by Brianna Crandall — August 28, 2017 — Nearly 75 percent of Tri-State area workers surveyed incorrectly guessed the most vital location in the workplace to keep clean, according to a recent independent survey conducted by nationwide commercial cleaning franchise company OpenWorks. And six out of 10 workers don’t know the germiest place in the office.
The survey was engineered to mark the launch of the new Newark-based OpenWorks regional office, which will oversee a territory covering New Jersey, New York and parts of Pennsylvania. Although the survey was based on a small sampling of workers in the region, the company suggested that it was indicative of some common misperceptions.
OpenWorks CEO Eric Roudi remarked:
We believe it’s important for everyone at a workplace to know where the germs are. A cleaner workplace is a more productive workplace.
Three out of four workers surveyed in the July 2017 poll stated they believe the bathroom is the most vital place to keep clean.
Although it’s necessary to clean a workplace bathroom daily, a desk is the location in most offices where germs frolic and multiply exponentially with impunity, counters OpenWorks.
Only 40 percent of survey participants responded that a computer keyboard is the most important part of the office to keep clean, and yet that’s not even the germiest place, according to the company. No one guessed that it’s actually the phone.
The phone on an office desk can harbor more than 25,000 germs per square inch, and your computer keyboard can provide luxury living for another 3,200 germs per square inch, according to statistics in a recent LinkedIn story, “Jaw-Dropping Statistics about Germs You Need to Know.”
The toilet seat is home to a paltry 49 germs per square inch, in comparison.
“Germs are everywhere in the office environment, and it’s critical to keep them under control,” said Steffani Azcona, the new regional sales director for the OpenWorks Tri-State area, which includes DaVita dialysis center locations.
Roudi added, “We believe it was important to conduct the survey to show that there are a lot of misconceptions about germs in the office.”
OpenWorks operates nationwide, cleaning more than 2,500 facilities and 30 million square feet of space daily. Its move to New Jersey marks the company’s 16th regional office location, and there are plans to hire additional regional staff, including sales positions.
“If you want to see where the germs are in your office, we’ll be glad to stop by and show you,” offered Azcona. “Most offices need a daily dose of a good antimicrobial cleaner.”
Survey respondents also mentioned the kitchen sink, the office refrigerator, chair handles, faucets and trash areas as key areas where workplace germs can fester.
“The survey respondents were not entirely incorrect about places around the office where it’s important to clean — most of them were just wrong about the places where most of the germs are,” Azcona noted.
OpenWorks designed and analyzed this online survey of 50 employed adults across the NY/NJ/PA Metro Area. The survey has a ±14.1% margin of error.
For more information about the types of facilities the company serves, and the types of services it offers, visit the OpenWorks Web site.
