This original study funded by the Clorox company was done a few years ago. But with flu season in full swing again and employees dropping like flies, it’s a good time to refocus attention on the study’s findings. It appears that the average toilet seat is cleaner than the average desk. Cubicles where workers are allowed to eat snacks or their lunch are some of the dirtiest places in the office. The typical desk surface has bacteria levels 400 times higher than those found on a commode seat. Bacteria colony sizes rise throughout the day and spike after lunch.

Computer keyboards and phones were other office items that played host to millions of germs. Although the study focused on measuring bacteria levels, it’s important to note that cold and flu viruses can live on surfaces for as long as 3 days. That’s plenty of time for them to be passed between cubicles. Desks treated with disinfecting wipes just once per day demonstrated a 99.9% reduction in pathogen presence. So, if you want to reduce absenteeism from illness this winter, invest in some Clorox, Lysol, or Seventh Generation wipes. Then make sure your employees remember to use them. Telling them that their desk might be dirtier than a toilet seat should do the trick