Numerous studies have shown the importance of keeping a clean work space for productivity – read through our top ten tips to ensure you keep your desk in check!
Grubby Keyboards
Eat your sandwiches at your desk? Tend to neglect the dusting? We all get a little too slack about cleaning at work, and our keyboards take the hit! Dust, crumbs and other nasties can easily fall into the cracks and get stuck there, so turn your keyboard upside down at the end of each day to clear out the majority of the mess. You can also use a post it note to run along the keyboard gaps; this should get out the smallest crumbs and pieces of dust.
Stacks of Papers
We all have that infamous stack of office papers festering on our desks with no real use – we don’t even remember how they first got there… Take half an hour to go through them all, shredding the ones you don’t need and filing the ones you do. Once you’ve cleaned up your desk you’ll have more space. Plus in a recent study it was revealed that a cleaner, clearer work space makes for more productivity throughout the working day!
According to the National Association of Professional Organizations, paper clutter is the No. 1 problem for most businesses. Studies show the average person wastes 4.3 hours per week searching for papers, which adds stress and frustration to the workplace while reducing concentration and creative thinking.
To avoid the stacks of paper building up again, mark on each piece whether it can be shredded or filed away, and act accordingly.
Mucky Microwaves
Everyone wants hot food, especially in the winter months, hence the office microwave sees its fair share of different meals each and every lunchtime. And who bothers to clean it? No one! To remedy a dirty microwave, collect a handful of wet paper towels, put them inside the microwave and run it for 2-3 minutes. The moisture in the wet paper towels will soften the dirt and grime inside the microwave – making it easier to wipe down everyone’s mess.
Dreggy Dustbins
Everything from your discarded chewing gum, orange peel and the remains of your lunch go into your desk dustbin – therefore it’s only sensible to keep it as clean as you possibly can. As well as regularly changing the bin bag and giving the bin itself a quick wipe down with antibacterial wipes; a good hack is to line the bin with newspapers so that any excess liquid or oil from items thrown away is dissolved.
Crazy Cables
Not only do they look unattractive, but masses upon masses of unruly, loose computer cables can be a safety hazard! Keep them in check using binder clips.
Pesky Plants
Everyone loves an office plant to brighten up the place; whether you go for fresh flowers, an exotic cactus or blossoms of the fake variety, it is up to you.
However, it’s useful to remember that whilst fresh flowers won’t get dusty, there might be falling pollen or petals to contend with which will need to be cleaned up.
Plants or fake flowers tend to collect a lot of dust, so giving them the once over weekly with a dusting cloth will keep them looking their best.
Label It
There’s nothing worse than having everything neatly filed away, but not being able to find anything when you need it. Having a fool-proof filing system in place is half the battle. However, you should get yourself a label maker to ensure that you know what each and every file contains. Label everything from drawers to files to cabinets; this way not only will you know where to find everything you need and be able to do so quickly, your colleagues will also be able to put things away for you in your workspace if need be.
Accidental Spills
Coffee, tea and 2 litre bottles of water are all office essentials which help get us through the day. However due to the amount we get through on a daily basis, the odds are that something is going to get spilt sooner or later!
If your spillage has made its way onto a book or notepad, then a simple hack to save it, is to simply fan out the pages, sprinkle on some talcum powder or corn-starch to soak up the moisture and leave it to sit for 5-6 hours. Finish by brushing off the powder and your papers should be good as new (aside from being a little wrinkly).
Sullied Screen
You spend all day staring at your computer screen, so the least you can do is make sure it’s clean and splatter free! Eating lunch at your desk can cause specks of food to fly up onto your screen; combine this with germs from coughs/sneezes and a plethora of dust and it’s of no wonder your screen often looks smudged and dirty.
Keep a packet of disposable screen wipes by your desk so that you can wipe down as and when you need to. Alternatively, buy a screen wipe that you can wash and reuse over and over.
Finish with a Tidy Up
We know after the end of a long day it can be tempting to rush out of the office as soon as possible. However, by having a quick tidy up of your things, and organising your desk, you will be able to start the next day on a positive note – and your desk should stay spick and span with relatively little effort.
By doing a little tidy up every day, you’ll avoid having to do a huge tidy-up when your desk gets completely out of control – and this big tidy-up will take a whole lot more time in the long run!
