Commercial Cleaning Blogs and Updates from Green Facilities

The Psychology Behind a Clean Workspace

Written by Manu Sareen | 31 August 2018 12:43:34 Z

A clean workplace is one of the most important factors in office productivity.  Not only does it affect the productivity of employees, but it affects the overall mentality of employees.  The dangers presented in a typical office can have a real effect on your physical well-being and mental health. 

There are three clear benefits to cleaning our work space: 

  1. It clears the physical space, so we can partake in the activity.
  2. It provides us with a sense of accomplishment which translates into motivation.
  3. It gives us time to think about or organise the activity in which we are about to engage.

The Psychology of clean spaces 

Keeping things clean in the workplace is important for both the clarity of the organisation and instrumental on your mental wellness.  A study about the psychology of the workplace found that people who described their workplace as “cluttered” were more likely to be fatigued and depressed.  This evidence shows the way that messy spaces can make it difficult to focus on particular tasks and achieve goals throughout the day. 

Clean spaces can also make us choose healthier lifestyle options.  For example, people who worked in a neat space for 10 minutes were twice as likely to choose an apple over a chocolate bar than those who worked in a messy office for the same amount of time.   This is due to the stressful effect that clutter has on the brain.  You are more likely to resort to coping mechanisms such as choosing comfort foods or overeating than if you spent the time in a neater surrounding. 

Having a clean work space will also help you sleep better.  This factor in turn will have many positive knock on effects.  Working around an untidy workplace could lead to do bring last minute tasks into your bedroom such as paying bills and writing emails.  This can cause you to stay up longer and make it more difficult to fall asleep.  A more organised work place and life can help make your bedroom a sanctuary for rest. 

Clean work spaces boost productivity

Not only has research has confirmed that it can actually affect your ability to focus if your workplace is cluttered and dirty, but companies will lose a significant amount of time and revenue because of unclean office environments.  Looking at too many things at once interfere with your brains ability to process information, so common sense will suggest that. with less time wasted searching for important office in your untied work environment, a tidy, well organise office leads to a more productive day. 

Not only are workers less inclined to waste time in a dirty, cluttered office, they are also significantly less stressed in a clean, uncluttered environment, and mess can result in trying to focus on too many things at once, leading to heightened stress levels. 

Conclusion

Cleaning often gets regarded as a simple routine but there are far more surprising benefits to it, which we have explored in this blog.  Green facilities management has years of experience and we understand how to help you create a healthy working environment for you, your team and your customers.  One that helps both the mind and the body. 

If you’d like additional professional advice with no obligation, contact Green Facilities, a UK- based cleaning company headquartered in London. We offer cleaning consultancy, cleaning audits, contracted commercial cleaning services and one-off deep cleans. We take pride in delivering tailored cleaning solutions to fit your unique needs.