Learn to germ-proof your office

You swear by the office bathroom drill: Wash hands, dry hands, use paper towel to open door, manoeuvre elbow and leg to move door, and return — skin untouched by germ threats — to your desk. Where, on average, about 21,000 germs per square inch await you — or 400 times more than the toilet seat you were so worried about. Your workspace needs some sanitation love, too. Our disinfecting tips will get you started, with less effort than it takes you to exit the bathroom.

Know thy enemy

Germs thrive on human touch, so anything that gets regular contact — telephone, mouse, keyboard — is a threat. "You're touching about 30 objects per minute in your workspace" says germ guru Dr Charles Gerba, a microbiologist from the University of Arizona in US, who recently conducted a study of germs in the workplace. Among his findings: The humble cubicle is the germiest place in the office.

Grab a wipe - please

Wipe down your space daily with a disinfectant — a chemical agent that kills microorganisms (plain ol' water won't deep-six germs).

Scrub - now

Don't just wash your hands in that bathroom ritual; scrub 'em, says Dr Jack Brown, author of Don't Touch That Doorknob! How Germs Can Zap You and How You Can Zap Back. "The scrubbing motion dislodges the organisms from the surface," he says, adding that a thorough wash should take about 45 seconds.

Avoid the crowd

Shared space like the office kitchen is a germ magnet. "About 20 per cent of the office cups contain coliform bacteria, which is related to fecal contamination," Dr Gerba says. Opt for a paper cup, or keep your own mug and wash it regularly with dish soap and a paper towel. And when possible, pass on control of the PowerPoint remote in the conference room — the gadgets registered some of the highest bacteria levels in Dr Gerba's study.

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