Are you having a hard time completing the tasks at hand? Have you tried to look around you? Does your workplace still spark joy?
Did you know that studies have repeatedly shown that clutter competes for your attention? Aside from being a form of distraction, a messy desk also brings out stress hormones. Then eventually, you’ll be less productive and feel uninterested at work.
Before things get worse, together, let’s tackle the problem at hand. Set a goal to have a clean-desk policy most of the time. Not sure how to start? We’ve rounded up nine easy tips to keep your workplace clutter-free below.
Declutter your desk
Start with removing whatever you’re not using regularly from your workstation.
These may include outdated documents that have to be shredded. Or empty candy wrappers that have to be in the bin. Think of your desk as a prime property and that you will only display things you will be using daily.
If clutter is unavoidable to pile up, one tip is to designate a tiny corner for it. It will serve as the receiving area for some of your nitty-gritty stuff, such as your keys. And then make it a habit to empty that corner at the end of the day.
Keep (a) hand sanitizer
With things starting to get back to normal, we should still never let our guards down.
Although hand-washing is still what CDC and WHO recommend for combating COVID-19, keeping a hand sanitizer at bay can also do the trick. Remember to strategically place them where there will be more considerable traffic of people, like near the doors, one in each station block, and one on each workstation.Clean and disinfect devices
Dusting off the office devices may not be a regular thing to do. Your office may have probably hired a regular cleaner; however, their focus may have been more on the floor, the counters but not including the office devices.
Office devices are the perfect repository for dust or even lingering viruses that could cause common diseases. Did you know that your keyboard can house more microorganisms than the toilet seat?
Thus, disinfecting them is also as important as cleaning them regularly.
Empty the drawers
Drawers can quickly pile up with unnecessary things that are no longer needed. And what’s worse is, you think your desk is organized, not knowing that there is a deeper problem you need to address.
You have to empty your office drawers at least once a month. That is to make sure that whatever stuff you keep in them are only the ones you need daily. Another thing is to ensure that you have correctly discarded any essential or classified information.
Invest in drawer organizers to quickly see which part needs your attention at first glance. Organize your pens together, other office stuff such as staplers, post-its, etc. You might think your drawer is hidden and is not an eye-sore, but remember that it is not always clutter-free.
Clean the fridge
The fridge is where you store your food to keep them fresh. And the last thing you want to happen is to have harmful bacteria lingering inside it. To avoid that, make sure to schedule a cleaning day every week.
You will be spending most of your break times or an afternoon chit-chat with your colleagues in the kitchen. So, extend your cleaning regime here as well.
When cleaning the fridge, make sure to use non-toxic cleaning materials. At Maid Sailors – office cleaning services, Austin, we understand people’s predicament that office cleaning can be tasking. Hence, we are offering this specific service even for small business owners. As a bonus, we are also providing an option to go for a green cleaning service that uses naturally-derived safe cleaning agents at no extra cost.
Daily dusting
Store away feather dusters and microfiber cloth for some daily dusting.
You can do it before starting your day or leaving work in the afternoon. It is better and easier to do it this way than wait for all the dust to pile up and then do everything in one go. If you keep putting off a simple task, you will never find time to do it.
Stay consistent to save time in the long run.
Keep your office organized
An organized and clutter-free office can surprisingly bring out the best in an employee.
If your desk is tidy, it translates into organized thoughts. And your organized ideas transcend to being more productive at work.
Arrange paperwork according to when they are due, empty the waste bins regularly, and invest in storage spaces where you can quickly grab things when needed.
Spot clean the floors
The office floor witnesses everything. And when the workplace is busy, it is also one of the things that people tend to overlook.
Make sure that the floor is free from any garbage all the time. Tuck those unruly wires to prevent people from accidentally tripping. If you have ceramic flooring, it is essential to mop it occasionally, especially if there are visible coffee spills. Linoleum and laminate types of flooring need to be waxed to shine.
Remember that different flooring material entails another cleaning method too. So use the one that’s appropriate for your office floor.
Quick vacuuming
Quick vacuuming can go a long way, whether you have carpeted office floor or hard floor.
Since office floors can make or break a first impression for the company. It is crucial to focus on vacuuming the common areas or spaces where you usually conduct client meetings. Or the high-traffic areas, such as the lobby, and don’t forget that the kitchen floor should also be free of crumbs.
Conclusion
You may not notice it, but you spend most of your busy time at work. It is where you can think outside the box and sometimes participate in the decision-making process. In addition, your boss might expect you to be constantly at your prime from the moment you come to the office.
And for you to achieve that, you should also feel okay in your work environment.
So it’s all now down to you.