The filthiest parts of the office revealed

IF YOU thought the kitchen and bathroom were bad wait until you see the other places filth is lurking in your office. Here are the grottiest spots to avoid.

IT'S a rare office that could be considered spotless - but most are more filthy than you would expect.

Research shows one in six workers have fallen ill due to bad office dirt and grime, which can cost their companies millions of dollars a year in sick leave, according to Initial Hygeine.

It's also a major worry for workers, with 75 per cent of staff fretting over the cleanliness of their office space and one third saying better hygiene overall would make them happier at work.

Initial Hygeine's marketing manger Natalie Howard said the office can be much more filthy than people's homes as there is often no one directly responsible for the space.

"The way people treat a sink in the office, they wouldn't do that at home … At work they're in a hurry, they feel it's not their property or someone is going to clean up after them," she said.

"People will do different things in the office than they would at home because there're no repercussions."

Ms Howard named the top spots for office filth - you have been warned.

The kitchen kettle & tea canister - You might not want to hear it, but this seemingly benign piece of equipment can be teeming with germs, as it's often the first place people go after visiting the bathroom. Ewww, it might be time to get a pair of tongs to reach those tea bags.

The phone - This is the most contaminated object on the desktop, with 25,127 microbes per square inch, much more than the toilet which contains 49 microbes per square inch, according to Initial Hygeine. Nice to think about next time you're on a conference call.

The desk - the average desk has 400 times more bacteria than a typical toilet seat - much of which can be put down to the fact that more and more workers are eating their lunch there.

"A lot of people eat at their desk so food is going on there. If you turn your keyboard and shake it you'll notice a lot comes out," Ms Howard said.

The keyboard is one of the worst spots for germs, especially if you eat at your desk. Picture: Thinkstock.

The computer mouse - It sits in your hot little hand all day so it's no surprise research shows the humble mouse harbours more than three times the level of bacteria found on a toilet seat.

Keyboards - The gaps between keys make keyboards one of the worst offenders, with over 3000 times the bacteria found on your toilet seat. Use antibacterial wipes to scrub them down if you want to give them a basic clean-up.

The bathroom - Polls show one in three office workers don't wash their hands every time they visit the washroom making the bathroom a major source of germs for all over the office.

Nearly 50 per cent of men said they would avoid the office bathroom during the busiest times of the day compared to nearly 40 per cent of women. While 25 per cent of men said they would avoid the office bathroom entirely, compared to 18 per cent of women.

"We've actually spoken to people through research groups who say they'll go when they leave home and hang on until they get back from the office," Ms Howard said adding that some sales representatives on the road will strategically sip a bottle of water all day.

Bathroom door handles and toilet seats - The toilet itself is infested with bacteria associated with the gut, suggesting faecal contamination, but flush handles and bathroom door handles are also to blame.

So how do you avoid all this filth?

The simple advice is to wash your hands properly for twenty seconds at a time or "two verses of happy birthday," Ms Howard said.

How does your office rate in the cleanliness stakes? Continue the conversation on Twitter @newscomauHQ | @Victoria - Craw

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