Did you know that the average office worker spends over 1300 hours at their desk every year?
With so much time spent working at desks, it should be a priority for both businesses and employees to ensure that workstations are clean, and hygienic, and provide a pleasant working environment.
But the reality is that desk cleanliness often takes a back-seat, especially when employees are busy dealing with their daily tasks.
It’s amazing how quickly piles of documents, post-it notes, empty mugs, snack wrappers, and sandwich crumbs from a ‘working lunch’ can disrupt the cleanliness, organisation, and ambience of a workspace.
Left unaddressed, rows of messy, cluttered desks can have a negative impact on the perception of your business for any guests or potential clients.
But this isn’t the only negative effect.
It’s actually been found that the cleanliness of desks and workstations can have a significant impact on the stress levels and productivity of employees - which can have a profound influence on the efficiency and performance of your business.
In this article, we’re going to take a deeper look at the benefits of maintaining a clean desk and offer practical tips to help you achieve clean workstations across your business.
What are the benefits of a clean desk and workstation?
It can be easy to dismiss the importance of keeping desks clean and tidy when people are busy.
You might even find that some employees are reluctant to tidy up their workspace, perhaps claiming that they "know where everything is" in the growing mountain of documents piling up on their desks.
However, when you look at the tangible business benefits of maintaining a clean desk and workstation, it becomes clear that it’s something every office-based business should prioritise.
Increased productivity
When documents and equipment are neatly and logically organised, your employees are likely to spend less time searching around for what they need and more time focusing on their tasks.
This can lead to a reduction in ‘wasted’ time and improvements in overall productivity.
Additionally, when your employees have a clean and tidy workstation, it reduces the likelihood of distractions, allowing them to concentrate better and work more effectively.
Improved employee mental health
You might be surprised to learn that a clean desk can also have a positive impact on employee mental health.
Evidence suggests that working in a cluttered environment can actually result in feelings of stress and anxiety, which isn’t ideal if you want your employees to perform their jobs to the best of their ability.
A tidy, organised environment, on the other hand, can help promote a sense of calm and order - leading to improved performance and reductions in stress-related absences.
Enhanced professional image
A clean, well-organised office can help project an image of professionalism, attention to detail, and efficiency. This can be crucial for making the right impression on clients, suppliers, and any other guests who visit your business.
Maintaining a tidy environment can also make your employees feel proud of their workplace, which can help create a stronger sense of belonging and loyalty.
Better health and hygiene
It’s estimated that more than half of office workers across London actually eat lunch at their desks.
While this may seem harmless, it can actually contribute to desks and workstations becoming breeding grounds for germs and bacteria, which can in turn lead to illness and increased absences.
Taking steps to discourage eating at desks whilst regularly cleaning and disinfecting desks and workstations can improve the health of employees in your office.
8 office cleaning tips to help you maintain a clean workstation
After reviewing the business benefits of maintaining clean desks across your business, you might be wondering how you can work towards this goal
The truth is, you’re unlikely to succeed without the commitment and active participation of all your desk-based employees.
The following tips can help you communicate your vision, engage your employees, and help you achieve clean and tidy desks and workstations across your office:
Adopt a clean desk policy
A formal clean desk policy can help set clear expectations for employees, helping them understand what they are required to do and reinforcing the importance of maintaining a tidy workspace.
Every business is different, but an example of a clean desk policy might require employees to tidy up their space at the end of each workday, file away any documents, reduce clutter, and make sure that cups, glasses, and plates are cleaned or placed in the dishwasher
Your clean desk policy can be included in employee handbooks and reinforced through regular reminders. You might also consider providing incentives, such as recognising and rewarding employees who consistently maintain clean workstations to encourage engagement.
If you want to take things a step further, participation in events like Clean Desk Day can be a lighthearted way to reinforce your message.
Invest in practical storage solutions
If you’re asking employees to follow a clean desk policy, it’s important to provide them with the right equipment and storage solutions so they can meet your expectations.
Equipment like filing cabinets and desk organisers can help your employees maintain a professional and clutter-free workspace.
Discourage eating at desks
We clean a lot of office spaces, and we’re always amazed at how many food crumbs can find their way into keyboards and onto desks.
It’s important to encourage employees to eat their lunch away from their desks to help keep your desks and workstations clean, hygienic, and safe.
It’s worth reminding employees that taking breaks away from their computer screens can also be beneficial for their mental well-being and productivity, giving them a chance to recharge.
If you want employees to stop eating at their desks, it’s important to make sure that you have enough seating in your break rooms or communal areas, so that they can enjoy their lunch and socialise with colleagues.
Go paperless where possible
If you’re looking around your office and seeing piles of paper on various desks, it’s likely you need a solution to help reduce paper clutter.
One of the most effective ways to reduce paper clutter is to reduce the amount of paper that’s used by your business in the first place.
Taking steps towards going ‘paperless’ might include implementing cloud-based storage systems that allow for easy access, sharing, and collaboration of digital documents.
You might also introduce digital signature solutions that reduce the need for physical paperwork with clients.
Making the transition to digital documents not only helps you reduce paper clutter but also comes with cost benefits and a positive environmental impact.
Provide access to green cleaning products
If you’re asking employees to follow a clean desk policy, it’s important to make sure they have easy access to the right cleaning products and equipment for wiping down and sanitising their workstation at the end of each day.
When you’re selecting the products you make available to employees, it’s worth considering choosing green cleaning products instead of traditional cleaning solutions.
Green cleaning products are made with natural and non-toxic ingredients, which are kinder to the environment. They are also less likely to negatively impact indoor air quality or cause skin irritations, making them a better solution for employee health.
As part of our office cleaning services for businesses across London, Green FM is able to provide businesses with a wide range of tried and tested green cleaning products to help staff keep their desk and workstations clean.
Clean computer screens and keyboards
Ready for a slightly unsettling fact? It’s estimated that the average office keyboard is home to 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat.
So as part of your approach to keeping your desks and workstations clean, it’s important not to forget keyboards and monitors.
For keyboards, your cleaning process might start with a quick wipe down with a microfibre cloth to remove any surface debris. An air duster can be useful for clearing out dust and dirt trapped beneath the keys. But perhaps the most important thing to remember is to wipe down your keyboard with a disinfectant wipe at the end of each day to prevent the buildup of bacteria and germs.
When it comes to cleaning your computer screen, it’s important to note that every monitor is different and needs to be cleaned with the right products to make sure you don’t inadvertently cause damage.
We’ve put together a helpful guide on how to clean a computer screen - but it’s also worthwhile revisiting your manufacturer guidelines to give you peace of mind that the right cleaning approach is taken.
Have disinfectant wipes available
Encouraging your employees to use disinfectant wipes on their desks and workstations can help kill germs and bacteria and prevent the spread of illness in the workplace.
We've already touched on the importance of giving keyboards a regular wipe down with disinfectant wipes, but this practice extends to all commonly used equipment and hard surfaces such as desk surfaces, phones, and computer mice.
If you have shared equipment in areas like conference rooms, it’s also important to make sure this is disinfected regularly as part of your office cleaning rota.
Don’t forget the digital declutter
The focus of this article has been on physical desktops and workspaces.
But with employee wellbeing and productivity in mind, it’s also important to encourage a clean and organised approach to digital desktops.
Digital decluttering involves organising files, deleting unnecessary documents, and creating a logical folder structure
The effective organisation of digital files can help improve the efficiency of employees and reduce the sense of overwhelm they might have when opening up their computer in the morning.
If you’re looking to help employees better manage their digital desktop, consider providing guidelines on file naming conventions and folder structures to standardise practices across your business.
Green FM: Your office cleaning experts
Maintaining clean and hygienic desks and workstations is important for boosting productivity, reducing distractions, improving employee health, and presenting a professional image of your business.
The practical tips we've introduced in this article can be implemented by any office-based business and can help you get closer to your goals.
However, sometimes it's worth getting the support of professionals to help maintain a clean office environment and cover areas that aren’t as easily managed internally, like deep cleaning and infection prevention.
Green FM are ISO-certified office cleaning specialists with over two decades of experience working with businesses across London.
Our commitment to sustainability and green cleaning makes us the ideal partner for any business looking to maintain the highest standard of cleanliness and hygiene while protecting the environment.
Contact us today to find out how we can help keep your office environment clean and healthy.
Our friendly team will be happy to conduct a free cleaning assessment to identify gaps in your current office cleaning, and develop a tailored plan to meet your business needs.
