Spring cleaning shouldn’t just be for houses – offices need a good cleaning too!
A clean and organised workspace can lead to a more productive and positive work environment. Here are some tips to get your office spring cleaning started:
Get motivated before you start your office spring clean
Cleaning an office isn’t the most exciting task, so it’s important to get yourself motivated before you start. Create a cleaning playlist and imagine how nice your workplace will look when it’s finished, whatever works to get you in cleaning mode!
If you want your project to be successful, it’s essential that you have some interest in doing it. So, before you do anything else, seek inspiration.
Consider how you want your office to look after it’s finished, as well as how it will make you and your staff feel.
You could also want to think about a reward that you can use after the job of cleaning your office is completed. Perhaps you’ll buy some new art to put on the wall or your desk, or maybe there’s a nice new piece of furniture that you can treat yourself to. Whatever it is, make sure that it’s something that will incentivise you to get cleaning!
Make a plan and set some cleaning goals
Once you’re feeling motivated, it’s time to make a cleaning plan. This doesn’t have to be complicated – simply decide what areas need to be cleaned and in what order you’re going to do them.
If you’re cleaning with others, assign specific tasks to each person so that everyone knows what they need to do.
Do a little bit at a time
“It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything you want to accomplish, especially before getting started. So, be sure to guard against that by reminding yourself that it’s perfectly all right to do a little at a time.” – Payscale
Some people choose to take a day off to do the entire project. If your schedule doesn’t allow for it, don’t worry. You can accomplish quite a bit in a few minutes here and there when you have the time.
Schedule cleaning time into your calendar
If you don’t have time to clean all at once, schedule cleaning time into your calendar. Dedicate a few minutes each day or a couple of hours each week to cleaning until the project is complete.
This will help you stay on track and make cleaning a priority. Plus, it will break up the cleaning so that it doesn’t feel like such a daunting task.
Start with the most important areas (office desks, bathrooms, reception area)
When you’re cleaning, it’s important to start with the most important areas first. These are the areas that get the most use and tend to get dirtier more quickly.
Some examples of high-traffic areas in an office include the reception area, the kitchen, and the bathrooms. These are the areas that you’ll want to focus on first.
Have a cleaning process - Your office spring cleaning checklist
Having a process to follow will make cleaning quicker and easier. Here’s an example of a cleaning process that you can use:
1. Pick up any items that are out of place and put them away.
2. Dust surfaces with a microfiber cloth.
3. Wipe down surfaces with a mild cleaning solution.
4. Vacuum or sweep the floor.
5. Mop the floor.
6. Empty all bins.
7. Wipe down the outside of cabinets, drawers, and doors.
8. Wash any dirty dishes in the sink.
9. Clean all windows and mirrors.
10. Disinfect door handles, light switches and any other high-touch areas.
You can adjust this cleaning process to fit your specific needs. For example, you may want to add in cleaning the fridge or cleaning out closets.
Divide and conquer
Once you have your cleaning plan, it’s time to start cleaning. But before you do, it’s important to divide the task into manageable chunks.
Start by cleaning one room at a time. Once that room is finished, move on to the next.
If you’re cleaning with others, assign specific tasks to each person so that everyone knows what they need to do.
Please your senses
When cleaning, it’s important to please your senses. This means that you should focus on making the space look, smell, and feel clean.
Start by decluttering the space. Get rid of any items that are no longer needed or that are cluttering up the room.
Then, focus on making the space look clean. This means dusting, sweeping, and mopping.
Finally, focus on making the space smell fresh. This can be done by opening windows, using air fresheners, or cleaning with scented cleaning products.
Making the space feel clean is all about creating a peaceful and relaxing environment. This may mean playing soothing music or burning candles while you clean.
Get rid of things you no longer use
Is your office full of items that you no longer use? If so, now is the time to get rid of them.
Start by going through all of the items in your office. Make a pile for things that you want to keep and a pile for things that you can get rid of.
Then, go through the pile of items that you want to keep and determine what can be stored away. Only keep out the items that you use on a regular basis.
Finally, get rid of the items that you don’t want to keep. You can donate them, sell them, or throw them away.
Deep clean your office space at least once a year
In addition to your regular cleaning routine, it’s important to do a thorough deep cleaning of your office at least once a year.
During a deep cleaning, you’ll want to focus on cleaning areas that are often neglected. This may include cleaning under furniture, cleaning the inside of cabinets and drawers, and shampooing carpets.
Deep cleaning can be a big project, so it’s important to plan ahead and give yourself enough time to get it done.
Consider hiring a professional cleaning company
If you don’t have the time or resources to clean your office yourself, you may want to consider hiring a professional cleaning company to keep your employees safe.
Professional cleaners can visit your business on a daily or weekly basis if needed or just as and when you need them. Your office cleaner can bring all cleaning supplies and replenish consumables like paper towels, sponges and toilet rolls, leaving you with a clean office and one less thing to worry about.
When hiring a cleaning company, it’s important to do your research and choose a reputable company that has experience cleaning commercial spaces, like Kaplan Cleaning Services, the office cleaning specialist in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
Remember to do these too:
Don’t forget about dusting
When most people think of cleaning, they think of sweeping and mopping floors. However, there’s one area that’s often overlooked – dusting.
Dust can build up quickly in an office, especially on surfaces like desks, shelves, and computer monitors. Be sure to add dusting to your cleaning plan so that you can remove all the dust and dirt from your office.
Blast out the cobwebs (check old files and paperwork)
Get your feather duster out and get rid of any cobwebs. They’re usually in awkward places, lurking in corners, on ceilings, behind radiators, and anywhere else difficult to get to regularly.
Empty the junk from kitchen cupboards
How often do you clean out the cupboards in the office kitchen? Often filled with food nobody has touched for months and leftover snacks from Christmas, as well as all sorts of tubs and lids, it’s a good chance to bin the stuff nobody wants and wipe down the cupboards and any surfaces.
Clean out the office fridge
How long has that bottle of mayo been in there, a couple of years? Let your staff know you’ll be having a fridge clear out so you don’t accidentally bin anyone’s dinner. (Sorry Tiff!)
Wipe the insides of the fridge down while you’re at it, using a mild antibacterial spray. Just for fun, hide someone’s lovely-looking meal and pretend it was thrown away during the clear-out.
Clean desks and office furniture
Wipe down any desktops, tables, chairs, or filing cabinets, and polish them after. Don’t forget to wipe computers, monitors, and other I.T equipment.
Desk drawers, writing utensils, paperwork, cables and electronic devices are easily missed too.
Don’t forget the soft furnishings
Curtains, blinds, sofas and cushions can often go a long time without being cleaned. This is also a good time to bring in a carpet cleaner or floor cleaner to remove any marks and stains.
Get rid of any waste
If you’ve been cleaning for a while, you’re likely to have discovered a few items that need to go. Remember to empty all bins, shredders, and waste paper baskets as well
Get your staff involved to go through old file folders, paper clips, binders, sticky notes and personal items and you’ll be surprised how much extra floor space you’ll end up with after.
Bulky Waste Collections
Local authorities offer bulky waste collection services for all residents while businesses will need to make arrangements for commercial waste collection. See Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council‘s website for Nuneaton and Bedworth or North Warwickshire Borough Council’s website for the rest of North Warwickshire, including Atherstone.
If tackling your office cleaning sounds like too much hard work, we can help. Our team of experts are more than happy to take care of the big clean for you – all you need to do is get in touch and let us know when’s best for you.
We also have a range of office cleaning services that will keep your workplace spick and span all year round, so why not take a look and see what could work for you?
Keep your office clean and clutter-free with our top tips – it’ll make working so much easier (not to mention more pleasant). Thanks for reading!
