Office workstations can quickly become a source of germs, especially in shared workplaces where employees regularly touch desks, keyboards, phones, and office equipment. Following proper cleaning practices helps reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses, creating a healthier work environment while reducing sick leave and improving productivity. For businesses in Newcastle, maintaining clean workstations is an important part of workplace hygiene.
Why Office Workstations Spread Germs
Every day, office employees touch dozens of surfaces without thinking about it. From answering phones and typing on keyboards to using shared printers and meeting room equipment, germs can easily transfer from one person to another.
Shared office environments increase the risk because multiple employees may use the same desk, equipment, or communal spaces throughout the day. Dust, food crumbs, moisture, and fingerprints also create conditions where bacteria can accumulate if cleaning is neglected.
Regular workstation cleaning helps reduce these risks while creating a cleaner and more professional office environment. If you’re looking for a broader overview of maintaining a healthy workplace, our ultimate guide to office cleaning in Australia covers this in more depth.
High Risk Areas
Keyboards and Phones
Computer keyboards and office phones are among the most frequently touched items in any workplace. Employees often use them for hours each day, making them ideal places for germs, dust, skin oils, and food particles to build up.
Keyboards should be cleaned carefully using suitable disinfectant wipes or approved cleaning products designed for electronic equipment. Phones, including handsets and touchscreens, should also be disinfected regularly because they come into direct contact with hands and faces.
Shared Desks
Many Newcastle offices now use hot desking or flexible workspaces where multiple employees use the same workstation throughout the week. Without proper cleaning between users, germs can easily spread across the workplace.
Shared desks should include regular cleaning of:
- Desk surfaces
- Chair armrests
- Computer mouse
- Monitor stands
- Docking stations
- Power buttons
- Shared accessories
Employees should wipe these areas before and after using a shared workstation whenever possible.
Cleaning Best Practices
Cleaning vs Disinfecting
Many people use the terms cleaning and disinfecting interchangeably, but they serve different purposes.
Cleaning removes visible dirt, dust, and debris from surfaces. This helps improve appearance and prepares surfaces for further treatment.
Disinfecting uses approved products to reduce bacteria and viruses that remain after cleaning.
For effective workstation hygiene, surfaces should first be cleaned and then disinfected where appropriate, particularly high touch areas.
Use the Correct Products
Not every cleaning product is suitable for office equipment. Using harsh chemicals can damage keyboards, monitors, and electronic devices.
Instead, choose products designed for workplace environments, including:
- Alcohol based disinfectant wipes suitable for electronics
- Microfibre cloths
- Non abrasive surface cleaners
- Approved disinfectant sprays for hard surfaces
Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for both cleaning products and electronic equipment.
Clean Frequently
The right cleaning schedule depends on how often workstations are used.
General recommendations include:
- Daily cleaning of desks and shared equipment
- Regular disinfection of keyboards, mice, and phones
- Immediate cleaning after illness or spills
- Additional cleaning during periods of increased seasonal illness
Higher traffic workplaces may require more frequent cleaning throughout the day, particularly during flu season, when the risk of illness spreading between colleagues is at its highest.
Staff vs Professional Responsibilities
What Staff Should Clean
Employees play an important role in maintaining workstation hygiene between scheduled cleaning visits.
Staff should routinely:
- Wipe their desks each day
- Clean keyboards and mice
- Disinfect phones
- Remove rubbish and food waste
- Avoid eating over keyboards where possible
- Report spills immediately
These simple habits help reduce daily germ build up.
What Professional Cleaners Handle
While employees can maintain their own immediate workspaces, experienced professional cleaners provide the deeper cleaning needed to maintain workplace hygiene across the entire office.
For Newcastle businesses, Best in OZ Cleaning Services provides comprehensive office and commercial cleaning services Newcastle that include:
- Thorough workstation cleaning
- High touch surface disinfection
- Floor vacuuming and mopping
- Kitchen and lunchroom sanitation
- Washroom cleaning and disinfection
- Meeting room cleaning
- Reception area cleaning
- Waste removal
- Detailed cleaning of shared office equipment and communal spaces
Professional cleaning also helps maintain consistent hygiene standards throughout the workplace, especially in larger offices with many employees.
Additional Tips to Reduce Germ Spread
Keeping workstations clean is only one part of maintaining a healthy office. Businesses can further reduce the spread of germs by:
- Encouraging regular hand washing
- Providing hand sanitiser throughout the office
- Cleaning shared meeting rooms after use
- Regularly disinfecting door handles and light switches
- Keeping communal kitchens clean
- Staying home when experiencing contagious illness where workplace policies allow
Combining these practices creates a healthier workplace for everyone.
Conclusion
Office workstations are among the busiest areas in any workplace and can quickly become hotspots for germs if they are not cleaned properly. By focusing on high touch surfaces, using the right cleaning products, understanding the difference between cleaning and disinfecting, and combining daily staff responsibilities with professional office cleaning, businesses can significantly reduce the spread of illness.
For offices across Newcastle, maintaining clean workstations not only protects employee health but also supports higher productivity, fewer sick days, and a cleaner, more professional workplace. Professional cleaning services from Best in OZ Cleaning Services Newcastle help ensure every workstation and shared area receives the consistent attention needed to maintain a hygienic office environment year round.
