Why Dust Kills Your Profits

Dust Keyboard
A dusty keyboard can do more than just annoy your employees.

One of the overlooked problems in the office is probably dust. Most do not even think of it, especially when they are not visible and are underneath a surface. Since it’s not easily seen, it’s often ignored and leave them as is. It’s just dust, right?

What most of us are not aware of is that dust is not just unsightly dirt. It is actually a term to collectively describe a variety of particles at home or in the office. It may contain pollen, human and animal hair, textile and paper fibers, and even skin cells. Researchers have found that dust at home contains 9000 different microbes and 2000 types of fungi. Though not all of them are dangerous to your health, some may bring respiratory illnesses that can damage your wellbeing.

Now we see what dust really is, let us explore why dust may cause an impact to your potential and current revenue.

Health Hazard

Dust may contain all sorts of compounds, some of which are known to be toxic. It may contain bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, and even cigarette smoke. When you are around these things, you may tend to breathe it in or absorb them through your skin. This may increase the risk of having health problems and unhealthy employees mean lower productivity and fewer profits.

Here are some of the health problems that can be developed due to dust:

Allergies

Allergic reactions may develop from red, itchy, watery eyes, to a runny nose and some flu-like symptoms. An employee with these symptoms won’t be able to focus on his work and will want to rest instead. This will show a visible drop in productivity.

Dust allergy is an allergy to dust mites and these dust mites are microscopic organisms that live off of skin cells. Dust on mattresses, chairs, and sofa contains skin cells thus they have dust mites.

Asthma

Aside from allergies, dust mites may trigger asthma attacks. Asthma attacks are serious conditions that should be not be taken lightly. When you use a vacuum to clean, particles are stirred up into the air which may be breathed in by your employees. 

Dermatitis

Dermatitis is a general term to describe skin irritation. Exposure to dust may cause flare-ups, skin dryness, itch, redness, or even rashes.  

Additional Electronic Maintenance

What most people don’t know is dust is actually a slow killer of electronics. The build-up of dust may cause electronics to retain heat causing damage, and the slowdown. Too much accumulation of dust makes it difficult for the internal fans to dissipate heat which leads to the decrease of efficiency or the destroying of the entire system.

Computers and laptops: The effect of the piling of dust on a computer is dramatic. Once the fans get clogged with dust, the computer or laptop will start to freeze more often. Fans will be noisy and will eventually leave the machine with no cooling at all. This will lead to needless repair bills.

Keyboard: Computer keyboards are not excluded from dust damage. Because of the absence of fans, the keyboard will not overheat but will get soft keys or become sticky.  

Fixing damaged electronics could make a big cut out of your budget. It is easier and will cost you less if you stop the continuous build-up of dust.

Filter Replacements

Dust is one of the leading causes of reduced heat exchange of air conditioners. If dust gets inside the evaporator and condenser it will prevent the coils from absorbing and releasing heat. It will greatly affect the cooling of the air conditioner and will speed up wear and tear.

Aside from damaging the cooling system, dust can also affect the air quality of the air conditioner. Dust could clog the air filters, resulting in low air quality and will make the environment not suitable for working or meeting clients. Clogged filters will more likely blow unwanted particles that could trigger allergies and in turn, create a widespread of disease in your office space. With COVID-19 changing the way you work, you wouldn’t want another addition to your expenses just to replace your filters.

Corporate Image and Customer Dissatisfaction

Having your workplace undusted could not only affect your employees but also your materials and products. This is applicable to businesses that sell products instead of services. If the clients receive dusty and dirty items from your store they would probably feel dissatisfied and have them returned. Not only will the items be returned, but there will also be a big chance that they would share their negative experience from your company, damaging your brand. 

The workplace is the face of the company. Having a clean and hygienic working environment creates a good corporate image for the investors, employees, and clients. On the other hand, having a dusty and dirty workplace could have your employees and clients post complaints online that would leave you with a bad image that is hard to repair. Remember, once it’s on the internet, it’s almost impossible to delete it.

Places that have people who regularly come and go, like an office, maybe indirectly affected by dust. Regular dusting may be too much of a hassle for some especially at places that are not visible and if you have constant dust lying around then there must be an underlying problem within your office that you need to address. If you wait for more signs to hire a cleaning service it might create a situation that’s irreversible and we all don’t want that. Businesses are prone to neglect the importance of having a dust-free work area. Unawareness of its indirect impact on your employees will have a direct effect on your profits. Don’t let dust dictate what your business should be. Talk to a professional cleaning company to take care of all of your office cleaning needs. Contact us now!