Top 3 Germiest Places In Your Office

October 31, 2022

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As we enter flu season, now is the time to educate yourself on which areas of your office are the most prone to germs, so that you may protect yourself and your employees from illness. Sure, we all know that computer keyboards and bathroom door handles are the hosts to a multitude of germs and nasties, but other areas of the office can prove as nasty, if not worse. You will want to make sure that you have a cleaning service lined up to tackle these areas so as to keep your productivity at a maximum.

#1 Germiest Spot in Your Office is the Photocopier

Office copier and printer in a bright workspace, with paper tray and control panel visible.

Template maker Hloom conducted a study, and the results were very illuminating. Data showed that the germiest spot in the office is, amazingly, the photocopier. In most offices, the most used piece of equipment is the photocopier, with an estimated million-plus copy being created each and every business day. So it should come as no shock that the photocopier ranked number one on our list of germiest place in the office. When tested, the study found that the start button on a photocopier can have over 1.2 million colony-forming units per square inch. In an effort to put this into better perspective, the average school toilet seat has 3,200.

#2 Germiest Spot in Your Office is the Coffee Pot

Man standing at an office desk, holding a red mug and looking at a computer monitor.

During the same study, the next germiest item in the office was reported to be the office coffee pot. We all need that all essential jolt of java before starting the workday. However, you may also be getting a jolt of something you never planned for at the same time. In this case, the coffee pot handle presented with 108 thousand CFU per square inch. What made this result even more disturbing is that 99 percent of those CFU’s were gram-negative rods, which have proven to be a type of bacteria that is antibiotic-resistant. Add to the fact that coffee pot handles seem to be a literal magnet for germs, and you can see how they are ranked second.

#3 Germiest Spot in Your Office is the Buttons of an Elevator

Close-up of an elevator panel with round silver buttons and a lit floor 2 button.


This last germiest place should really come as no surprise when one considers how many individuals come into contact with them during a standard workday—they being the buttons of an elevator. Sunnybrook hospital conducted research a few years back, with the swabbing of 120 elevator buttons at three different hospitals over a ten-day stretch. What the data revealed is that of those buttons swabbed, 61 percent showed active microbiological growth. If one were to really think about it, if a hospital struggles to keep its elevators clean, then our offices are pretty much toast.


The spreading of germs and viruses are inevitable, being that these items come into contact with so many individuals. However, a professional cleaning service can stay on top of the situation, making the problem of employee call-offs due to illness at a minimum, thus keeping your businesses productivity at a maximum.


Keep your team safe by downloading the System4 IPS's Disinfection Checklist. If you are in need of professional cleaning services, please click the button below to book a consultation.

We proudly serve Providence, RI and the following areas:
Warwick • North Kingstown • Cranston • Pawtucket •
Woonsocket • Newport • Central Falls

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