Your workplace might look spotless, but here’s why your team’s still getting sick.
The Office Looks Clean. So Why Is Everyone Still Taking Sick Days?
You’ve got a cleaner. Bins emptied. Desks wiped. Bathrooms smell like someone overdid it with lemon disinfectant.
But somehow, there’s always someone coughing. Half the team’s running on medications. Clients come in, touch your reception counter, and discreetly sanitise their hands right after.
What gives?
Here’s the issue: most commercial cleaning routines are built around what looks dirty. Not what actually carries risk. And the dirtiest spots in your office? They’re invisible to the naked eye — but touched hundreds of times a day.
If you want to protect productivity, client confidence, and your reputation, your cleaning checklist needs to go beyond appearances.
1. Lift Buttons and That Wall Everyone Leans On
High contact, zero attention. You’ve got everyone from sweaty tradies to sneezing clients pressing the same surface, sometimes 50 times a day. And that wall next to the panel? Coffee cup taps, shoulder leans, and casual coughs straight into it.
2. Microwave Buttons and Handles
The office rush-hour warzone. Someone just sneezed, reheated last night’s butter chicken, and slapped the 30-second button twelve times. No one wiped it down after. No one ever does.
3. The Shared Fridge Grip of Death
It’s always slightly greasy. A mixture of mystery spills, forgotten yoghurt, and thirty different fingerprints. If your fridge handle has never been properly disinfected, you’re not just storing food — you’re storing yesterday’s germs.
4. Breakroom Table Undersides
Sure, the surface gets wiped. But those edges and undersides? Where people subconsciously rest their hands, pull their chairs in, and leave behind post-lunch fingerprints? Nope. Ignored. Always.
5. Reception Pens, Clipboards, and Sign-In Screens
These belong in a microbiology lab. Every single visitor, courier, client, or kid touches these without a second thought. And no — the hand sanitiser next to it doesn’t magically clean the pen.
6. Meeting Room Chairs – Especially the Backs and Arms
Clients adjust them. Staff roll them. People lean, fiddle, and spin. The seats may be wiped down if you’re lucky, but the backrest and arms? Germs’ favourite hangout.
7. Hot Desk Keyboards and Mice
Sharing desks is modern. Sharing skin cells and snack residue isn’t. These are never cleaned properly — and if they are, it’s usually someone giving it a token baby wipe 10 seconds before logging in.
8. Toilet Cubicle Locks and Door Edges
People wash their hands after the toilet. That means everything they touch before washing — the lock, the door, the edge they crack open with one finger — is carrying whatever came before the flush.
9. Air Vents and Dust-Blowing Grilles
You can’t see it. But you’re definitely breathing it. Poorly maintained vents can circulate dust, allergens, and airborne bacteria. No, not dramatic. Just common.
10. The Cleaning Equipment Itself
If your cleaner is using the same mop across the whole office, that’s not cleaning — that’s redepositing. One cloth, one bucket, multiple zones? Might as well lick the lift button and be done with it.
Why This Stuff Gets Missed
Let’s be real: most cleaners follow the schedule they’re given. And most businesses don’t build that schedule based on actual risk zones — they base it on what’s visibly messy or where people complain the loudest.
But sick leave doesn’t come from dirty floors. It comes from overlooked hygiene gaps.
Cleaning needs to be proactive, not reactive. And that starts with seeing your office the way bacteria does: by surface contact, not by dust visibility.
What Should a Commercial Cleaning Plan Actually Cover?
If you’re working with professional cleaners, your scope should include:
- A proper touchpoint map, not just a room-by-room checklist
- Zone-based frequency — e.g. lift buttons = daily, air vents = monthly
- Clear product usage (antibacterial vs surface-grade spray)
- Regular rotation of equipment (fresh cloths per area, mop changeouts)
On-site walkthroughs — if your cleaners haven’t asked for one, they’re guessing
So What Now?
If your cleaners are focusing on floors and forgetting hands, it’s time to rethink the service. A genuinely clean office doesn’t just appear fresh. It works silently — in the places you touch, not the ones you look at.
And if you’ve got a cleaning contract that hasn’t evolved since 2020? You’re overdue for a reality check.
FAQ
1. Why does my office still have sick days despite being cleaned?
Traditional cleaning focuses on visible dirt, not high-touch surfaces that carry germs. Areas like lift buttons, microwave handles, and breakroom tables often get overlooked, even though they are constantly touched and can spread illness.
2. What are the most commonly missed germ hotspots in offices?
A. Key areas often overlooked include:
- Lift buttons and walls
- Microwave buttons and handles
- Fridge handles
- Reception pens and sign-in screens
- Meeting room chairs (backs and arms)
- 3. How often should we clean high-touch areas?
- A. High-touch areas should be cleaned frequently:
- Lift buttons: daily
- Microwave handles: daily
- Reception pens: multiple times a day
- Meeting room chairs: daily
- Fridge handles: daily
4. Why aren’t standard cleaning routines effective?
A. Most cleaning schedules focus on appearance and visible dirt, not where germs actually accumulate. Areas that aren’t immediately visible, like the undersides of tables or the backs of chairs, are often ignored, even though they’re frequently touched and can spread bacteria.
5. What can I do to improve office cleaning?
A. Work with your cleaning service to create a touchpoint map, prioritize high-contact areas, use the right cleaning products, and establish a zone-based cleaning frequency. Regular walkthroughs and equipment rotation are also essential for maintaining a hygienic office.
