You may be getting tired of a messy office, ready to do your own cleaning. Or, you may be thinking about hiring a commecial cleaning service. Either way, here are some thoughts on why it is a good idea.
Get rid of the clutter. Clean off the dust, dirt, and grime. Now, take a look around and admit it — you feel better.
We have talked a lot about how a clean workplace helps prevent the spread of virus and bacteria. We have even mentioned that a clean area results in higher productivity. And, while we believe it, we wanted to check out some other viewpoints. Here are some opinions mixed with results from clinical studies that we found to be interesting. By the way, before you start your project use your phone to take a snapshot of your desk.
Clutter in general and in the workplace
Research in the National Library of Medicine documents points out that visual stimuli generated by unnecessary sources (clutter) take as much of a share of our brain power as the really important stuff. Stuff like customer service, weekly reports, and making an important phone call can suffer as a result.
Clutter comes in many forms. If you need proof, Google it. I found a "most common clutter" list that included: supplies clutter, paper clutter, under desk clutter, desk/file drawer clutter. So, when all this clutter runs head-on into a difficult situation at work, something has to give. Productivity goes down, replaced by coping and avoidance strategies.
Our environment influences us in a big way — from messing with our emotions to working with others to not getting things done. In fact, there are quite a few studies that indicate a messy environment caused people to eat more snacks.
The good news is that each of us is the master of our desktop environment. Take control of yours by giving it a well thought out overhaul. Make decisions on: what is needed; what may be needed (heading for storage), and what is totally non-essential. Rid yourself of the extras. You will have more room for the everyday stuff, and make it easier to get your hands on it
Now we can start thinking about the cleaning.
Clean in general and in the workplace
This starts out sounding a lot like the clutter info. That is largely because clutter prevents efficient cleaning. It is very hard to maintain a clean workplace when you can't get to it. You are also less likely to take on a cleaning task if you have to move piles of reports first. Feeling overwhelmed by these circumstances, especially when it happens everyday, is distracting and brings up your stress level. So, down goes your productivity level. And we haven't even discussed cleaning away the contaminants.
Once you have gotten rid of the clutter, you are ready to tackle the dust and debris landing on your desk. First time around, plan on doing as thorough a job as possible. If you have a lot of dust, use soft damp cloths to pick it up and wipe it away. Follow that with a sanitizing spray, making sure to dissolve any stubborn spots. Be sure to pay attention to objects and areas that get a lot of "touches."
At this point, it is time to take a look at your work. To really see the progress, pull out that picture you took before starting and compare it with the clean version. Nice, right?
The Clean Team
NLC Solutions Commercial Cleaning
(908) 753-3900