6 everyday things at work that may carry germs and need more cleaning

• Frequently touched items such as keyboards, phones and door handles can accumulate germs.

• Shared office equipment and kitchen surfaces should be cleaned regularly.

• Good hand hygiene, including washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, is an important part of workplace hygiene.

You may clean your hands regularly at work but still touch dozens of surfaces throughout the day that are handled by other people.

From your computer keyboard to the office door handle, frequently touched objects can pick up germs from people's hands. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces to help reduce the spread of germs in workplaces and other shared environments.

Here are six everyday things at work that deserve more attention when it comes to hygiene.

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Your keyboard is one of the items you may touch repeatedly throughout the working day. If several people use the same keyboard, it becomes a shared high-touch surface.

The CDC specifically lists keyboards among electronic items that can require cleaning, while advising people to follow the manufacturer's instructions to avoid damaging the device.

If you eat at your desk, wash your hands before handling food and clean your keyboard appropriately.

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Your phone goes almost everywhere with you and is frequently handled throughout the day.

If you touch your phone after using shared office equipment, eating or coughing, microorganisms can potentially be transferred to its surface. Regularly cleaning your phone according to the manufacturer's instructions can help keep it cleaner.

Office doors are among the many surfaces touched by numerous people throughout the day.

Because they are frequently handled, door handles are considered high-touch surfaces. Regular cleaning, combined with good hand hygiene, can help reduce the spread of germs.

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Even if you work alone at your desk, the surface can collect dust, food particles and microorganisms from your hands and objects placed on it.

A quick clean at the end or beginning of the workday can help keep your workspace more hygienic.

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Shared kitchen areas can involve many people touching refrigerator doors, cupboard handles, taps, microwave controls and other surfaces.

These are examples of high-touch areas that can benefit from regular cleaning.

It is also important to wash your hands before preparing or eating food.

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You may not think twice before pressing an elevator button or switching on a light, but these are frequently touched by different people.

The goal is not to avoid touching them. Instead, practise good hand hygiene, particularly before eating or touching your face.

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You do not need to disinfect everything around you constantly. Regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces and good hand hygiene are practical ways to reduce the spread of germs.

The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. When soap and water are not readily available, an alcohol-based hand sanitiser containing at least 60% alcohol can be used.

So, while your office may look clean, remember that the surfaces you touch most often deserve regular attention too.