Office cleaning is essential throughout the year, but, it is even more crucial when it comes to the warm weather we have been experiencing of late, as the office environment becomes a breeding ground for germs and bacteria.

So here are a few simple tips to help you get rid of those office germs and minimise illnesses.

It may sound obvious but washing your hands throughout the day will help to ensure you do not pick up any nasty germs and, more importantly, do not spread them yourself.

This is especially true of the summer months where hands are often hot and sweaty.

When washing, make sure you do this for around 20 seconds under running water as this should be enough time to kill any germs.

Once you’ve washed your hands, make sure you’ve thoroughly dried them as otherwise you may undo all of the good you’ve just done. Germs spread more easily with wet hands so don’t overlook that crucial drying stage.

Opt for a paper towels over hand dryers as with paper towels you can be sure that the physical rubbing motion dries hands and removes germs.

Scientists believe that hand dryers just blow germs onto the body or into the air, rather than actually kill them.

When working at your desk, try to avoid touching your face. When you touch your face you are bringing any germs from your keyboard, mouse, phone or anything else you use to your respiratory and digestive system and increasing your chances of picking up the office bug.

The area that will harbour the most amount of germs is the desk itself as this is where workers will be spending the majority of their day.

Be sure to have a ready supply of anti-bacterial wipes to use on your desk. At the end of each working day, give everything a good wipe. If you share a lot of things in the office, it’s worth doing this throughout the day in the summer months to avoid the spread of germs.

With many employees now choosing to eat their lunch at the desks, you need to ensure that there is no food left on desks or in drawers overnight, particularly perishable food, such as fruit, as this will be a breeding ground for unwanted germs.

Make sure you empty the bins regularly, especially if people are disposing unwanted food in it. This will keep any unpleasant smells out of the office and make it a more comfortable working environment for staff.

While it is important to clean the entire desk, there are key areas which are known for harbouring germs so you should spend more time on maintaining the cleanliness of these areas.

The first being the computer keyboard. Use disinfectant wipes to clean the keyboard and mouse. For those hard to reach spots in the keyboard, we recommend buying a can of compressed air and spraying it into the gaps. You can then use an old toothbrush to clean away any remaining bacteria.

Also, pay close attention to cleaning the computer mouse as research has shown that this area can contain more germs than the average toilet seat! To clean your computer screen, invest in a streak free cleaning solution and microfibre cloth. Other types of cloths such as paper towels can mark your screen so it is very important that you only use a microfibre cloth.

If you have a cleaning company, speak to them about your requirements and ensure they are always cleaning these troublesome areas. By following these simple tips, you can minimise the amount of germs in the office and avoid any nasty illnesses so you can enjoy the sunshine during those lunch time breaks – but don’t forget to wash your hands when you return to the office!