The Dirtiest Part of Office Buildings

May 4, 2017

The breakroom is a breeding ground for bacteria. Employees lounging, eating, chatting, and converging gives rise to many opportunities for germs to thrive. Failing to clean the sink and microwave in the breakroom daily can lead to them harboring more germs than the office bathroom. Here’s what to know about the dirtiest room in your office building, and how to keep your employees healthy.

What Makes the Breakroom So Dirty?

Many employee viruses and office illness outbreaks stem from one central source – the breakroom. The breakroom is so grimy for many reasons, but food has a lot to do with it. Bacteria can quickly spread through a breakroom kitchen and infect workers by hand-to-food contact. The breakroom contains some of the dirtiest places in the office, including faucet handles, microwaves, and refrigerators. Employees failing to wash their hands or properly sanitize surfaces and handles in the breakroom can make it impossible to maintain a healthy workplace. It’s crucial to clean the breakroom regularly for workplace safety.

How to Effectively Clean Your Breakroom

The breakroom might resemble a petri dish, but that doesn’t have to mean employee illness. Consistent cleaning is the key to keeping it free from harmful bacteria. Clean your breakroom daily with sanitizing cleansers, focusing on areas most often forgotten – and most likely to breed germs. These include:

• Food storage areas
• Refrigerator handles
• Microwave handle and buttons
• Sink faucet
• Water fountain buttons
• Vending machine buttons
• Countertops
• Garbage disposal
• Sink drains

Keep the kitchen portion of your breakroom clean by implementing policies for employees. Workers who use the shared area should clean up after themselves, wash their own dishes, and wipe germy areas with antibacterial cleaners. Daily cleaning sessions and the periodic deep clean from a professional can go a long way toward a healthier breakroom. If everyone works together, the breakroom can be a place of fun and relaxation – not a place that risks employee health.

Sources:

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/x1762351303/How-dirty-is-your-workplace-break-room

http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/24/the-6-dirtiest-places-in-the-office/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/safety-office-lunch-room-table-you-risk-terry-penney/