to ask for a deep clean?

[Rainsunshine]

I’m currently lied on the sofa with a raging temperature, what looks like bacterial tonsillitis which will be the 5th illness I’ve has since January.

My place of work has a huge open plan office, a very small kitchen, 2 toilets, and everyone seems to be constantly poorly. I don’t think the building is being cleaned correctly. There’s grubby grey marks around handles, and dirty hand prints in the toilets which have been there for months.

WIBU to ask for a deep clean? I know it’s not coming from the kids as nobody else at home has had the same bugs as me.

Feeling very sorry for myself 😭

You can ask but I’m not sure how far you’d get or how quickly it would happen.

Do you use hand sanitiser? If not, it might help.

Plus hope you feel better soon.

You can always ask but I'd maybe see a doctor incase there's something wrong with your immune system.
I work with the public (some of them very vulnerable; think homelessness, mental illnesss, drug issues) 3 days a week and on my other days I'm in and out of soft plays and toddler groups. I don't get ill that often and I'm definitely not a picture of a healthy lifestyle.
Do you wash your hands enough?

I doubt a deep clean will solve the issue. Just because you see grey marks doesn’t mean it will make you ill and vice versa- even a surface that looks very clean can hold germs.

The biggest factor to avoiding illness is hand hygiene. Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly during the day, and use an alcohol based (not anti-bac) hand sanitiser when you can’t get to a sink. Get into the habit of avoiding touching your nose, eyes, and mouth as this is how germs get in. And don’t share pens etc

I have a public facing role, and doing all this has massively reduced the amount I get ill

I use antibac gel after every trip to the toilet (as well as handwashing) as well as before eating.

Not just me, loads of people have been so poorly.

Thank you

It sounds a bit rank, irrespective of your repeated illnesses. I would raise it through whatever your normal process is for cleaning requests and feedback.

Does your workplace suffer from Sick Building Syndrome?
Yes, it's real, honestly! The WHO have done studies on it. It happens mainly in modern buildings that are too well insulated. The air inside gets drier and drier which causes respiratory problems, your mucus membranes dry out making you more susceptible to airborne viruses and bacteria, which in turn spread more easily and carry further in dry air.
Unfortunately if your employer doesn't even pay to keep the place clean they're unlikely to want to pay for the humidification system to solve the problem.

There’s a aerosole dettol spray for like £2. Get that and spray everything

No pint in using dettol spray etc until you’ve washed everything down with hot soapy water first

You might have success if you point out how many people have been off ill with bugs! That’s bound to be costing the company in sickness pay.