We’re going to start today’s post with a little pun, or a little wordplay, to be more precise. The title somehow seems fitting, since puns by definition exploit multiple meanings of a specific term. In our case, we’re playing with the definition of the term rundown / run-down and all of their nuances when talking about office furniture. Of course, ideally, we wouldn’t want to associate words like rundown with our office furniture. But still, let’s see when the usage of this word is, unfortunately, a must.
So, today we’re going to talk about what to do when your office chairs and other furniture starts to show signs of wearing, should you toss them or refurbish them?
First of all, let’s start by saying you can do a lot to prolong the lifespan of your office furniture for as long as possible. The best way to do so is to hire a professional cleaning service, which will perform not only the cleaning of your carpets and other areas but also of your office furniture. Experienced technicians will know which cleaning techniques and equipment are the best to use for your specific type of furniture, depending on the fabric, colors, etc. When is the right time to get your office furniture professionally clean depends on several factors – type of material, how much the furniture is used on a daily basis, etc. Not all office furniture is getting the same amount of usage, for example, chairs in conference rooms are used less than chairs in office spaces, especially in spaces where they are shared, like in call centers. If you hire a reputable professional cleaning service, they will surely come and inspect the space, and afterward will give you an estimate on how often your office furniture, along with other office elements, should be cleaned. Accordingly, you will plan a cleaning schedule which will suit the need of your office area and will not disturb your everyday activities in the office. Take your time in choosing the right professionals and cleaning your office furniture will be one worry less. And who wouldn’t want that?
Still, there are times when even all that professional cleaning cannot help anymore and your office furniture start to look run-down. What should you do? Of course, possibly the quickest solution is to toss everything and start over with brand new pieces. But, beware, that can take a big toll on your expense account. Bearing that in mind, refurbishment is an option to consider. Here you can do two things – refurbish your own furniture or purchase already refurbished pieces. A savvy facility manager will for sure look into options which include refurbished furniture, as it can cut your costs and time. Also, purchasing pre-used furniture will make your building go greener, which is a great thing in today’s business atmosphere, and can attract new clients who appreciate eco-friendly offices.
It’s not only about making new clients, purchasing refurbished pieces is a great move if your goal is to obtain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. There are several factors involved in this road to market transformation towards sustainable design and reused or recycled office furniture is one of them. Some of other things to take into account are materials used, performance-based approach to indoor environmental quality, smart grid thinking and, of course, water efficiency.
So, what can you get if you decide to purchase refurbished furniture? Some business owners can be a little hesitant when thinking about it, because at first glance it may seem as if you’re saving money but getting outdated and out-of-style pieces, but it doesn’t have to be like that at all. You can get already finished products, but the best thing when going to a refurbisher is the level of customization you can get. Refurbishing or remanufacturing companies are used to customization requests and can deal with them even quicker than manufacturers producing brand new furniture.
Between two options of getting refurbished furniture, this is the more expensive one. The more cost efficient one would be to refurbish your own furniture. Even if does save you some money, when you look at it from the logistics point of view, it may cause more inconveniences at your working area. By that we mean, how will your employees manage to work while everything around them is being refurbished? For example, your current cubicles will have to be torn down and refurbished, but during that time your staff will have to be displaced, so it may not be the most convenient solution. Still, there are some refurbishing works that can be done on-site, like painting filing cabinets.
So, here are your options when dealing with run-down office furniture. As we saw, there are three main roads to choose from – buying new furniture, getting recycled pieces from a refurbisher or having your own furniture refurbished. There isn’t an all-in-one solution that fits every single business, it is always up to you to choose from the options you have in front of you. You should think carefully and see which one suits your business and your financial plans, your specific area and the direction your business is heading. If your aim is to go greener and get certified for it, then getting refurbished furniture is the way to go. It all comes down to what your business needs.
Whichever is your option of choice, keep in mind one thing – professional cleaning of your office furniture is the best way to keep your brand new or recycled furniture squeaky clean and looking its best. We at Geyen Group South are at your disposal at making this happen, so don’t hesitate to make an appointment and see what we can do when it comes to professional cleaning of your working areas.
So, there you go, we’ve come to the end of this rundown / run-down wordplay for today. Yes, today, because this isn’t the last time we’ll be discussing the meaning of this term, but next time, it will be at the more extreme end of it, so be sure to check our blog and see what we have in store for you!
