How to Protect Your Office From Germs

Sneeze, sniffle, cough, repeat. Look out, cold and flu season is upon us! Fortunately, there’s no need to lock yourself away to stay protected from germs at the office. There’s actually a lot you can do to keep your work environment clean and yourself feeling well all season long.

Your 4-step plan for a germ-free office:

1. If you’re sick, stay home. It’s common sense, if germs don’t come through the office doors, they can’t be shared. Hopefully, your corporate culture supports employees staying home when they feel under the weather. A 2013 Staples study showed 90 percent of employees came to work when they knew they were contagious due to fears of falling behind on the job. Before going in, ask yourself how productive you’ll be. If you’re under the gun at work, consider the possibility of working from home to keep from sharing your sickness with your team members. And if you’re in charge, make sure your employees know that you prefer they stay home when sick.
2. Wash hands often. I know, I know, we hear this all the time. It’s true though—hand washing is your best defense against germs that make it into the workplace. Be sure to use soap and warm water and wash vigorously, for at least 20 seconds. Keep non-toxic hand sanitizer in your bag for times when soap and water aren’t available. As much as we hate to use disposable paper towels, this might be the time to do it. Recent studies show that air dryers may actually increase the spread of bacteria. Stop the spread more successfully by drying hands with a paper towel and then using your towel to turn off the faucet, too.
3. Keep common areas clean. Keeping your office clean in communal areas goes a long way toward preventing the spread of germs. Check out our best office cleaning hacks or bring in a green cleaning service like GreenHouse Eco-Cleaning to get the job done. But even if you do hire the pros, make sure it’s easy for employees to keep work areas clean on a daily basis. Stock up on earth-friendly products like our Ecospirit line and make sure all employees have clear guidelines and resources available to help keep the environment clean and healthy.
4. Clean frequently used personal tech items.  Let’s face it, we’re constantly touching our computer keyboards and cell phones, making them a major breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria. Keeping them clean is critical all year long, but especially during cold and flu season. As a rule, clean your cellphone daily and your keyboard weekly. With microfiber cloths, isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs, you’ll have a simple but mighty arsenal against germs. Learn all you need to know about tech gadget cleaning in our Tech Eco-Clean 101.

Talk to us: Does your office have a plan for keeping germs at bay during cold and flu season? If so, we’d love to know what you’re doing to stop the spread of germs.