Around 66 percent of employees desire better office cleaning practices, reports CNBC, with the events of 2020 making average personnel across the globe more aware of the link between hygiene and good health. Tidiness is equally vital when it comes to working optimally, with studies indicating that cluttered premises wrest from an employee’s focus and ability to concentrate on key tasks. If one of your new year’s resolutions is to up the cleanliness and tidiness in your office, the following tips may help.
Setting up a regular cleaning schedule
Businesses should have professional cleaning services take charge of regular cleaning tasks. Large offices with a sizable staff should ideally be cleaned and sanitized at the end of every working day, while medium-sized offices with 15-20 staff can get away with two or three professional cleans per week. For small offices, a good clean once again may suffice.
Deep cleaning is key
Around twice a year as a minimum, your office (regardless of its size) should have a deep clean. Otherwise, mold and germs can build up and cause health issues for staff in the long term. Areas targeted include bathroom tiles, air filters, and deep carpet cleaning. Research shows that an average indoor space can accumulate about 40 pounds of dust annually. Carpets in businesses can harbor bacteria, odors, hair and skin particles, and more. Deep cleaning usually involves the use of a steam cleaner, which lifts debris and dirt and removes stains. Professional cleaning services also tackle hard-to-reach areas and any zones or machinery that requires special equipment.
Establishing a tidiness policy
Consider drafting a tidiness policy that stipulates what is expected of staff. Useful rules can include keeping their work space tidy at all hours of the day, bundling electric cords away, keeping equipment and boxes from interrupting the safe passage of people, regularly tidying up the contents of their desk storage space, emptying their items from the office fridge daily, disposing of food in designated trash cans, and using recycling bins for paper and cardboard. Include these rules in your training manual, so that new employees know that you prioritize tidiness.
Cleaning outdoor spaces
Being tidy isn’t just about pleasing staff, but also about presenting your business professionally before clients. The exterior of your building should therefore be clean and well-painted, so you give good first and lasting impressions. Buildings can look old and unsightly owing to problems such as lime run/carbonate staining, pollution or bacteria-based stains, mold, acid burns, and more. Cleaning of exterior surfaces can involve many process, including thoroughly wetting the building with hot water, using special cleaners for delicate surfaces, applying wax to reduce mildew growth, and removing debris from the premises.
Keeping your office clean and tidy is vital for staff and clients alike. Set up a regular cleaning schedule (which should include regular and deep cleaning) to protect human health. Finally, stipulate what you mean when you ask employees to keep the office tidy.
