Dirty Jobs was a great TV show, but we think Discovery should make a spin-off called Germy Jobs! Germs are more up our alley, and there are certainly some germy jobs out there. We’ll set the stage and hope that it makes its way to the screen.
What’s Hiding on Your Desk?
Did you know that your desk is more contaminated than the average toilet seat? Uhm, gross.
That’s right. Office toilets seats have an average of 49 germs per square inch, but desktops have 21,000! Excuse us a moment while we clean our desks…
Okay, so how can that be? According to Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist from the University of Arizona, wiping down your desk actually increases the risk of spreading pathogens. Instead, you need to kill germs on the spot using a disinfectant for surfaces and a sanitizer on your hands. Wiping with a cloth just spreads germs around.
In enclosed environments where people are working in close proximity with one another, the risk for spreading germs is higher. Think about the amount of time you spend indoors compared to the amount of time you clean. Cleaning isn’t the most enjoyable thing, trust us, we know, but when you spend 80-90% of your time indoors, the germs are going to multiply if they’re not zapped frequently.
As Dr. Gerba put it, “As people spend more time at their desks, germs find plenty to snack on. Desks are really bacteria cafeterias.”
But wait, there’s more.
You may also want to think twice about reusing your coffee cup without cleaning it thoroughly first. “Colonies of germs are living in your favorite cup,” Gerba says. About 20% of office mugs carry fecal bacteria, and 90% are covered in other germs, according to Gerba’s research.
This is because most people tend to clean their cups unknowingly using sponges and scrub brushes that are filled with bacteria. Remember our article on the kitchen sponge? It’s a Germapalooza in there! And once transferred to your favorite cup, the bacteria can live up to 3 days.
Our suggestion: zap that sponge in the microwave before you clean your cup, or use a new sponge altogether.
What’s the Germiest Profession?
Dr. Gerba and his team conducted a study by collecting samples from workplaces all over the U.S., testing more than 600 surfaces in the process. They studied the surfaces of people in different professions to determine which were the ‘germiest’.
So what’s the germiest profession? Drumroll please…
Teachers!
Hands down, according to Dr. Gerba’s findings, the most bacteria per square inch was found on surfaces commonly used by teachers. Teachers had 5.5 times more germs on their phones and 27 times more germs on their computer keys than other professions. Kid’s desktops are probably the dirtiest objects in a classroom according to Dr. Gerba, and most teachers get a lot more when kids hand in their tests and assignments.
In second place were accountants, who tend to spend a great deal of time behind their desks. Earning a bronze medal in third place are bankers. This should be no surprise as they handle money, which passes through many hands and can carry a variety of bacteria and fungi.
Dr. Gerba also noted a gender difference based on his research. Women’s offices on average had the most germs on items like telephones, pens, and computer keyboards. By contrast, men’s desks tend to be germier than women’s.
Our hands are responsible for the spread of 80% of common infectious diseases, so wash your hands! Hand hygiene is one of the best methods for infection control in the workplace.
Check out the study highlights to see other germy professions and the germiest office items.
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