The Top Germiest Places

04/29/21 By Dana Szymkowiak

The world is a germy place. As more businesses reopen and COVID-19 vaccinations continue to rise, things are looking closer to normal again. That doesn’t mean that COVID-19, among other germs, is not still a threat. Keeping your employees, customers, and guests safe from dangerous pathogens will be a priority from now on.

Protecting those in your facility will require a two-pronged approach: disinfection with spray or wipes and hand hygiene. Frequently wipe down surfaces with a disinfectant to kill germs and viruses and stop them from spreading. Make disinfection wipes available to all. Place containers of wipes throughout your facility so employees can conveniently grab one to wipe down an area. Lastly, put out the hand sanitizerPlace bottles of hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol throughout your facility, ensuring hand hygiene is always within reach. 

With that in mind, here are the top germiest places where you should give more thought to your disinfection practices and hand hygiene.

Restrooms

This one is obvious; however, the bathroom sink is likely to be the biggest offender in harboring bacteria. Another area to focus your cleaning on would be the first and last thing we all touch in the bathroom, the doorknob. 

Grocery Stores

Between the produce, meat, and dairy products (known transmitters of bacteria) and the number of hands that touch common surfaces like the cart or card pads, grocery stores can be pretty germy. Conveyor belts are one of the worst surfaces for bacteria because of their porous surface and for the fact that everything leaving the store sits on them. To limit the spread of germs and bacteria, we recommend disinfecting carts and conveyor belts as often as possible or allowing customers access to high-quality disinfecting wipes to wipe down before each use. Also, it’s a good idea to have hand sanitizer available at the entrance and exit and on the check-out counters for your customers.

Fitness Centers

The gym is lurking with bacteria and germs. People are sweating, wiping equipment with dirty towels, and touching everything. Gyms aren’t subject to health department inspections, so the onus is on patrons to learn about cleaning schedules and practices. The industry standard for wipes and sprays is a solution that contains quaternary ammonium, an anti-bacterial compound. In addition to using a quality disinfectant, the staff should be trained on proper use and contact times. 

Offices

Here’s the dirty truth about your desk: The average office desk is said to contain 400 times more germs than a toilet seat. Desks, phones, computers, keyboards, and your mouse are key germ transfer points because people touch these often. Having disinfectant spray and wipes readily available encourage your staff to wipe down their work areas regularly. Providing hand sanitizer at crucial traffic points within your office will promote proper hand hygiene.

Safetec of America

Safetec continues to lead the fight against preventable infections and cross-contamination. Our shared vision of “protecting people” guides everything we do, from sales and marketing through manufacturing, new product development, and shipping. As a US manufacturer of infection control and first aid & OTC products, we provide end-to-end protection when you need it most.

In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we know that our products are more critical than ever before. Safetec has made strategic investments to increase manufacturing capacity and meet the growing demand for our infection control products. As a US-based manufacturer, we continue to develop products with the vision of protecting people against the spread of infectious disease in your facilities and throughout our community.

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