‘Tis the Season for Germs!

The cold weather, kids in school passing germs back and forth, extra holiday shopping that has many people out and about all adds up to more places for germs to spread

And when a ‘bug’ arrives at the office it is likely to work its way through you and your co-workers.  There are many places for germs to hang out in your workspace.  In fact, the 2004 Porter/Novelli Germ Survey http://uanews.org/pdfs/germsurvey.pdf lists several top spots for germs in the office, but the most notorious place to pick up a bug at the office is via your phone. 

The top four places to pick up germs at the office:

·        The phone

·        Desktops

·        Keyboards

·        Elevator buttons

It makes complete sense, your co-worker sneezes while on the phone, then proceeds to type up an order from the keyboard the next thing you know boom and boom the phone receiver and the keyboard are now both contaminated.  If you have your own workspace, your chances of picking up someone’s cold like this are obviously reduced, but if you share a phone and keyboard with others beware!

Another likely place to pick up an unwanted cold is on the elevator, not because you’re in a small space with many others, but more because you and everyone else will be touching the buttons.  From the hand to the surface germs are transferred and passed along for all to share.

What can you do to stay healthy this season?

·        Listen to your mother.  She was right!  Washing your hands does reduce your chance of getting sick.  Wash your hands and do it often!  Many germs are picked up from touching items that are contaminated and then they are passed to your nose and mouth.  Frequent washing reduces your chances of accidentally helping those germs reach your nose and mouth.

·        Cleaning your office headset, keyboard, and desktop is another good way to reduce the amount of germs you come in contact with each day.  Desk and office wipes are a great way to keep your phone and desk clean.  Our 3M desk and office wipe product, view here, quickly and easier helps you disinfect and deodorizes your workspace in one easy step.

View product here:

http://www.ecinteractive.com/6274/EnhancedProductDetail.aspx?key=MMM%7eCL564%7eMMM%7e%5e%7e11140672%7e0%7e7.98%7e7.98%7e1%7eEA%7e%7e1%7e1%7e%7etrue%7e%5e0%7e%5e

·        Use facial tissue like Kleenex Anti Viral Tissue to kills those little germy critters on contact.  This product kills 99.9% of cold and flu viruses.

View product here:

http://www.ecinteractive.com/6274/EnhancedProductDetail.aspx?key=KIM%7e28075CT%7eKIM%7e%5e%7e11964390%7e0%7e135.54%7e115%7e5%7eCT%7e%7e1%7e1%7e%7etrue%7e%5e0%7e%5e

Wash up those hands and wipe down those surfaces out there folks and stay healthy this winter!

For all of your office supply and office cleaning needs call Great River Office at 651-293-1135 or visit us online at www.greatriverofficeproducts.com.

It seems like every year right around the holidays the office is a buzz with sneezes and sniffles.