10 dirtiest office items will make you think twice about using again

A lot of us make sure that our homes are always kept clean, tidy and free from germs - but what about the place we spend around 40 hours a week in, the office?

We take a look at the dirtiest items in the workplace - and the list will leave you reaching for the hand sanitiser.

It includes the obvious items like your computer mouse and keyboard, as well as unexpected entries like headphones and communal pens that can find their way into absent-minded co-workers' mouths...

1. Office fridge

Home to dripping take-away containers, mouldy yoghurt pots and furry sandwiches.
Bacteria thrives in such an environment and an office fridge should be cleared out every two days - especially when the average fridge contains 7850 bacteria colony-forming units per square centimetre.

3. Coffee machine/pots

Photo / 123rf

It's early Monday morning and you're in need of your cup of coffee to wake you up before you 8am meeting. But according to a number of studies, mould is detected in every second coffee machine. Coffee machines are more contaminated with micro-organisms than door handles or even toilet seats. A hot water rinse is not enough to keep it clean. Also, according to Mashable's ATP test, 48 per cent of coffee pots contain harmful bacteria on their surface. Make sure you wash your hands after using one.

Adenosine Triphosphate, or ATP, is the energy molecule found in all living things, making it a perfect indicator when trying to determine if a surface is clean or not.

3. Water cooler/water fountain

The prime opportunity to sneak away from your desk and catch up on office politics, but a known magnet for gathering all kinds of nasty bacteria.
There are 2.7 million germs per sq inch on the average water spigot, according to the Public Health Organisation.

4. Microwave

Depending on the size of your office, the microwave can be used up to 30 times each day, harbouring a combination of meat and vegetable particles, and creating a nest for bacteria. Germs need warmth, food and moisture to multiply, and allowing the internal top to be splattered with food particles can cause a potential health risk.

Photo / 123rf

5. Your keyboard

Keyboards are notorious for harbouring bacteria, especially as we press every single key continuously for up to 8 hours each day. Skin cells, food residue and sweat mature and spread in such a small space comparatively. with more than 3295 bacteria per square inch, shake and wipe down your keyboard weekly with a slightly damp cloth.

6. Your mouse

Given that your hand can be placed on a mouse for up to 8 hours each day, they are heavily exposed to bacteria generated from sweat, food particles and dust.
With 10 per cent of office workers admitting to never cleaning their mouse, a study found that they can contain up to 1676 microbes per square inch, a lavatory seat has only a fraction of that number!

Photo / 123rf

7. Vending machine

You might be lucky enough to have a vending machine in your office. And if you do, you've probably noticed all those fingers handling the spare change and pushing all those buttons. According to Mashable's ATP report, 21 per cent of all vending machines have a high chance of spreading an illness.

8. Sink/tap handles

You'll be sharing a lot more than food and drink with your co-workers when you have a meal in the break room. The sink and tap handles were found to be the dirtiest places in US offices according to a study conducted by Kimberly-Clark Professional and University of Arizona microbiology professor Charles Gerba.

9. Phones

Mashable report that the average smartphone comes in at over 900 on the ATP metre which is disgusting.

10. Toilet seat

You would probably suspect that the toilet seat would be higher on the list but the ATP meter only ranked the average toilet seat at a 200. But if you're still disturbed by the findings, you can always clean a seat before using it.