This might give you pause before heating up leftovers for lunch at work: among the dirtiest spots in a typical office are the microwave door and refrigerator door handles in the break room. You probably already touched both today. In a new study by Kimberly-Clark Professional, researchers swabbed nearly 5,000 surfaces in office buildings housing about 3,000 employees. The offices included law firms, insurance companies, health care companies, call centers and manufacturing facilities. The swabs were analyzed with an ATP meter, a device commonly used to assess sanitary conditions in industry. It measures levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a molecule found in all animal, vegetable, bacteria, yeast and mold cells. High ATP levels are present in food or other organic residues left on surfaces. The more ATP found on a surface, the more likely it’s flourishing with bacteria and viruses. (MORE: Skinny Jeans and High Heels: What Health Dangers Lurk in Your Closet?) An ATP reading of over 100 suggests a surface could use a scrub-down. Readings of 300 or higher are considered officially dirty and at high risk for spreading illness. Note the meter doesn’t directly measure germs, but the dirty surfaces they cling to. The dirtiest office surfaces found to have ATP counts of 300 or higher were as follows: 75% of break room sink faucet handles 48% of microwave door handles 27% of  keyboards 26% of refrigerator door handles 23% of water fountain buttons 21% of vending machine buttons Surfaces with readings over 100 that could use disinfecting included: 91% of break room sink faucet handles 80% of microwave door handles 69% of keyboards 69% of refrigerator door handles 53% of water fountain buttons 51% of all computer mice 51% of all desk phones 48% of all coffee pots and dispensers 43% of vending machine buttons (MORE: Study: 1 in 6 Cell Phones Contaminated with Fecal Matter) “A lot of people are aware of the risk of germs in the restroom, but areas like break rooms have not received the same degree of attention,” study consultant Dr. Charles Gerba, professor of … Continue reading The 6 Dirtiest Places in the Office