You’ve probably heard all kinds of reasonable thoughts on why telecommuting is a great idea.

Here’s a startling finding: Home desktops and offices contain four times as many bacteria as traditional office spaces.

The study, co-conducted by University of Arizona and Clorox Co. researchers, looked at more than 400 different surface types. Even though traditional offices still harbor a high number of bacteria, at-home workplaces are just that much worse.

University of Arizona microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba attributes the higher levels of at-home funk to comfort. “Surprisingly high germ levels in home offices may be due to the fact that people think their homes are already clean,” said Gerza. “Or that the germs in their home office are just their own and therefore harmless.”

Of course, telecommuting might be the right option for some employees. Just make sure there’s plenty of hand wipes around.

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Tags: Bacteria, Clorox, Home office, Telecommuting, University of Arizona