Cleanliness is important for an office. A clean office looks professional and provides a comfortable, distraction-free work environment. If you want a clean office space and aren’t sure where to start (or you want to email your co-worker a hint) use these tips.
Office Desk
The two steps to cleaning an office desk are to dust/disinfect and organize.
If your desk is already clutter-free, then you just need to wipe down and sanitize. The desk is a known repository for germs, especially phone handles and computer keyboards and mice. Use a sanitizing spray (a vinegar and water solution is a natural option) on these areas regularly to keep germs at bay. Use care when cleaning electronic screens. If you spray a cleaner on the screen, do so far enough away so that the liquid doesn’t run. If the liquid runs down the screen, it can get into that crease at the bottom of the monitor. This will not be good for your screen!
However, you can’t get to this step if your desk is a zoo of pens, sticky notes, and odds and ends. You need to take back your desk and get organized! The key to organization is to add more space to the same area. Adding dividers or containers to your desk will create more space for a larger number of items. However, you have to commit to using whatever system of organization you install. Here are some ideas on how to maximize your space and organize like you mean it:
- Are your drawers a mess of who-knows-what? Put silverware dividers or muffin tins in them, then sort the items accordingly.
- Put binder clips on the edge of your desk and run all your cables and wires through them. This keeps everything in neat lines and prevents ugly-looking tangles.
- Does half the mess on your desk consist of notes to yourself? Invest in a dry erase board to cut down on paper scraps and save the environment.
- Avoid installing something you won’t use. If you’re a reluctant organizer, don’t get a pencil holder with holes that requirement careful placement of each individual pencil. Go for a jar that a pencil can easily be dumped into. Know yourself and what you’re most likely to use to get the clutter gone.
Unwanted Items
Go through files and papers regularly to assess what you don’t need. If you need to hang on to things for an extended period of time just in case, have an out-of-the-way storage place for these items and then another one close at hand for documents you use frequently.
Be careful when throwing things out. If you are unsure if something should go in the trash, shred it. Be mindful of security and protect confidential information.
Common Areas
If your office shares a kitchen or break room, everyone should take turns cleaning. If you don’t already have a system in place, draft a chore chart and mention your plan at the next office-wide meeting.
A Clean Office is Better!
While it can be beautiful and fancy, in the end the office is just the space where people do some amazing work. Keep your office clean and comfortable so you can focus on the important work you’ve got to do! (And remember, Maids by Trade offers commercial cleaning for offices and businesses!)