Did you know the average desk harbours 400x more bacteria than a toilet seat? As unsettling as that is, it’s a great reminder of why cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting are a powerful trifecta when it comes to tackling germ hot spots around the workplace! Kimberly-Clark lays out what to do to break the chain of germ transmission.

Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces and objects using soap and water, reducing both germs and the risk of spreading infection


Sanitizing lowers the numbers of germs on surfaces and objects to a safe level per public health requirements by cleaning or disinfecting


Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects using chemicals, and is highly effective at reducing the spread of infection if done after cleaning


Step 1: Clean the surface of commonly-touched objects — use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.


Step 2: Disinfect the surface using EPA-registered or Health Canada-approved household disinfectants. 


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2. A frequent habit that has implications for hand hygiene Kwok, Yen Lee Angela et al. 2015. American Journal of Infection Control, Volume 43, Issue 2, 112 – 114

3. Patrick DR, Findon G, Miller TE. 1997. Epidemiol Infect. 119(3):319-25. Huang C, Ma W, Stack S. 2012. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 87(8):791-798.

4. Pyrek, K.M., 2014. Cross-Contamination Prevention: Addressing Keyboards as Fomites

5. Martínez-Gonzáles, N.E., Solorzano-Ibarra, F., Cabrera-Díaz, E., Gutiérrez-González, P., Martínez-Chávez, L., Pérez-Montaño, J.A. and Martínez-Cárdenas, C., 2017. Microbial contamination on cell phones used by undergraduate students. Canadian Journal of Infection Control, 32(4).

6. Borchgrevink, C.P., Cha, J. and Kim, S., 2013. Hand washing practices in a college town environment. Journal of environmental health, 75(8), p.18.; Hand Washing Practices in a College Town Environment, Journal of Environmental Health

7. Source: https://www.ehstoday.com/archive/article/21904825/the-dirty-truth-about-your-desk