The outbreak of COVID-19 reminded all of us how important it is to practice good personal health habits to prevent spreading germs that cause illness. We discussed before what steps businesses need to take to support a remote workforce in the event of mass quarantine. Tech giants like Google and Apple already have employees working from home to practice social distancing. Countless smaller companies are following suit.
But whether you’re working from home or from the office, hand washing and social distancing can only do so much if the technology you touch regularly hasn’t been cleaned. We have a few tips on the best ways to keep office technology as clean as possible to protect yourself and others.
Sanitizing Office Technology
You can sanitize much of your office technology with a Clorox or disposable alcohol wipe. Be sure to wipe down the following:
- The keyboard on your laptop or PC
- Phone buttons and hand receiver
- Your mouse or touchpad
- Your cell phone
- The control panel and paper drawer handle on your office printers and copiers
It’s especially important to wipe down the hardware that multiple people touch during the day to minimize the spread of germs. Along with wiping down printers and copiers, use a pen or stylus on touch screens and buttons to reduce the number of fingers touching the device. The CDC also recommends that employers provide disposable wipes so that employees can wipe down commonly-used surfaces before each use.
Hand Washing
Most importantly, everyone needs to wash their hands multiple times a day—before preparing food, after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose, and when you first enter the office. If you don’t have access to soap and water for whatever reason, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Hand washing is one of the easiest and most important ways to slow the spread of germs. Be sure to follow the recommended 5-step handwashing procedure:
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice or the chorus of “Africa” by Toto
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them
By being mindful, cleaning your office technology, and frequently washing your hands, you can do your part to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect those around you.
