be a priority.

How to Reduce the Viruses in Your Office

Unfortunately, removing viruses is going to be a little more complicated than just dumping hand sanitizer on everything. Here, we’ve compiled a few practices to help you keep your office more sanitary.

Typical Cleaning

The first step is to keep the office as generally clean as possible. Use soap and water to clean most surfaces, and maintain your floors with regular sweeping and mopping. Your computers and other pieces of infrastructure, on the other hand, will need more of a specialized clean.

*Disinfecting* Wipes

When wiping down high-traffic surfaces, you will want to make sure that you are using the proper wipes for the job. Make sure what you are using is labelled as a “disinfecting” wipe that is meant to kill viruses. Use these wipes to clean off regularly touched things: door handles, light switches, chairs, phones, and your mouse and keyboards. Don’t forget about other items in the office that will likely see lots of activity, like a staff refrigerator, coffee machine, and microwave, or an in-office vending machine. Make sure all of these are also cleaned and sterilized properly.

Encourage Hygiene

Good hygiene is probably the most important step in keeping safe against possible contamination. You will want to press your people to wash their hands regularly with soap and water for 20 seconds, sanitize their immediate area with wipes, frequently use hand sanitizer, and to not touch their faces. As businesses reopen it will be imperative to keep people who are feeling ill from coming into work. Many businesses have been using remote strategies, so extending those strategies to your under-the-weather staff might be a good plan.

With COVID-19 making us all change the way we do things, more people are apt to take cleanliness seriously. Obviously, nobody wants to get sick, but until COVID-19 has a vaccine it’s going to be our responsibility to keep the people closest to us, whether that is our families, friends, or contemporaries from catching the novel virus.

What has your company done to mitigate the chances of getting COVID-19? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below and be sure to do what you can to stay safe.