Whether or not you are aware, you are being judged by the cleanliness of your workplace.  It may be that coworkers are judging the condition of your personal office, or clients are evaluating your business by the state of your offices – a clean office signifies diligence, efficiency, and hard work.  Additionally, a clean office is a productive office as a well-organized work space is easier to navigate in addition to the impact of regular sanitation on improved health among staff members.  The following tips for a clean office are designed to be implemented by all levels of staff from cleaners to executives.  Let’s have a closer look.

Your Personal Work Station

No matter how thorough your cleaning staff, the likelihood that your personal work station will be cleaned from top to bottom is low.  Items such as keyboards, calculators, and telephones will normally get a superficial wipe down, at best.  Still, these are some of the items that are most commonly used and therefore often carry the most germs.  A thorough cleaning removes dirt and debris and reduces your exposure to germs and airborne allergens.  Start with an air duster to remove debris from spaces and crevices and finish up by wiping surfaces with a disinfectant wipe.

When it comes to cleaning screens and monitors, you’ll need to find the right products for the job.  Antibacterial wipes are not effective for computer monitors or device screens; yet, it’s also important to keep these items dust free to reduce your exposure to allergens.  A damp microfiber cloth or cleaning products specifically designed for device monitors are ideal.  In a pinch, you can use paper towel lightly dampened with warm water to remove dust from your displays.

Finally, cleaning staff will likely wipe desk and work surfaces, but they likely will not move your personal or work items to do a thorough wiping.  If you need to keep files or other items on your desk, remember to take some time weekly to wipe these surfaces on your own.  Otherwise, remove all items from your desktop at the end of the day so that cleaning staff can do the job right.

In the Kitchen

The work kitchen is always difficult to maintain, especially in busy offices.  One tip is to set up a cleaning roster where different teams are responsible for different tasks each week.  For example, assign one team to clean the microwave and one to clean the coffee maker and rotate these jobs weekly.  You should also schedule a rest week where that team has no responsibilities.  And speaking of the microwave, consider investing in a cover for foods to eliminate the impact of splashes inside the microwave.  And of course, always encourage staff members to clean up after themselves!