Report: Women Beat Men in Workplace Hygiene Etiquette

October 16, 2015

You may have found yourself asking the age-old question; who is cleaner, men or women? The argument over who has better hygiene habits has raged for decades, not only at home but in the workplace, too. Conventional wisdom says women are cleaner than men and a recent study has confirmed that, yes, females observe better workplace hygiene etiquette than men.

A Few Statistics

Scott Kelley, an associate professor of biology at San Diego State University, led a team of researchers in a recent office hygiene study of 90 office buildings in New York City, San Francisco, and Tucson, Arizona where they swabbed chairs, phones, desks, computers, and other office equipment. They found that men had about 10 to 20 percent more bacteria in their offices than women. This study found at least 500 species of bacteria in offices, with the majority of men’s offices being more germ-infested than women’s.

Keeping Clean Means Keeping Healthy

So, why is this so important? Because most employees share a room or work space with others, it isn’t surprising that germs and illnesses can spread quickly through the workplace. Most workers spend a majority of their day in the office. If your office space is made up of predominantly men, according to the study, it would suffice to say that your workplace has more germs than those with primarily women.

With the onset of flu season upon us, it’s important to understand the importance of office hygiene. Office spaces can be a breeding ground for germs. Research has shown desktops, computers, keyboards, and phones have enormous amounts of bacteria.

Help with Hygiene

One way to cut down on the workplace hygiene etiquette problem is to hire a first-rate cleaning service. Image One thoroughly cleans office spaces using green cleaning solutions that are just as powerful as traditional cleaners, without any of the chemicals to agitate allergies.

Since health hazards in the workplace are significantly related to poor office hygiene, practicing consistent and proper office cleaning is essential to reducing the risks of illnesses in your workforce. Let us help you get a cleaner, healthier office. Give us a call today at 630-616-1010.