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Where Germs Really Lurk at Work: 5 Areas That Out-Germ the Toilet
- Oct 30, 2025
- 7 min read
Contrary to popular belief, toilets and washroom areas are usually not the dirtiest place in the building. In some cases, they’re not even the places where most germs are found at all. It’s true that toilets do harbour germs and washroom services are essential, but in what follows you’re going to discover a few surprising, maybe even shocking areas of your workplace where germs are to be found. Some of them right under your nose.
Our Top 5 Areas for Germs in Your Building
Don’t despair though! There are some easy ways to manage those unhygienic and germ-filled areas so that your workplace and those working in it are protected.
1. Microwave Door
Top of our list is the communal microwave, a common fixture in office kitchens and canteens the world over. Microwaves provide a quick and convenient way to heat meals when time is limited, perfect for lunch and coffee breaks through the day. The only problem is that as this kitchen appliance is in such frequent demand, the number of individuals from across the business who use it may run into dozens.
Studies carried out to determine how dirty a microwave handle is have shown that it is typically one of the dirtiest spots in the office. Tests carried out also found that half of the microwave doors tested had chemicals present linked to living organisms. A kettle handle could harbour as many as 2,482 germs. Therefore, it’s important to enforce strict kitchen cleaning rules in the workplace. Encourage staff not only to clean up after themselves, but before themselves, too. Again, place sanitising wipes, or a spray and some cloths, in the kitchen to allow employees to clean things before and after they use them. A little cleaning goes a long way.
Another good solution to overcoming this problem is to ask your cleaning provider to ensure they clean the microwave door handle thoroughly whenever they service the building. You can also request staff to wipe the handle thoroughly after use or at different points of the day.
2. Coffee Mugs
Not every office has the luxury of a dishwasher, and even those that do, are not always regularly using them. When you grab a coffee mug from the cupboard, it’s reasonable to assume that it is clean and has been properly washed and dried since its last use. However, this is not always the case, especially if they’ve only been treated with ‘light touch’ rinsing.
One study into workplace kitchen hygiene found that a staggering 90% of coffee or tea mugs analysed had high amounts of germs on them, including, in some cases faecal matter. This problem may be associated with the use of substandard cleaning materials or detergents rather than a lack of washing or cleaning.
For example, it can take as little as three weeks for bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli to develop in washing up sponges, meaning that these and other germs can be transferred to coffee mugs. To solve the problem, putting sponges in the microwave for two minutes (once a day) can kill most harmful bacteria, but, in any case, it is recommended to replace kitchen sponges every two weeks.
Another source of coffee mug germs is drying racks. Despite being used frequently, drying racks are rarely cleaned, with the result that – over time – dirt and germs can build up, transferring from drying rack to mugs, plates and cutlery straight after they have been washed. Ask your cleaning provider to clean your drying rack regularly; if made of metal it can even be put in the dishwasher.
3. Office Equipment
Unless your commercial cleaning service regularly tends to pieces of desktop or office equipment, they can become a hotbed for germs, making them sometimes dirtier than the toilet area.
Buttons on office equipment such as printers, copiers and other devices that are constantly used provide the perfect breeding ground for germs to grow rapidly. An average office desk could have up to 400 times as many germs as your average toilet seat.
Any piece of office equipment known to have many hands touching it may not be cleaned for long periods, creating ideal environments for germs to grow and eventually be passed around to those who touch them.
To limit the growth of bacteria, especially in spaces with hot-desking where utilities are shared by multiple employees, place tubs of sanitising wipes around the office to allow for easy cleaning. Additionally, you should install sanitiser dispensers around the building to allow staff to easily access them. Encourage staff to clean their desks before they begin their working day, and place posters around the workspace to remind them to do so.
4. Keyboards and Mouse
Computer keyboards and mice are at the heart of most buildings, sitting on virtually every desktop. Many types of germs are known to live on them, which is why we’ve included them in our list. In fact your keyboard could be home to up to three times as many bacteria as a public toilet seat.
Workers around the office will have – at some time – touched their keyboard and mouse without washing their hands beforehand. And, for workplaces that use hot desks where multiple workers use the same keyboard and mouse, the risk of germ proliferation keeps on rising. Then there’s the further possibility that keyboards and mice retain grime, oil and crumbs from food eaten while at the desk. This can be an easy fix by wiping the keyboard with a sanitising wipes, but it’s easier said than done, especially when employees are using the same keyboard.
Again, think about asking your cleaning company to include a rota for cleaning desktop items such as mice and keyboards on a regular basis.
5. Door Handles
Similar to microwave handles, internal door handles between offices and to meeting rooms and washrooms are used frequently out of necessity.
It is inevitable that where large number of workers move around internally from room to room, there will be a large amount of germ transfer from person to person as a result of using door handles. It is not really feasible to expect everyone to carry sanitary wipes when moving around the office to wipe down doors and handles, or even to use hand cleanser.
Washing hands properly can help to reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses like the cold by 21%. However, personal hygiene can only be controlled to an extent, and as much as we’d like to believe that everyone washes their hands properly at work, studies have shown that only 60% of people wash their hands properly after using the bathroom.
So to help minimise the risk of germs spreading aside from encouraging proper handwashing, make sure your commercial cleaning company includes doors and handles across major entrances and exits as well as internally in their schedule.
More Germ Hot Spots
The below infographic produced by Kimberly-Clark Professional as part of their Healthy Workplace Project revealed that with over 20,000 germs per square inch, the average office desk has 400 times more germs than toilet seats. So when you’re working hard, your immune system clearly is too!
But just in case you weren’t convinced, here are yet 10 more things that have been found to be dirtier than a toilet seat. Prepare to be shocked!
10 surprising things that have more germs than a toilet seat:
Gym equipment – A study by Fitrated found that in the average gym, the free weights had up to 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat
Chopping boards – University of Arizona researchers found that household chopping boards harboured up to 200 times more fecal bacteria than a toilet seat due to its presence in raw meat
Beards – Yes, beards! Microbiologist John Golobic, of Quest Diagnostics in New Mexico took swabs from men’s beards, and found that some contained levels of faecal bacteria that were on a par with toilets
Handbags – Women aren’t off the hook either. Good Housekeeping Institute found that the bottoms of handbags are one of the worst places in the household for germs, as they’re often placed on floors
Kitchen sinks – The NHS claims that kitchen sinks can contain 100,000 times more bacteria than a toilet, so make sure it’s cleaned daily with a food safe surface cleaner
Laundry – Your supposedly clean load of washing may be the opposite. Dr. Charles Gerba found that washing underwear can transfer about 500million E. coli bacteria to the machine, which temperatures of 30 or 40 degrees aren’t high enough to kill, so give your machine a hot wash at least once a month
Kitchen sponges – A study published by Scientific Reports revealed that kitchen environments harbour more bacteria than toilets, with kitchen sponges being the worst cuprits
Carpets – Research conducted by microbiologist and immunologist Philip Tierno Jr., Ph.D. found that carpets contain so much bacteria that they can be up to 4,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat
Washroom sink taps – An infographic published by PlumbWorld claimed that washroom taps have been found to have 21 times more germs than toilet seats, as they’re the last spot touched before you wash your hands
Light switches – The infographic also claimed that light switches, which may be touched by multiple people throughout the day, can have over 200 bacteria per square inch
Protecting yourself from germs in public places
The best way to protect yourself from germs in public washrooms is to practice good hand washing techniques. The below video demonstrates this.
To Wrap Things Up
It might come as a surprise that the five areas we’ve discussed above all constitute germ hotspots. It just shows that no area of your building should be overlooked when it comes to cleaning and hygiene.
If you want a commercial cleaning service provider that goes the extra mile to ensure your office is kept clean and hygienic, talk to AFM Facilities. We’ll be pleased to provide you with a quotation for a full professional schedule to keep your building clean and hygienic and your workers safe.
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