A team of researchers from the University of Arizona collected samples and studied the offices of 59 women and 54 men in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oregon, and Washington, D.C.
Eight areas of the desk were analyzed including the phone, desktop computer, mouse, computer keyboard and the handles on the desk drawers.
The results showed that women have three to four times the number of bacteria in, on and around those samples as compared to men. However, results from the swabs of men's bags, wallets, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) revealed more germs in them than what was present in women's purses.
University of Arizona professor Charles Gerba told AP, "I thought for sure men would be "germier". But women have more interactions with small children and keep food in their desks."
Gerba said that the men's wallets had more germs because they were kept warm in their pocket.
The results also added that women's desks looked cleaner and better arranged than men's but contained germs present on cosmetics, hand lotions and makeup cases. The largest source of microorganisms and germs was food in desk drawers where 75 percent of women had munchies in their desks.
Surprisingly, the research showed that the average office desktop has 400 times more bacteria than the average office toilet seat. The researchers encourage the use of hand sanitizer and a disinfectant on office surfaces once-a-day.
