Lately, we have been talking a lot about different aspects of professional office cleaning, especially in our last three-part series called Carpet care misconceptions, in which we tried to cover all the major misconceptions and myths regarding office cleaning. This myth-busting process was a particularly fun one and we have loved every step of the way. Was that topic completely covered? Probably not, and there will always be some new myths to bust, but today, we’ll step away from that topic and move to a new one.
So, since we were discussing in depth everything office cleaning related, let’s try to observe this same issue, but from a different point of view. Let’s try and see how office cleaning looks like from the point of view of people who are spending approximately 40 hours per week there, the employee’s point of view.
The question of the day is plain and simple: office cleaning – what can we do? Or, to be more precise, what can we do, on a day-to-day basis, to improve the level of office cleanliness and to make the time we spend there more enjoyable and with that, more productive? How can we contribute to the overall look of the office? We’re not suggesting you should take up the cleaning process on yourself; this should be left to professionals. We just want to give some tips and suggest small changes you could include in your daily routine. Small things that could have great impact. So, why not try it?
In case you decide to leave more time-consuming cleaning tasks to cleaning professionals (and this is the recommended way to go) keeping your office space clean can give you a working area you can be proud to call the face of your business. And if you decide to dedicate a small portion of your time to introduce some tweaks and changes in your office routine, you can certainly make keeping your office clean an easy task.
The first thing you can do to improve the overall look and cleanliness of the office is to keep desks and counters clean. Possibly the greatest obstacle to a clean office is clutter. That is why you should make sure that all workspaces, such as desks and counters, are kept as clear as possible. And we are quite aware this may seem like a demanding task, given the amount of work you could be having on a daily basis, but it will prove to be a truly rewarding one, once it’s done. According to researches, the average office desk has more than 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat. So, be sure to disinfect your desk and keep it clutter and bacteria free for your sake.
Closely related to keeping desks and counters clean is another important tip – don’t eat at your desk. You should avoid having meals at your desk for several reasons. First of all, your office desk may never be as sterile as an environment for eating should be. Also, eating at your desk can be damaging for both your physical and mental health. A change of place during your lunch break is quite important for your well-being, so you should always use your break to eat at the designated area in order to give yourself a proper break from work.
When talking about the cleanliness of your work surroundings, we cannot leave out your computer and other electronic devices. Keep in mind, just because you cannot see the dirt that doesn’t mean the dirt isn’t there. Make sure to use a dry cloth to remove any dirt or dust from your electronic devices from time to time (beware, you should never use any liquids or vacuum equipment). You may also want to have a technician clean the inside of the equipment as well.
Office cleanliness doesn’t include just your desk and its surroundings, common areas are also a thing to be considered. And this is probably the most difficult task of them all – keeping common areas clean. Here, the key is delegation, paired with a schedule and a system. Shared spaces should be treated as a shared responsibility. So, the best way to go is to come up with a plan and schedule for keeping common areas clean, to clearly articulate the rules, and to stay consistent with them.
What else could we do to improve the way our working area looks? Another thing you can do is to organize all the papers, files, and documents you have laying on your table. Maybe you could try and divide them into sections, starting from newest and most important ones to those older ones and those not demanding your attention right this moment. You will probably find some papers there you don’t even need anymore. When we tend to accumulate paper documents on our desks, sometimes we forget to throw what we don’t need which results in even bigger clutter. This can take a bigger chunk of your time, but you will feel much better and more relaxed once you’re done with it and your table is back to normal, clean and clutter-free.
And finally, clutter isn’t only found on your desks, you can also tackle your e-mails and see if you can repeat the same process you did with your paperwork. This won’t have a visible impact on your working space, but it will have a positive one mentally, once you feel there is no more clutter in any shape and form.
So, there you go, we tried to give you some tips and tricks on how to improve not only the look but the level of cleanliness of your office space. If you haven’t before, try to incorporate some of them into your daily routine, hopefully, you’ll see the first results really soon. As for the complete office cleaning goes, leave it to professional and experienced cleaners. And by pairing these two, you will have the most beautiful and cleanest office you could ever hope for.
