8 Tips to Keep Your Office Clean Without Breaking a Sweat
When you think about your office, what's the first thing that comes to mind?
The biggest giant mess in the history of messes?An overabundance of food and beverages due to happy hour?A time-consuming mess that takes hours to clean up?
A cluttered space that makes you dread Monday mornings? Unfortunately, the answer to one or more of these questions is probably yes. There's no denying that an unorganized office can be a significant pain – both literally and figuratively. But there's good news! A messy office doesn't have to be a permanent state of affairs. Here are 10 ways to get your office back on track:
- Declare war on clutter
You may have heard that you have to keep your desk organized with both physical and psychological space in each area so that you can think clearly. We'd like to propose a bit different theory: declutter your office by getting rid of any item that is not serving a purpose. If you don't use something each day, why do you need it? If your mission statement is still in 2015, it's likely time to refresh it.
2. Create a workspace
Having a clear workspace is the first step to ensuring your office is clean and organized. There's nothing worse than staring at an over-stuffed inbox, not sure where to start or an overflowing rubbish bin. Use your whiteboard to write a list of everything you need to accomplish and put it somewhere that you'll see it every day. Then, tackle one item each day.
- Put away your stuff.
It seems simple, but it is the most common mistake – people tend to leave their stuff lying around instead of putting it back in its proper place. Set up a system for putting everything away, whether baskets, boxes or containers. While you're at it, be sure to put labels on them, too, either to describe what they contain or their location. Label your drawers and your cabinets to avoid any unnecessary mess.
- Invite guests over.
Yes, weekly meetings are a pain, but they also make you face the music of clutter every Wednesday. Schedule them on your calendar so they're easy to remember. The next time you have a scheduled lunch or dinner at your desk, invite a friend to join in, so you have an excuse to head out and get some air.
5.Hire a cleaning service.
Clean it up today; if your office looks like the epicentre of the zombie apocalypse, hiring companies like Oui Clean DMV Washington DC will help you reclaim your workspace — and your sanity. They handle everything from vacuuming to wiping down counters to sanitizing floors and most only cost $59–$125 per visit. Plus, you can schedule weekly or biweekly visits that leave you more time to work and less time to clean
*Tip: After you've had a good clean, get your staff to clear everything away from their desks into drawers, cabinets and filing trays. Then, the next day, have them put everything straight back on the desk in the same place, ready for you to attack it all over again. This is one of the reasons that many of us dislike cleaning – it takes up so much damn time. If all you do is sweep and mop, the place won't look much better than when you started.
- Gather all the trash in one place.
If your office is a little messy, you're not alone. According to Ouicleandmv Group, a Washington DC-based cleaning company, 70 per cent of businesses surveyed admitted they had problems with clutter. And it doesn't take long for that clutter to add up — trash, food particles, paper scraps and more can begin to line hallways and work surfaces throughout the workday. A simple way to create more space is to put all that litter in one spot — preferably a wastebasket — so it's easier to dispose of when the end of the day rolls around.
- Get a green mindset.
Say goodbye to paper towel waste by using reusable cleaning cloths tossed in with laundry after use. Reusable cleaning cloths also eliminate waste by not being thrown away after each use. Use a green dusting method to dust bookshelves, frames, headboards, and other wooden furniture pieces by using a feather duster instead of a cotton dusting cloth or Swiffer duster. Feather dusters leave less residue and are more eco-friendly than traditional dusting cloths and Swiffer dusters.
- Invest in smart furniture. If you are renting your office space or working in a co-working arrangement, the quality of the furniture is one of the best ways to make it feel more like your own space. Investing in comfortable, good-looking furniture will also help you get more done. The best way to ensure comfort is by investing in good ergonomic chairs and ensuring the surface you work on is at the correct height. It's worth remembering that your staff are far more productive when comfortable.
- Turn on a light!
Installing under-cabinet lighting in your kitchen or hallway is the easiest way to keep those spaces clean without breaking a sweat. By flipping a switch, you can immediately see where you need to focus your efforts. And if you're not feeling particularly motivated, the blaring light trick might do the trick.
- Use your company's assets to shine your office
Use your office's assets to make sure your office is super clean without breaking a sweat. If you have a cleaning crew, take advantage of their assets like mops, an air filter and an air purifier. If you don't have a cleaning crew, use what you already pay for to ensure your office is clean and germ-free.
- Finally, adopt a "clean as you go" policy.
When you see trash and debris in your office, be proactive about picking it up during your day. If you arrive at your desk and see trash on the floor, then go ahead and pick it up, but don't let the cleaning wait until the end of the day. You'll have less to do at the end of the day when staff arrives to clean if you are diligent about keeping things clean throughout the day.
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