It seems like we are all cubicle dwellers these days. It’s hard to find someone in an office who doesn’t spend the largest portion of their day in a cubicle.
It has become our home away from home. People do everything in their cubicle, brush their hair, do their make up, apply lotion, eat lunch and blow their noses. Some people at work even clip their nails in their cubicles.
This makes our cubicles one of the most germ laden “rooms” in our house. A recent study found 549 different kinds of bacteria in office cubicles, most of which come from our skin from our mouths, noses or intestinal cavities. Yes, that is as disgusting as it sounds.
Fortunately for those of us who live in cubicles, unless you have a weakened immune system, you will most likely not get sick.
Chairs and phones had the most bacteria although all cubicle surfaces were contaminated. Men’s cubicles have more germs than womens, probably because men don’t wash their hands as often as women.
What can you do? Clean it up! On a regular basis, wipe everything down with anti bacterial wipes. Don’t overlook your chair, the legs and under the seat get especially dirty and dusty.
Buy a few plants, they filter the air so if your building doesn’t have the best ventilation system plants may help you breath a little easier.
If you eat lunch at your desk, wipe the surface both before and after you eat. I see many people in my office who have coffee cups on their desks that just get rinsed out. Use hot water and soap, otherwise some nasty stuff can grow on the sides of your mug.
Wipe your phone down every day. This is close to your face all day long so it makes sense that it has tons of germs.
Also, that guy a few cubes over who always seems to have a cold and puts his stocking feet on his desk? Skip the treats when he brings them in, you’ll be glad you did.