Probably a good one to know if you’ve just sat down at your office desk this morning.
The dirtiest part of your office? Nope, it’s not the bathroom, nor your desk, it’s the kitchen. Specifically the kettle and the microwave.
Workplace kitchens are dangerously dirty, to the point that they could cause illness, new research suggests.
The Daily Mail reports that the study revealed that half of surfaces in workplace kitchens are contaminated by dangerously high levels of coliforms. This bacteria is present in faeces and can lead to gastrointestinal disease.
The study also showed that more than a quarter of draining boards had FOUR times the safe level of coliforms.
Shared fridge-freezers are also riddled with bacteria and 30 per cent of shared microwaves were contaminated around the handles and buttons.
Keep your hands clean to keep your office clean.
If you’re partial to a cup of tea, watch out. More than 40 per cent of kettle handles were revealed to be contaminated with higher levels of bacteria than are found on toilet doors.
And the final one? To really turn you off your lunch today: more than 75 per cent of kitchen work surfaces are home to more bacteria than an average female sanitary bin.
The good news? Regular hand washing with soap and water has been proven to reduce the risk of the spreading of pathogens. Let’s get scrubbing…
