How Clean is Your Office?

It’s now almost two years since the first Covid-19 case occurred in the UK. Most weekdays our head office building in Wokingham sees around a dozen people entering its doors - slightly less than we are used to, but more than this time a year ago.

Things are slowly beginning to resemble our pre-Covid world but at Rapid we continue to operate with the two-metre rule in place, optional use of face masks, cleaning touch points 3 times per day, and discouraging additional staff from just ‘dropping in’ as they might have done in the past.

Over the Top or a Necessary Evil?

The above measures are no longer compulsory government rules but rather guidelines. As a cleaning company, it’s our responsibility to set an example, so we will be continuing with these measures as we go into the winter months.

There are no clear statistics on whether these precautions work but we have had one isolated case within our head office team of 35, with zero spread – take of that what you will!

Germs in the Workplace – Some Alarming Statistics

On a quest to find out if all this extra cleaning is really necessary, we came across some research carried out by Furniture at Work. Using a Hygiena ATP Monitoring System, they tested for bacteria levels on various surfaces (for reference, a perfectly clean and sterile surface would receive a reading of 0) and this is what they discovered:

• The office door handle registered 648 RLU – 30 times more bacteria than the toilet seat
• The kitchen was found to have three of the top five highest RLU count – sink (487), microwave (408) and kettle (288)
• The office chair was found to be harbouring the most germs at a workstation, with a reading of 222
• The keyboard came in at a fairly low 176, which you might have thought would be collecting the most germs.

The following images are courtesy of Furniture at Work and help demonstrate where germs typically collect around an office space.

The kitchen table only measured 2 RLU, the lowest of any area tested. The reason is likely because we will often clean this area first, suggesting the difference that regular cleaning can make to any surface.

3 Simple Tips to Keep Your Office Space Clean

Since Covid-19 first became known in the UK, we have increased our cleaning around the office.

Here are some recommendations:

1. Extra Touchpoint Cleans - If you have contract cleaners regularly coming into the office, ask them to include a midday touch point clean. For any Rapid Clean customers, this is something that we can incorporate into the contract as your office becomes busier.

2. Don’t Neglect Your Desk – Consider desk cleaning and ensure all aspects are given a really thorough clean once per week (including the chair!).

3. Use Anti-Bacterial Products – A wipe down with a wet cloth won’t suffice, ensure that you use a product with an anti-bacterial component. If you're a customer and currently purchase consumables from Rapid Clean, we can point you in the right direction.

As workplaces become busier, it’s worth considering the health and mental wellbeing of your employees. Some people might be concerned about returning to the office; a few simple additions to your usual cleaning routine could put their minds at rest.

If you would like to find out more about our office cleaning service please make contact.