Grab the sanitizer, because your desk is exponentially filthier than a toilet seat

A lot of people assume bathrooms are the germiest places on the planet—or at least of places they visit in their day-to-day lives. The gag-worthy truth, though? The space for doing your personal business has nothin’ on the space for doing your professional business. Yep, the area where you spend hour upon hour each day emailing and making calls and (unfortunately) sometimes eating your lunch is filthy. In fact, experts say your seemingly safe desk has—prepare yourself!—400 times more germs than a toilet seat. Yikes is an understatement.

As if work wasn’t already stressful enough, knowing you’re hanging with a disgustingly high amount of bacteria every day while going about your #girlboss duties isn’t the most settling piece of info by any means. So, where’s the icky stuff lurking? Microbiologist Michael Loughlin, PhD, shares in The Independent that the biggest sources of germs includes the items you use the most: your keyboard—which “both deposits and picks up microorganisms,” he says—phones, which contain 10 times more bacteria than toilet seats alone, pens (mostly when people don’t wash their hands on the reg!), and coffee mugs when they’re not cleaned properly.

Experts say your seemingly safe desk has—prepare yourself!—400 times more germs than a toilet seat.

Although it’s tempting, don’t run away from your desk screaming just yet—there is a silver lining to this icky news: The germs can be easily wiped away with just a teeny bit of cleaning. First, use a chemical-free solutions to keep your desk safe from harmful bacteria—whether it’s a cleaning product you buy at the store or make on your own. And, while giving your keyboard and office supplies a scrub is a great start, rethink how you clean your mug and food containers, too. Instead of using the communal dish-cleaning tools—which could do more harm than good!—bring your own dish soap and sponge instead. And, pro-tip: Replace that sponge way more often than you might assume is appropriate.

See? With a little extra effort, your desk can be a germ-free, crystal-filled oasis—not a place that makes you squirm every time you sit down.

Try this teacher-approved tip to stay healthy among workplace germs. Or, find out if you should worry about germs if your dog sleeps in bed with you.