Even the most diligent office germaphobes have a formidable foe in the tens of thousands of organisms that lay claim to every surface in their hallowed workspace. Studies have shown the average workstation has 400 times more germs than a toilet seat! Who would have thought?

Charles Gerba, PhD, a University of Arizona microbiologist known as “Dr. Germ,” reports it can take as little as two hours for a germ or virus to spread to 40–60 percent of an office. While hard surfaces, such as phones, doorknobs and keyboards are the first culprits usually tackled with anti-microbial wipes and sprays, few think about actual cubicle cleaning. Germs, allergens and spores can easily become embedded in the often overlooked and seldom-cleaned cubicle walls.

Although the first thing you think when you see row after row of cubicle walls is that they are providing privacy and protection for workers. In fact, the fabric cubicle partitions can act as a filter, trapping dust, mold spores or even viruses in the walls, exposing workers to contaminants leading to health problems that can cause a ripple effect throughout the company.

What’s on your cubicle wall?

In addition to sweet family photos and the all-important calendar, you might find

• Dust mites
• Allergens
• Mold
• Bacteria

At best, that can send an allergy sufferer into a watery-eyed, runny-nosed sneezing fit — which also adds to the exposure for co-workers. But mold and bacteria could also lead to more serious infections, especially in immune-compromised people.

So, add cubicle cleaning to your workplace cleaning schedule at least once a quarter, or even monthly, to keep your work walls fresh and clean and your workers healthy.

Steps to clean cubicle walls

1. Remove all items attached to cubicle walls so they’re completely uncluttered. Don’t try to clean around your pictures, it just won’t work and will be a waste of your precious time.

2. Vacuum the walls for surface dust and dirt with an appropriate attachment. Use a HEPA filter in your vacuum so you are not just spewing it back into the air.

3. Use a soft-bristle brush and a cleaning solution of one-quarter cup of mild laundry detergent and one gallon of warm water and use suds to gently scrub in small circular motions from the top down.

4. Use a wet, clean, cloth to wipe off suds and let the surfaces air dry before hanging anything on your now clean cubicle walls.

For a professional service that can provide your cubicle walls a hospital-grade deep cleaning that will kill 99.999 percent of germs, use Enviro-Master’s Sani-Guard service. Certified health and safety technicians come to your workplace on your schedule. They will use an electrostatic sprayer which puts a positive charge on a non-toxic germicide that protects against dangerous disease-causing pathogens such as MRSA (yes, it can infest fabrics!), norovirus, influenza, E-coli and more.

For a business to be healthy, its workers must be healthy. Paying attention to the work environment and making cleanliness from top to bottom — and all cubicle walls in between — a priority, is key. For a free estimate on how Enviro-Master can help your employees do their best work each day, call us today.