OFFICE COOTIES

“We don’t think twice about eating at our desks,” says Dr. Charles Gerba, whose germ study was funded by The Clorox Company, “even though the average desk has 100 times more bacteria than a kitchen and 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet.” The bad-guy lineup: telephones, desks, water fountain handles, microwave door handles, and computer keyboards. Toilet seats had the lowest bacteria levels of any of the 12 surfaces tested. The antidote? Use disinfecting wipes to regularly clean your workspace and avoid the office plague.