Are there nasties lurking in your office bathroom?

The nasty bacteria which you are most likely to find in any bathroom can include E.coli, salmonella and even streptococcus and the best way to prevent their spread is by always washing your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom facilities.

Communal areas area the worst offenders for germs as they are used by so many different people, and while the bathrooms are hopefully being professionally cleaned on a regular basis, germs can still be spread in surprising ways.

Here’s a quick look at unusual places where the nasty things lurk in your office bathroom:

1. The Light Switch

While most people will think the toilet or the floor are the germiest areas in a bathroom this isn’t necessarily the case as they are also most likely to be cleaned regularly. However, think about the bathroom light switch and how many people touch it every day.

Every time you go into the bathroom and turn the light on and then off, you transfer your own bacteria onto it, just as everyone else does. Think about how many people have touched that switch and who might not have washed their hands after using the facilities.

Many places now have automatic lights in bathrooms, which helps to solve this issue, but if you have switches, make sure they are wiped down regularly.

2. The taps

Another bathroom feature which can hold a staggering amount of nasty bacteria is the taps because everyone touches them before they wash their hands, as well as afterwards. Some bathrooms now have motion sensor taps to help solve this but if you have to turn or push taps then you are touching a potentially very germ-ridden surface.

3. The air

Studies have found that flushing the toilet with the seat lid up can release thousands of germs into the surrounding air, putting people at risk of infection. They can also land on nearby surfaces in water droplets, spreading them further. You should always close the toilet lid down before flushing it to avoid this problem.  

4. The bathroom work surfaces

It can be tempting to put your make-up and bag down on the bathroom surfaces however these are areas which can also harbour many germs. This means that everything you put on the surface, including your lipstick or hairbrush, will be picking up all of these germs.

5. The bathroom tiles

If there are tiles on the wall behind the sinks in the bathroom, the grout can be a great breeding place for germs and bacteria so make sure these are cleaned regularly to avoid staff and employees getting sick.

At Moores Cleaning we offer professional cleaning services, including deep cleaning of office bathrooms so if you want to make sure you are providing hygienic facilities get in touch with our team of experts today.