Every day, we go about our business without a second thought. We make a cup of coffee, photocopy a document, grab some water, or even push a door open. Throughout the day, we come in to contact with a number of surfaces that many others have touched, bringing with them a high risk of cross-contamination and the spread of germs. But which surfaces are the germiest? You’ll be surprised to find out which items are home to the most germs and bacteria around your office.

[Image source: Hloom.com]

Copier Start Button: Who knew that such a small button could be teeming with so much bacteria? In fact, the types of germs found on a copier start button include positive-rods and gram-positive cocci, which could potentially cause skin infections – so you might want to break out the hand sanitiser after making copies. Coffee Pot Handle: Fancy yourself a morning coffee? You might think again after finding out that around 99% of coffee pot germs tested by Hloom.com were gram-negative rods, which can cause various infections and may even resist antibiotics. Office Entrance Doorknob:  Entrance knobs contain a mixture of different bacteria types, mostly gram-positive rods, which are generally not harmful to humans. However, around one-third were gram-negative rods, which are 90-95% harmful. Water Dispenser Handle: How much time do you spend chatting around the water cooler? Consider this before you reach for the handle: over 70% of bacteria found were bacillus – which has the potential to prompt various types of infections. Conference Room Doorknob: Interestingly enough, the virtually bacteria-free conference doorknob contained only one type of bacteria – Gram-positive cocci, which can cause skin infections, but with such low counts, you should be safe.
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