Myth or fact:
- An office keyboard has more bacteria on it than the average toilet seat.
- Women spread more germs than men do.
We have the answers to those - and more work-hygiene facts you wish you’d never heard about.

All of this is according to Charles Gerba, a University of Arizona professor of microbiology who studies such things.

First, professor Gerba swears on a stack of toilet paper that the two contentions - about keyboards and women - are fact.

The typical keyboard is a bouilliabaisse of bacteria because (a) people’s hands tend to have a lot of microscopic scuzz on them and (b) they catch food debris from those of us who hunch and munch over the keyboards (and you know who you are), which hardly ever get a good cleaning. 

As for the women-as-germ-spreaders, that’s a good thing, sort of. Women generally have a healthier diet than men. Thus, the ladies tend to store apples, bananas and other biodegradable, healthful food at and in their desks. Men go for less nutritious, less germy junk food, such as gum or potato chips. 

What to do?
What to do to protect yourself, besides work in a bubble?

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water, and use a hand sanitizer or wipes. But don’t use the sanitizers alone. You need soap and water to penetrate the skin and clean deeply.
• Don’t touch your face or mouth while at the keyboard. One study showed people, on average, touch the face area 18 times an hour. That represents 18 free trips for Mr. Bacteria.
• Don’t shake hands. That can be awkward, especially if the company CEO offers a paw. Professor Gerba’s advice: Fib. Say that you have a cold and don’t want to spread it.

And take this last factoid for what it’s worth. Gerba’s study of offices in New York, San Francisco and Tucson, AZ, found that teachers’ offices had by far the highest levels of germs per square inch, nearly three times as much as bankers, the next most contaminated professionals. Lawyers had the least. (Provide your own punchline.)

Tags: Charles Gerba, New York, san francisco, University of Arizona