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Study: Women's Desks Four Times More Dirty Than Men's
FOX ^ | 02/15/07 | Unknown

Posted on 02/15/2007 8:46:13 AM PST by Froufrou

Your office desk harbors far more bacteria than your workplace restroom, and if you're a woman, chances are your workspace has more germs than your male co-workers', a new research report shows.

Women have three to four times the number of bacteria in, on and around their desks, phones, computers, keyboards, drawers and personal items as men do, the study by University of Arizona professor Charles Gerba showed.

Gerba, a professor of soil, water and environmental sciences, tested more than 100 offices on the UA campus and in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oregon and Washington, D.C. The $40,000 study was commissioned by the Clorox Co.

"I thought for sure men would be germier," Gerba said. "But women have more interactions with small children and keep food in their desks. The other problem is makeup."

Don't get Gerba wrong: Women's desks typically looked cleaner. But the knickknacks are more abundant, and cosmetics and hand lotions make prime germ-transfer agents, Gerba said. Makeup cases also make for fine germ homes, along with phones, purses and desk drawers.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
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To: freekitty

I can't function without having a clean desk, with everything in it's proper place and nothing cluttering it, except the items I am using at that moment. Call it OCD to some degree. When I go home, there is nothing but the computer, phone and calendar on my desk.

I can understand how some can't function without the mess and seem to know where everything is, but I can't imagine being one of those people.

My boss is one of those people. And for her, she loses stuff ALL the time and by the time and/or doesn't realize she has the paperwork and gets upset when she doesn't know what you're talking about. Then she'll find some papers, where the issues have already been handled or the work got left undone for a really long time. It's a big complaint for a lot of people here at my office and they wonder how she's V.P. of operations.


81 posted on 02/15/2007 11:20:15 AM PST by Lucky9teen (Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the democrats believe every day is April 15)
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To: nina0113
"I moved into the desk of a woman who had been fired - the desk had BOOGERS all over & under it."

If I win the Lotto Im doing that too.

82 posted on 02/15/2007 11:24:29 AM PST by No Blue States
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To: TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig

"The, "he leaves it down" thing is just whining.'

I always left the toilet seat down for my wife. She appreciated it and rewarded my thoughtfulness by nagging me about something else.


83 posted on 02/15/2007 11:42:25 AM PST by gcruse (http://garycruse.blogspot.com/)
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To: Scoutmaster

bathroom faucets and door handles are disgusting. The average desk is worse according to this study.


84 posted on 02/15/2007 11:52:36 AM PST by driftdiver
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To: doodad
As the IT and facility guy here I can attest to this. Women ALWAYS have food. They have entire convenience stores in their desks. I had the nastiest one of them complain that WE had roaches and I had to point out that SHE had roaches.

I don't know if women keep their workspaces dirtier than men, but they certainly have a filthy bathroom. Ask any janitor.

85 posted on 02/15/2007 11:56:20 AM PST by IDontLikeToPayTaxes
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To: Fawn

"and have 100 times the work on their desk that men have!"

And yet still get nothing done.

:)


86 posted on 02/15/2007 12:00:44 PM PST by driftdiver
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To: driftdiver
"bathroom faucets and door handles are disgusting. The average desk is worse according to this study."

I read that the article says the average desk has more germs. Should we also be concerned about the type of germs, too?

Maybe I'll have to use the multi-towel technique if I have to use something from my secretary's desk drawer (she's a notorious at-the-desk-snacker).

87 posted on 02/15/2007 12:03:19 PM PST by Scoutmaster (You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred)
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To: nctexan

You said: Yea, but women don't leave the toilet seat up.
***
No, they fail to leave the toilet seat up, but let's not hold it against them.


88 posted on 02/15/2007 12:05:17 PM PST by NCLaw441
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To: Bob J

If it's a pull door I use a napkin - if it's a push door I use my shoulder. In either case I always try to take advantage of someone else opening the door.

At my office the toilettes automatically flush. For some reason that doesn't happen at home. ;-)


89 posted on 02/15/2007 12:07:00 PM PST by Frapster (Don't mind me - I'm distracted by the pretty lights.)
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To: driftdiver

Women work majic while the men talk talk talk and have meetings. We do 10 times the work in 10 times less time. And you guys know it.


90 posted on 02/15/2007 12:17:21 PM PST by Fawn (LEMME IN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkMIdfwo32Y&eurl=)
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To: Lucky9teen
imo, men are way more disorganized than woman. At least in my experiences...

They were counting germs, not screws, nuts and bolts which carry no infectious agents.

91 posted on 02/15/2007 12:18:57 PM PST by Bon mots
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To: Scoutmaster
I'm a public bathroom zealot as well... so bad that my kids would rather hold it 'til we get home rather than deal with another, "Ack! You touched it?! Let's wash your hands again!"

(In hot-air-only WCs I use the edge of my shirt as a glove to open the door. LOL.)

92 posted on 02/15/2007 12:29:46 PM PST by AnnaZ (I keep 2 magnums in my desk.One's a gun and I keep it loaded.Other's a bottle and it keeps me loaded)
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To: Froufrou

These type of articles amuse me. We live in a sewer of germs. They are on US in US and all around US. But guess what. Most do not bother US and some even are necessary ie gut bacteria. These articles are good for making some people germphobic to the point of abnormality. The person who always wears gloves, will only open the door with a covered hand etc. In other words they are stupid and useless.


93 posted on 02/15/2007 12:30:23 PM PST by therut
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To: Fawn

"Women work majic while the men talk talk talk and have meetings."

Women use 25k words a day and men use 10k a day.

"We do 10 times the work in 10 times less time. And you guys know it."

You certainly talk about doing work a lot more. :)


94 posted on 02/15/2007 12:30:39 PM PST by driftdiver
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To: IDontLikeToPayTaxes
I don't know if women keep their workspaces dirtier than men, but they certainly have a filthy bathroom. Ask any janitor.

I am the facility manager here as well and can attest to this without consulting the poor janitor. Some of the things I have seen.....

95 posted on 02/15/2007 12:30:41 PM PST by doodad
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To: therut

I found it amusing, too. People as you described are probably afflicted with OCD.


96 posted on 02/15/2007 12:32:01 PM PST by Froufrou
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To: driftdiver

and complain 10 times more about it...(ducking)


97 posted on 02/15/2007 12:34:14 PM PST by doodad
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To: Gorzaloon
It's the lava lamp and the ancient monitors that scare me.

My boss has a lava lite (the kind with little shiny bits) that plugs into a USB port. I borrowed it, but I found that I am distracted by little shiny bits.

Has the lava lamp been there since the '70's?

Probably. I think I see the corner of a PDP-8 at the edge of the picture.

98 posted on 02/15/2007 3:31:17 PM PST by Erasmus (Zwischen des Teufels und des tiefen, blauen, Meers.)
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To: Froufrou

"Makeup cases also make for fine germ homes, along with phones, purses and desk drawers."

A group did a study of public restroom cleanliness (germs). They found that the bottom of the women's purses was dirtier than the inside door handle. Women would often put their purses on the floors and then carry them out and plop them on their desk.


99 posted on 02/15/2007 3:34:13 PM PST by UpAllNight
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To: Blueflag
Perhaps the bacteria are spread by vigorous and frequent conversations ...

Stated more generally:

"Perhaps the bacteria are spread by vigorous and frequent intercourse."

100 posted on 02/15/2007 3:36:12 PM PST by Erasmus (Zwischen des Teufels und des tiefen, blauen, Meers.)
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