Office cleaning ideas for every employee

Keeping your work environment clean and tidy for not just yourself but also your employees can have a significant impact on productivity and also the general atmosphere of an office. We’ve rounded up some office cleaning ideas to help you.

Whether you’re the manager of a smaller office or the head of a huge department, certain principles of cleanliness and tidiness could have a massive effect not only on efficiency but on employee morale too.

Here’s a brief guide to all the things that every office manager should do to keep their office clean and why it is that those things are so crucial.

It’s not massively difficult to keep a smaller office space clean if you know these simple measures. In essence: the cleaner your workspace is, the happier your employees (and you) will be.

Try these office cleaning ideas today…

Office cleaning ideas for small businessses

Stock cleaning products

Employees will often have the motivation to clean their workplace, but when there is no cleaning equipment or facilities the motivation is lost. Make sure you stock enough cleaning products so that they are available when employees need them. Also, the sight of cleaning supplies reminds employees to tidy and organise their area. Refrain from buying harsh and chemical-heavy cleansers because they add toxicity to the workplace.

Distribute responsibility

The obligation of tidying up the workplace shouldn’t be left to one specific employee or specific employees. You will need to consider distributing cleaning duties to all employees. For example, you can group employees and allocate them cleaning certain areas or certain days of the week.

Schedule a deep-clean day or days

It is best practice to schedule at least two days in a year to engage in a deep clean. This will be towards the end of the year or during the summer. Thoroughly clean personal spaces as well as the common communal spaces like kitchens and bathrooms.

Relate cleanliness to safety

You’ll be able to better encourage employees to keep the office clean by relating cleanliness to safety. An example of this being, explain to employees how hygiene in common areas like kitchens and bathrooms controls the spread of germs and bacteria.

It is crucial to encourage regular hand washing in the office. Research indicates that over 80% of infectious diseases in the office are transmitted by physical touch and close contact. You can promote hand-washing by installing hand wash stations in the kitchen and bathroom with soap, towels, and warm air hand dryers.

Discourage eating at desks

Lots of employees find it convenient to eat their lunch at their desks while they work or during their designated lunch hour. If at all possible, discourage eating at desks and encourage employees to eat elsewhere like in the kitchen or communal area. By eating elsewhere, employees get a chance to take a proper break and improve their productivity when they return. Importantly, it keeps desks and keyboards clean away from food particles.

Draft a kitchen cleaning rota if needs be

The office kitchen can easily get messy with dirty cups and plates, overflowing bins, and food cluttering in the fridge. It is best practice to draw a kitchen cleaning rota so that all employees take part in cleaning the kitchen if you do not use the services of a commercial cleaning firm. The rota specifies who cleans where and when and reduces any conflicts. It also ensures that the kitchen is always clean, offering everyone a pleasant environment for work and stay.

Consider investing in electronics organisers

Forget about the desk organisers that hold supplies like pens, scissors, and markers. It’s time for an electronic organiser for your electronics. An electronic organiser keeps your tablet, phone, and laptop accessories organised easy to access, and most importantly – clean.

Strategically place baking soda pots

If you have an office without many windows, the build-up of a musty smell can be a turn off because of the lack of outside airflow. This can then result in headaches, clouded thinking, and respiratory conditions for employees. You can tackle this issue by placing pots of baking soda and essential oil drops in strategic spots of the office. Choose essential oils that promote focus, alertness, and productivity such as eucalyptus and peppermint. This hack combines a fresh scent, cleanliness benefit with a positive mood in the office.

Invest in a quality vacuum cleaner

Invest in a quality vacuum cleaner for spotless and fast cleaning. A good vacuum cleaner saves electricity and labour costs. It also cuts costs by reducing the need for floor maintenance and repair. When buying a vacuum cleaner, choose one with minimum disruption in case an employee needs to use it during office hours.

Use hydrogen peroxide to sanitise chairs

Among the office equipment that employees get in contact with daily are computers, desks, and chairs. The chairs accumulate dust, dirt, and even food spills over time. Regular maintenance and cleaning can prolong the life of your chairs and keep them clean. You can clean and sanitise your chairs using hydrogen peroxide and dish-washing soap. This leaves your chairs fresh, germ-free, and welcoming for employees, guests, and clients.

Drink stains from cups

How many times do employees drink from their desks? Anything from water, coffee, tea, or soft drinks? The answer is plenty. In lots of cases, the cup stains the tabletop with a stubborn water ring. You can get rid of the water ring using mayonnaise without damaging the desk. This hack keeps office desks clean and sanitary.

Although cleaning might not be part of an official employee’s job responsibility, it does not mean that employees cannot engage in light cleaning to achieve a healthy workplace for themselves and take responsibility for the mess.

As we have established, a clean and sanitary office has psychological and physical benefits because it not only increases concentration and productivity but also creates a pleasant work environment and a wonderful first impression for clients and visitors. A messy workplace has the potential to breed disease and stress and scare customers and visitors away.

Need a hand?

Do not wait until an untidy work-space affects your business adversely; follow these simple and effective office cleaning ideas and hacks to attain a clean and sanitary work environment and use the essential services of a commercial cleaning firm. Here at Precision Facilities Management, we’re experts when it comes to commercial cleaning services. We’re very proud of the quality of our services which include office cleaning and industrial cleaning and will ensure your site is always looking its best. If you want to improve the hygiene of your site to create a better working environment for your employees, consider our selection of professional cleaning services.

By improving the hygiene of your office or commercial building, you can drastically reduce the number of absences from your staff due to sickness and, therefore, increase productivity and efficiency. We always provide the highest level of quality for our cleaning services, so whether you’re looking for office, commercial or industrial cleaning, look no further than Precision Facilities Management. From pest control and waste management to window cleaning and sourcing cleaning supplies, we should be your choice.

Working with a Facilities Management company allows you to focus on the core of your business, without having to worry about building compliance, cleanliness of the workplace, keeping your assets secure and ensuring your workplace is a safe environment. To find out more about our professional cleaning services, click here.