Keeping your office clean and sanitised has been proven to have a wide range of benefits for employees. It makes the office more inviting, increases the sense of pride in the workplace, reduces illness and absenteeism, and improves productivity.
A clean office not only enhances the experience of your employees but also leaves a lasting, positive impression on any guest who visits - which is crucial in a world where first impressions can influence client relationships and company reputation.
Fortunately, keeping your office clean and sanitised doesn't have to be daunting. It's easily achievable through daily office cleaning routines and occasional deep cleaning with the help of a professional cleaning service.
In this article, we'll introduce 5 cleaning hacks that can help you stay on top of office cleanliness, and explain how a professional cleaning partner can complement your office cleaning strategy.
What is office cleaning?
Office cleaning is the process of making sure your office is clean, organised, and free from germs.
Every business is different and has unique cleaning needs. However, it's common for office cleaning to involve activities like dusting, mopping, vacuuming, and wiping down surfaces. It can also include sanitising communal spaces such as waiting areas, hallways, washrooms, break rooms, locker rooms, and stairways.
It's important for businesses to encourage employees to regularly wipe down surfaces, efficiently recycle or dispose of waste, and organise their work desks. These practices are crucial for ensuring a pleasant and tidy work environment.
However, since employees and internal cleaning teams may not have the same equipment, training, experience, or accreditations as commercial cleaning services, it’s unrealistic to expect the same quality of work from them.
This is why some businesses outsource their cleaning to external partners, while others take a hybrid approach - with day-to-day cleaning managed in-house and more thorough and regular deep cleaning done by external professionals.
Working with professional cleaning companies is often more affordable than businesses might think, and an increasing number of businesses offer green cleaning services that align with sustainability initiatives.
Why is it important to keep your office clean?
There are several reasons to keep an office clean, and these include:
Improved health – When an office is kept clean, employees are less likely to fall sick. Any germs left on surfaces or work tools are quickly removed when there’s regular sanitising, which can ultimately reduce the number of sick days and increase productivity.
Heightened morale – In an office that's frequently cleaned, employees feel like their employers are taking better care of them and value their work.
A recent Staples survey indicated that 94% of workers felt more productive in a clean workspace, while 77% said they produced higher quality work in a clean environment.
Brand image – A clean office positively impacts your reputation in the eyes of partners, clients and any other visitors to your business. You come off as professional and welcoming, making them more likely to want to do business with you and relate to your brand.
On the other hand, an untidy and unclean office can leave visitors with a negative impression of your business. The International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) recently reported that 94% of people wouldn’t return to a business if they encountered dirty restrooms.
Compliance – Keeping your office clean is not only about the employee and reputational benefits but also about adhering to cleanliness standards set by authorities to ensure your business aligns with regulations and legal requirements.
How frequently should office cleaning be done?
The frequency of office cleaning depends on numerous factors, such as:
- The size of the office space.
Larger office spaces often need more cleaning since there are more spots where dirt could collect, and there's also usually more waste. - The type of office space and its furnishings.
Every office is different, with its unique cleaning requirements. For example, offices with many glass surfaces need cleaning techniques that don’t leave the finish smudged and foggy, and offices with cushioned furniture and carpets need more vacuuming and dusting. - The amount of foot traffic the office space receives.
Workspaces used and visited by many people are more likely to get dirty faster and need frequent cleaning.
For many offices, a weekly or daily cleaning schedule is enough to keep the workspace clean, but areas used frequently, such as washrooms, may need to be cleaned more than once a day.
Eco-friendly office cleaning is the way to go
Eco-friendly office cleaning primarily involves substituting conventional cleaning products with more natural alternatives free from harsh chemicals. Eco-friendly cleaning products are also biodegradable and sourced/produced and distributed more sustainably.
These have been proven to be more environmentally friendly and have many other benefits, such as:
- Reduced exposure to harsh/toxic chemicals.
- Improved indoor air quality.
- A healthier and more conducive workplace for employees
- An improved company image as your organisation is associated with a push for sustainability and environmental protection.
To enjoy the general perks of eco-friendly office cleaning, you can hire a cleaning company with eco-friendly options.
An increasing number of companies across the globe are adopting green cleaning products, consequently reducing harsh chemicals in their work environment and creating healthier workspaces for their employees.
5 Cleaning hacks to keep your office clean
On top of regular office cleaning and implementing eco-friendly practices, here are some simple cleaning hacks that can help you keep your office clean and sanitised:
Sanitise Your Hands Regularly
In a shared office, germs can easily move from one person to another. This often happens through simple actions like shaking hands or touching door handles.
Hand sanitising is an effective way to help prevent the spread of germs and illnesses.
It's recommended to place hand sanitiser dispensers in busy and high-traffic areas, such as the entrances to meeting rooms, break rooms, and near equipment like printers.
Your business might also consider providing disinfectant wipes for cleaning desks and shared spaces.
Encourage your team to use these wipes regularly and invest in education as to how to clean their workstation, including proper disposal of used wipes and empty sanitiser bottles.
Keep Clutter-Free Desks
A cluttered desk, covered with unnecessary items like old paper notes, packaging, or half-eaten snacks, not only looks unprofessional but can also attract insects and be a breeding ground for germs.
Encouraging employees to keep their desks tidy and regularly cleaned is essential.
One effective way to promote a clutter-free workspace is by providing adequate storage solutions.
Options like filing cabinets, shelves, drawers, and lockers can help employees store items they don’t need on a daily basis. This practice also aids in reducing waste, as employees can rely more on digital note-taking - cutting down on paper usage.
To further streamline desk cleanliness, consider placing waste and recycling bins close to each workspace. This makes it more convenient for employees to dispose of waste promptly, increasing the likelihood of effective waste management in the office.
Maintain a Tidy Kitchen
The office kitchen is a natural magnet for clutter and mess.
On top of being very unsightly and creating odours, leftover food, and kitchen waste are potential breeding grounds for all manner of germs.
You can address this by instilling a “clean-as-you-go” mentality in your employees so that kitchen stains and waste never accumulate to the point of smelling, decomposing, or attracting germs.
Additionally, following a cleaning rota can bring more order and efficiency to kitchen cleaning within your business.
Don’t Forget About Electronics
Electronics like computer keyboards, mice, landline phones, and others are notorious for having hard-to-reach nooks and crannies that collect dirt and germs.
With that in mind, get your employees in the habit of wiping these items with disinfectant regularly to slow down this build-up and kill any germs present.
And for important shared equipment like server racks and large format printers, consider hiring a professional cleaning service specialising in such electronics to properly sanitise them without damaging them.
Encourage Employee Responsibility
Take time to engage and educate employees on the importance of office cleaning and why everyone should share this responsibility to achieve the best results.
Remind employees about the hygiene and sanitary measures they can take on a personal level, like hand washing and sanitising.
When sharing office cleaning tips, pinpoint minor actions like regularly emptying bins and wiping surfaces, and emphasise the difference they make in keeping a clean office environment. Reinforce the “there’s a time and place for everything” philosophy to reduce habits like eating at the work desk instead of in designated areas like the cafeteria.
Remind employees how such practices can be disruptive for others and leave food particles that attract pests and their accompanying germs, along with unpleasant odours.
They can also devote some time to learning how to deep clean an office so they understand how to behave in a manner that reduces the cleaning required and perform impromptu thorough cleaning when necessary.
Office cleaning checklist
It is crucial to have an office cleaning checklist to help you properly organise all the thoughts, ideas, and actions that go into maintaining a clean work environment, such as:
- Areas to clean
- Cleaning methods to apply in different areas
- Sanitary actions to take at specific times
- Cleaning products to use
- Personnel in charge
- Cautionary steps to take when cleaning
A typical office cleaning checklist may include items like:
- Dusting and wiping down surfaces like desks, shelves and chairs.
- Vacuuming and mopping floors.
- Emptying trash cans and recycling bins.
- Cleaning windows and glass surfaces.
- Disinfecting shared equipment, such as copiers, keyboards and phones.
- Sanitising common spaces, including bathrooms and break rooms.
A cleaning checklist makes it easier for employees to know what they should be doing and when they should be doing it, making office cleaning a more straightforward routine with consistent results.
Green Facilities is Here to Help
Implementing eco-friendly cleaning practices and maintaining a clean office environment improves your employees' health and well-being and can improve your company's reputation.
Green Facilities offers a range of eco-friendly office cleaning solutions to help you keep your office clean and sanitised, at the same time as aligning with your sustainability goals.
To learn more about Green Facilities' office cleaning services and market-leading green cleaning solutions, contact the Green Facilities team for a tailored quote.