Workplace Worries: Top 24 Office Cleanliness Concerns

In some offices, work colleagues may think a clean workplace is someone else’s responsibility. Chances are, it’s not in anyone’s job description, but cleaning up after yourself shows that you respect your fellow workmates. A survey by Essity USA indicates that an overwhelming number of Americans want increased hygiene standards that were part of the pandemic to stay in place for good.

Likewise, studies have demonstrated that our surroundings influence and impact our emotional well-being, how we interact with others, and how productive we are at work. Particular areas of concern should be addressed by everyone in the office unless there is someone who is employed to do it. If any of these describe your office, it might be time to bring it to your team’s attention to fix the issues.

1. Carpet Care: Vacuuming Urgency

Office carpets are high-volume areas. Regular vacuuming effectively eliminates the accumulation of dust, grime, and bacteria from your carpets or flooring. Consistent vacuuming is key to maintaining the pristine condition of your floors for an extended period.

2. The Refrigerator: A Potential Breeding Ground for Bacteria and Mold

There’s nothing worse than opening the office fridge filled with other people’s food and you’re greeted with an unpleasant smell or the appearance of mold. The refrigerator needs to be cleaned and maintained regularly to prevent breeding bacteria.

3. Uncleaned Desks: Accumulated Dust, Germs, and Allergens

Think about how many times a day you sit at your desk. Perhaps you eat near your workstation as well. It’s easy to get caught up in work and neglect the space you spend hours in daily. Take a moment to clean your desk with some antibacterial wipes and encourage others to do the same.

4. Microwaves: Beware of Bacterial Growth

We’re all in a hurry at lunchtime. Heating your food and ignoring the splatter in the microwave might seem like a good idea to save time, but if everyone does that, imagine the baked-on bacteria breeding ground people are creating.

5. Keyboards: Silent Collectors of Grime

Keyboards are probably one of the things your hands touch most throughout the day if you work in an office. They’re the perfect receptacle for dust, dead skin cells, and food particles, making them a petri dish of bacterial growth. Invest in a can of compressed air and some isopropyl alcohol wipes, and clean the keys regularly.

6. Sinks: High-Touch Surfaces and Germ Accumulation

Whether it’s the washbasin in the bathroom or the sink in the office kitchen, a sink — especially the taps — is a high-touch surface area. It’s best to have sensor-operated soaps and taps, but if this isn’t possible, try to sanitize the sink area regularly.

7. Dirty Dishes Piling Up: Nightmares in the Office Kitchen

When you walk into an office kitchen and are confronted with someone else’s dirty dishes, you probably don’t want to wash them or use the sink. If this is a problem in your office, it might be time to bring it up at a meeting and make an office kitchen policy.

8. Recycling Bins: Sorting Out the Recycling Dilemma

Many of us want to do our bit for the environment by making sure anything that can go to recycling gets there. In some cases, it’s not clear where the various recyclables should go, or maybe there’s no place for them at all. Make sure signs are clear about where to put recycling and what can and can’t go in.

9. The Neglected Kitchen Sponge

If you think that old, shriveled-up, stained kitchen sponge looks bad, it’s time to replace it — and replace it often. Scientists discovered a staggering 362 distinct bacterial species within kitchen sponges. To put it into perspective, you might as well be washing dishes in the toilet.

10. Water on Toilet Floors: A Slippery Situation

Whether it’s the tap that gets turned on too quickly or something that’s overflowing, a slippery floor is gross and a big hazard. It’s even worse when someone makes a half-hearted effort to mop it up with paper towels and leaves a soggy mess on the floor.

11. Trash Cans: Beyond Mere Eyesores

Overflowing trash cans are visually disgusting and can create unpleasant smells and breed bacteria. While no one thinks it’s their responsibility to empty it, it’s worth setting up a roster so that everyone is responsible rather than relying on one person to do it.

12. Sharing Cups and Dishware: A Habit That Spreads Germs

This one might seem obvious, but sharing unwashed dishware is an easy way to spread bacteria and infections. Label your cups and dishware and make sure they have been through the dishwasher before using them.

13. Half-Eaten Food in the Refrigerator/Kitchen

It’s bad enough when leftovers accumulate in your refrigerator at home, but at least you have an idea of when things need to go in the trash. In the office, it’s sometimes hard to know which item belongs to whom and when it expires.

14. Coffee Machines in Need of Descaling

If your office has an espresso machine, it’s likely the steam wand has been caked in dried milk filled with bacteria or the group handle contained old coffee grounds. Similar issues can be found with other types of machines, from pods to drip. Uncleaned coffee grounds will often grow mold.

15. Watch Your Step: Identifying Trip Hazards

Have you ever found yourself tripping over that pretty rug in the office because it wasn’t sitting right? Perhaps things aren’t organized well, and you catch your leg on the corner of a box where it shouldn’t be. It’s not only an injury waiting to happen — it’s a liability.

16. Handshakes: A Common Gesture

In many Western cultures, handshaking in business meetings is a sign of respect and professionalism. However, we realized it was possibly a health hazard during the pandemic years. Since then, more people have been reluctant to bring this back. There are other ways to show respect without passing germs to one another.

17. Neglecting Hand Washing

The importance of hand washing has become more apparent over the past few years. It kills germs and prevents the spread of sickness. However, some people still don’t think it’s necessary or do such a poor job they might as well not have bothered.

18. Dishwasher Items Left Unattended

You go to the office dishwasher during your break, but you don’t know for sure if the items inside have been washed or just placed in there after rinsing. It’s helpful when people place a sign on the dishwasher to indicate if the contents are clean or dirty.

19. Essential Hygiene: The Need for Sanitary Supplies

Who is in charge of sanitary supplies? Do you often find yourself running out and making do until someone finally orders them? This will most likely cause frustration among employees and it’s also a safety risk.

20. Dirty Kitchen Floors

Dirty kitchen floors are unsightly and can become slippery and unsanitary, leading to potential health hazards. It’s time to delegate some office cleaning chores if you don’t have a regular cleaner who does this task.

21. Dusty Screens: The Unseen Buildup

Do you find yourself with itchy, watery eyes and sneezing when you’re at your desk? It might be that your monitor is filled with dust that you can’t see. Dust on screens tends to only show in certain lights. Clean the screen with a microfiber cloth dampened with a small amount of distilled water.

22. Empty Toilet Paper Holders

There’s nothing worse than discovering there’s no toilet paper in the bathroom after you sit down. Who is the monster who was too lazy to replace the roll? Keep extra rolls nearby if possible.

23. The Wrong Things in Recycling Bins

Contamination in recycling bins can render the entire contents non-recyclable, defeating the purpose of recycling. People find it incredibly frustrating when they’re trying to do the right thing but find others just don’t seem to be bothered.

24. Leaky Bathroom Taps

The bathroom faucet has been dripping for weeks, but no one seems to do anything about it. A leaky tap can lead to water wastage and contribute to a poorly maintained bathroom. Call a plumber or alert the appropriate person to get it fixed.