While New Year’s resolutions are for setting personal goals, companies can also use this time of the year to review their processes.
Office cleaning is one such area to look into. Studies have shown that a clean, clutter-free office increases productivity and employee satisfaction. This is even more true during a pandemic when regular office cleaning is essential to comply with the latest health and safety advice while increasing employees’ sense of security. Therefore, it has become increasingly important for companies to establish and maintain an effective office cleaning routine: to help keep germs at bay–and employees happy!
Read on for our best cleaning tips and find out how commercial cleaning services can help keep your office sparkling clean all year round.
Table of Contents:
- » Start with the Shared Spaces
- » Declutter Your Desk
- » Disinfect All Surfaces
- » Set a Cleaning Schedule
- » Hire a Commercial Cleaning Expert with AF1 Cleaning & Maintenance.
Start with the Shared Spaces
Office mess starts in the common areas that everyone uses (but no one is responsible for). Washing dishes at the sink, emptying fridges and bins, wiping off kitchen tables: these mundane tasks can quickly become a problem for offices of any size.
While motivating employees to help with cleaning may work for some companies, it is not the best strategy to achieve a sparkling clean office. For one, employees might think that office cleaning is too time-consuming, and as a result, you might end up with common areas that have only been superficially cleaned. Furthermore, sharing the cleaning duties among your staff can also contribute to unnecessary stress–whether pandemic-related or not.
For spotless results, it is best to leave this task with a commercial cleaning company to make sure that COVID-19 health and safety standards are met (when employees should not be tasked with cleaning the common areas).
Also Read: Commercial Cleaning Tips to Stay Safe When Returning To Your Workplace During COVID-19
Declutter Your Desk
You can still encourage team members to tidy up after themselves, but such cleaning duties should only concern everybody’s own workspace. Small tasks like throwing out unused items, keeping your office supplies organized, wiping down your desk after a meal won’t take long, but help prevent clutter which in return, boosts productivity.
And, by being responsible only for your own space, you will naturally pay more attention to cleanliness all around the office. If everyone follows through, the mess will have no chance of showing up in the shared spaces.
Disinfect All Surfaces
Wiping crumbles, food stains, and liquids off desks goes a long way, but some surfaces are an easy target for bacteria and viruses to thrive on.
Therefore, consider the following disinfecting tips:
- In the common areas: Disinfect phones, doorknobs, light switches, and shared equipment (including microwave ovens, fridge handles, shared computers, and projectors).
- Around private desks: Disinfect your phone, screen, mouse, keyboards, and the entire surface of your desk (especially if you have meetings at your desk).
Always make sure you have disinfectant spray and wipes available (buy them in bulk). For intense disinfection in washrooms and areas where you regularly receive visitors, consult your office building cleaning services. A commercial cleaning company can give you further cleaning tips, as well as advice on how to comply with the latest COVID-19 rules while carrying out your disinfection tasks.
Also Read: How Commercial Cleaning Can Reduce Allergies in the Workplace
Set a Cleaning Schedule
A cleaning schedule helps identify the zones that need special attention (washrooms, shared kitchens, or meeting rooms) and establish when and how to clean them. It should include all essential cleaning tasks and the person responsible for them. Items on the schedule should range from daily cleaning (vacuuming and mopping the floors, sanitizing washrooms, emptying the bins, and so on), and weekly tasks (polishing hardwood floors, emptying fridges) to monthly and quarterly deep cleaning duties (cleaning fabric chairs and curtains and carpets).
Every office is different and needs a different cleaning routine. A lot depends on the layout of the space, size of teams, working hours, lunch habits, furnishings, and other factors. The right office building cleaning services can help identify the areas that need regular care and advise you on an effective cleaning routine tailored for your office.
Also Read: The Ultimate Daily, Weekly, And Monthly Office Cleaning Checklist
Hire a Commercial Cleaning Expert with AF1 Cleaning & Maintenance
As we begin another year in the shadow of a pandemic, companies must review their office cleaning processes and find ways to improve them.
Even if your employees are motivated to clean at work, specialized commercial cleaning services for offices usually bring better and safer results. Commercial cleaning experts, such as AF1 Cleaning & Maintenance, can take the burden off your shoulders when it comes to daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning tasks, and at the same time, ensure compliance with the latest COVID-19 regulations.
At AF1 Cleaning & Maintenance, we offer full-service commercial cleaning services to help stick to your office cleaning routine in the new year and beyond. Call us for more information about our full range of office cleaning services.