The Dirtiest Place on Your Desk Will Come as a Complete Shock You

Ahh, your desk...the place you likely spend the majority of your waking hours, maybe even eat a meal or two at. Between eating, sneezing, coughing and the occasional visit from Karen for a chat, it's probably no surprise that your work station is covered in an abundance of germs. However, there are a couple of places you likely overlook when you clean up. If you clean up that is...

Your desk can be a breeding ground for germs, but the dirtiest place in your space might shock you
© Getty Images
Your desk can be a breeding ground for germs, but the dirtiest place in your space might shock you

With the constant reminder of the fast-spreading coronavirus, it's more important than ever to stay vigilant when it comes to disinfecting the space around you and avoiding contact with people and objects that could easily spread illness. One of the places we visit most often can also be one of the most harmful. Our office.

Discover our latest podcast

We expect that the cleaners who come into the office each night do a sufficient job of wiping down our space in order to make sure that they are free of germs and adequate to use the next day. Even if you clean your space yourself, it's likely you are missing some very crucial areas.

There have been lots of studies on the cleanliness of offices, even specifically on the cleanliness of one's desk. It's no surprise that our computers, keyboards and mice are some of the germiest, however, a study published in PLoS | ONE highlighted to other areas that are even dirtier!

It turns out that your cell phone and your desk chair pose the greatest threat when it comes germs at the office! And if you think about it, it's not that surprising. Your phone, the device you touch debatably the most throughout your entire day is also your biggest risk factor when it comes to getting sick. It's a good idea to disinfect it often.

Your chair is one you may not think about it as much, but if you really dive into the question of when the last time you disinfected the handles or support levers you might start to feel a little more grossed out.

Most of the time a simple disinfecting wipe will do the trick when ridding these surfaces of the thousands upon thousands of unwelcome germs and bacteria.

Check out our video for some other workspace cleaning techniques you can implement to ensure you're sitting at a germ-free space.

This study proves that cleaning could be damaging your health This study proves that cleaning could be damaging your health