25 Mar How to Properly Sanitize Your Office Supplies
Did you know that the average desk has 400 times more germs than a toilet seat? Yet despite the germs, desk surfaces and office supplies are rarely sanitized. When not disinfected, you are prone to various illnesses and can carry these germs home to your family members, infecting them as well.
Additionally, it isn’t just the office supplies in our office that need to be sanitized often. You cannot forget the germs in your home office, particularly if working remotely.
The Difference Between Cleaning and Disinfecting
Before you begin, it is important you understand the difference between cleaning and sanitizing. Cleaning involves tidying and dusting a space. When many people clean, they organize their office space, they may wipe down phones and keyboards, but they aren’t killing the germs. When disinfecting, you are focused on killing and destroying germs. You may use a certain type of cleaner, a certain process, etc., to ensure as many germs as possible are removed.
Items to Disinfect Every Day
You should disinfect your office supplies every single day. This is particularly important in an office building where certain supplies such as a stapler or the buttons on the copy machine are touched by multiple people throughout the day. Several items that are often overlooked but should be cleaned daily include:
- Staplers
- Tape dispensers
- Copy machine/printer buttons
- Keyboards/computer mouses
- Phones and headsets
- Chairs (particularly on chair arms and where you tend to grab to pull the chair out)
- All writing utensils (pencils, pens, highlighters, dry erase markers, etc.)
- Doorknobs
- Stress balls
How to Disinfect
If you want to disinfect your workspace and office supplies, you must clean each item well and use the proper cleaning equipment. Here are some ways you can properly disinfect your office supplies.
Disinfectant Wipes and Sprays
One of the best ways to kill a substantial amount of germs on your desk is to use disinfectant wipes and sprays. Grab a disinfectant wipe and wipe down items such as staplers, tape dispensers, copy machine buttons, etc. Keep in mind that you will need to wipe down all surfaces of each item not just where it is most often touched.
Additionally, when it comes to your writing supplies, you should wipe down each individual pen or pencil multiple times a day. These writing tools can be used multiple times a day by several individuals.
Your office chair is another item that should be wiped down with a disinfectant wipe at least once a day. Grab a disinfectant wipe and wipe all surfaces on the chair including the headrest, arms, seat, back of the chair, etc. You may also consider certain sprays to help you fully cover the surfaces. Just make sure you are aware of the type of material your chair is made out of as some disinfectant wipes or sprays can damage or affect the look of certain materials such as leather.
If working in an office building, make sure to sanitize all common areas such as the break room multiple times a day. Items in these rooms such as the coffee pot, fridge handle, countertops, etc., can all be cleaned with sanitizing wipes and sprays.
Compressed Air
Keyboards need much care to keep them in tip-top condition. You want to avoid cleaning these products with a disinfectant wipe as the chemicals can damage the keyboard and can cause any painted letters to fade. Use compressed air on the keyboards to help you remove dust, dirt, food crumbs, and other elements.
Soap and Water
Soap and water can be a great sanitizing solution for your office space. For example, after you clean out your keyboard with compressed air, grab a damp washcloth with a small amount of soap to wipe down your keyboard. You may also want to use this method for cleaning phone keys or a headset as well.
Make it a goal today to deep clean and sanitize your office area. You will be exposed to fewer germs, remain healthier, and enjoy less stress from a messy workspace.
