A dirty and disorganised office can not only take a toll on your productivity and output but on your health as well. This is one of the reasons most people strive to keep their office spaces clean and neat. A clean and tidy workspace spells hygiene and peace and is good for your customers as well. That said, most businesses invest in proper cleaning to ensure all surfaces are dirt and germ-free. Although your employer might have hired someone to take care of this, it is advisable to do your part to ensure the office area is as clean as possible. Just because the office looks clean superficially doesn’t mean it is. This is also important if working from a home office. Outlined below are a few tips on how to keep your office clean, and key areas to pay particular attention to while cleaning.
1. The General Office Space
This is the commonly accessible office area. It is also your first point of contact when around the office. Keeping the common office space clean only requires regular vacuuming, sweeping, and tidying of your work area, desks and cabinets. It would also be advisable to declutter and dust the surfaces every morning to get rid of dust and any other allergens. The key areas to focus on when cleaning the general office space include:
The Reception and Lobby
This is your client/visitor’s first point of contact with your office. It is therefore important that these areas are spotlessly clean, well-kept, and tidy as your brand’s reputation depends on it. You can achieve this by dusting all surfaces, washing the floors, attending to any plants within the space, and keeping the reception desk and chairs clean and sanitised.
Individual Office Rooms
Every extension of your office area needs to be kept clean as well. This includes adjacent offices, server rooms, and offices. In addition to cleaning the floor and walls, you might want to dust lampshades, lamps, and windowsills every once in a while, to remove cobwebs and dust.
Social Spaces
The office’s social spaces are as important as the reception area. This is where employees, teams, and even customers gather, a reason they ought to be kept clean at all times. It is thus advisable to have the social spaces vacuumed and dusted after every group session to reduce the transmission of germs and allergens.
2. High-Traffic Areas
High-traffic areas collect dust, grime, and dirt much faster than secluded office areas. Bathrooms and kitchens are particularly notorious for harbouring germs and allergens if neglected even for a day. That said, you want to invest in proper cleaning materials (scrubbing brushes and bleaches) to make cleaning these areas easier and possible.
Bathrooms
Bathroom floors, sinks, and toilets are a magnet for germs and dirt. They also provide the perfect breeding grown for mould and mildew. It would thus be advisable to clean the bathrooms using cleaning detergents/materials designed for such.
Kitchens
The kitchen is the most visited area in the office. It thus can be a breeding ground for all manner of microbes and bacteria. Dirty utensils and cups in the sink, coffee machines, and water dispensers can easily allow germs to grow and thrive. You might thus want to ensure these are cleaned regularly and soon after use. You also want to wipe down microwaves and fridges at the end of each day to limit the spread of bacteria.
3. Open Office Spaces
Keeping shared office spaces clean can be tricky sometimes. We all have different priorities, with some people comfortable working even from a dirty or untidy desktop. Nevertheless, coming to a consensus to keep the surfaces clean by dusting and wiping down shares, whiteboards, shared utensils, and individual workspaces first thing in the morning can help. You only need a microfibre cloth and soap to wipe the surfaces down, and a handheld vacuum cleaner to collect dirt particles.
4. The Desk
There is more to keeping your office desk clean than simply wiping it down. You also need to get rid of post-it notes and crumpled papers you no longer need from the dustbin of your desktop. Make sure you know how to clean an office chair fabric.
Computer Equipment
Fine dust particles, micro fibres, food particles, and germs can easily find their way on your computer screens, keyboards, mice, and printers. Luckily, simply wiping the computer monitor down with a damp microfiber cloth removes most of these. You will however need a small soft-bristled brush to clean our keyboards, mice, and even printers. The compressed air comes in handy in cleaning computer equipment. Remember to use antibacterial wipes to wipe your computer equipment clean after vacuuming.