1. How often should you clean your office?
An office should be deep cleaned at least twice a year. Disinfecting every area of the office, cleaning floors and tire grout, change of air filters, and cleaning the furniture is considered deep cleaning practices. Just because you don't need to deep clean often, doesn't mean that the office doesn't need occasional tidying up.
It is recommended to do a light office clean as frequently as every week. Light clean consists of wiping off the dust, throwing out the trash, wiping your laptop or computer, and other small cleaning tasks.
It is crucial to gain a habit of regularly cleaning your office for a safe environment of your workers and clients.
2. Cleaning the Office Desk
Office desk is where you spend most of your time at work. It is crucial to keep this area clean and disinfected for yours and clients' safety. A clean desk where everything is organized is so much more pleasant to do your job at than at a messy and disorganized table. A clean desk encourages productivity and eliminates the
Before the cleaning process, sort out a pile of documents you might have on your table. It is easier to put all the documents in dedicated file folders to keep the area more organized. Collect all the trash and small items, like stationery, that is lying on your desk and in your drawers, especially the "junk drawer" that every desk has. The cleaning process will be easier when you don't have anything in the way.
You should also use the this time to get rid of all the clutter that you might have on your desk. Throw away unwanted stationery and documents that you do not need anymore. It is easier keep up daily cleaning of your desk when there is not a lot of clutter on your table.
2.1 Cleaning methods
To start, grab a microfiber cloth and a bucket of warm water. Avoid using a strong smelling cleaning solution since the aroma will be too powerful and leave you with a headache while sitting at your desk for eight hours.
With a damp microfiber cloth, wipe the whole desk. Don't forget to to get into the desk drawers that might have crumbs and dust from all the stuff you have been keeping in them. If you have water marks left, grab a dry microfiber to wipe all the excess water.
2.1.1 Disinfection with steam
A damp cloth is good for just tiding up the area, but you should disinfect your officdesk at least every week for a safe environment. For this task, you can use steam for a quick disinfection. Just apply steam on the entire surface of your desk for at least three seconds, and wipe off any residue with a dry microfiber.
Steam is also very useful if you have any gum stuck to your desk. Apply steam on the gum for three seconds and use a brush or a paper towel to scrub it off. Steam will heat up the gum and make it easier to wipe off. If there are any pieces of gum left, repeat the steps to clean the affected area.
2.1.2 Marker stain removals
If there are any expo marker or permanent marker stains still left on the surface of your desk, try using a nail polish remover to get rid of them. Just soak a cotton ball with some of the remover and gently blot the problem areas. Before you use the remover, please test it on a hidden spot of your desk to ensure that the acetone won't ruin your surfaces.
2.2 Desk accessories
Once you are done with your desk, proceed with cleaning the desktop accessories like pen holders, organizers, and desk phone. You can use paper towels and a cleaning solution to do so, or the damp microfiber you used for the table.
2.3 Computer screen
Do not forget to clean your computer, keyboard, and mouse. These items collect the most dust and germs since you are constantly touching them with your hands. It is important to disinfect these items on your desk often in order to prevent getting sick.
To clean your computer and the computer accessories, you can dilute mild dish soap in some water and use it to clean the screen of your computer. You should never use any harsh chemicals, like certain glass cleaners, since they can damage your screen. A microfiber cloth damped with dish soap solution would best and safest option for cleaning. Make sure to squeeze out most of the water in order to not damage your computer with too much moisture. Do not forget to unplug the computer and computer mouse before you start cleaning.
To clean the keyboard, you can use compressed air to blow out dust and crumbs from that are stuck between the keys. After getting rid of most of the residue, use disinfectant wipes on the keys. Make sure to focus on keys like the space bar. Also, be careful with disinfectant wipes so the liquid that the wipes are soaked in doesn't drip between the keys damaging your keyboard.
You can also use a disinfectant wipe on your computer mouse or the office phone for quick disinfection.
3. Cleaning the Upholstery in office
It is important to deep clean the furniture in your office and least once a year. Office chairs, floors, walls, and window sills need to be taken care of just like your desk. Those items seem to be neglected the most at the office, although they collect the most bacteria, dirt, and dust.
3.1 Office chairs
To clean an office chair, you can use rubbing alcohol with a couple of drops of essential oils to get rid of stains and spills from liquids like coffee. Coffee leaves a strong smell if spilled on fabric, but a mixture of essential drops and rubbing alcohol will get rid of the stain and ensure to leave your office chair smell free. This solution also acts as a disinfectant, ensuring to kill most of the bacteria you might have on your chair.
For leather chairs, use a milder cleaning mixture to not damage the material. Dish soap with diluted with water is a safe way to clean all leather goods. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe any leather goods you have in the office.
Discover this guide for Furniture steam cleaning
3.2 Carpet floors and rugs
Rugs collect a lot of dirt that you bring into the office from the outside. This is why it is crucial to clean them often.
Begin cleaning the rugs by vacuuming them first. There are a lot of crumbs and dust stuck between the fibers of a rug so it is important to get rid of that residue first. Ensure to use a strong vacuum so it will suck up all the little particles in the rug.
You may proceed by mixing a small amount of vinegar with water in a spray bottle and applying it all over the carpet. Let that mixture sit on your rug for a couple of minutes, and then wipe it with a microfiber. This will get rid of smells and dirt that is stuck in the rug. This solution also acts as a disinfectant.
Steamers are also very helpful for cleaning rugs. Steam kills the bacteria as well as removes any marks you might have from food or liquids. In addition, steam won't leave your rug dripping with water after a deep clean since steam is a dry cleaner.
Check this review of steam mops and floor steam cleaners
4. Windows cleaning
Dirty windows give a very unprofessional look to an office space. No one wants to look outside the window and see oily fingerprints and other grease.
To wash windows, use an ammonia free glass cleaner with a dry microfiber. Ammonia free cleaners are smell free and insure to leave your windows streak free. One of the best ammonia free glass cleaners is the Sprayway Glass Cleaner. The foam formula ensures that there is no liquid dripping that might lead to streaky finish. To learn more about glass cleaners and best cleaning methods for windows, you can read this complete guide for windows cleaning.
To clean window sills use a duster to get rid of the dust that gets collected around the window. You can use any all purpose cleaner and a cloth to wipe the window sill after cleaning the dust.
5. Cleaning of Hard Floors in the office
Floors, just like rugs, collect the most dirt and bacteria. Depending on what kind of flooring you have, there are different cleaning methods for each.
5.1 Hardwood floors
To start, use a dust mop or a vacuum to pick up dirt, hair and other debris that is on the flooring. It is recommended to use a floor brush attachment for a safe clean since a beater bar attachment might damage the surface.
Vacuuming doesn't remove the grime build up on the floor so it is important to use a liquid cleaner for a deeper clean. Pay special attention to the cleaner you are using to prevent damaging the flooring.
Following the instruction of the preferred cleaner. soak a rag or a mop in the mixture and wring it out to ensure that your cleaning device is not completely wet but just damp. Proceed by wiping the whole area as well and under the desks and chairs.
Learn more about cleaning of wood floors
5.2 Marble floors
It is highly recommended to use a dust mop for marble flooring. The gentle microfiber won't leave any scratches on the stone surface and collect all the debris effectively. Vacuums' rough brushes cause scratches and damage the porous surface of marble so it is best to stick to using a dust mop.
Even though you should never apply any harsh liquid chemicals on marble, you still need to use some liquid agent for a deep clean. Your best cleaner for stains and such on marble flooring is hot water. It will get rid of any sticky dirt stuck to the flooring.
You can also buy a pH-neutral cleaner since it is mild and won't damage the porous surface of marble. Just add it to your hot water for a an amazing cleaning agent.
To start cleaning, soak a microfiber mop in your mixture and proceed by cleaning from the farthest point go the room to the exit. Use short strokes and a spin mop for the fastest and most efficient clean.
5.3 Steamers for floor cleaning
Steam is safe for all floors. Office Steam Cleaner Fortador Volt Mini does not require to use any harsh chemicals so it will not damage any surfaces. It is also very easy to clean with a steamer since most of them already come with a soft microfiber attachment that is used for flooring. Steam does not only clean your space but also disinfects all the surfaces you apply it on.
To clean, just use the mop attachment all over the office flooring for a sparkly clean finish free of residue and dirt.
6. Trash can cleaning
Trash cans also need a deep clean after a while. When you throw away food or sticky liquids, they stick to surfaces of your trash can producing a smell. No one wants to sit at a desk that has a strong aroma of old food surrounding the whole area.
First, throw away the pile of garbage in your trash can. Make sure to change the trash bag of the trash can as frequently as possible to keep bad smells from occurring. Create a drawer where you can keep extra trash bags on hand.
After throwing out the trash, grab a rag and a disinfecting cleaner and wipe the inside and the outside of the trash can. You can use a cleaner that has bleach in it to disinfectant that area as well.
7. Tips for office cleaning
- Use Swifer Dust Cleaner to go over your office desk, keyboard, and other objects that attract a lot of dust. This device will ensure to leave your surfaces dust free.
- Always keep a disinfectant wipe on hand. Store a pack of them in you desk compartment for easy access when accidents like coffe spills happen.
- Create a habit of cleaning on a regular basis. Start by wiping your table once everyday, or putting documents away in their dedicated files right when you are done with them. This will keep your working area tidy and clutter free at all times.
- Have a bottle of compressed air to clean crumbs from your keyboard. It is a very easy way to maintain a clean area for your work.
- Keep a small vacuum for a quick clean up. It is a good tool to use pick up any crumbs you might have dropped after lunch.
- It is recommended to higher a deep cleaning service at least once a year. Companies who provide those services will leave your office spotless and it will be easier to keep up with daily clean up after a professionals cleaned your office.
- Clean your desk daily. You don't want to breathe in the dust and dirt for eight hours of work everyday. Disinfecting desks is a crucial part of cleaning.
Conclusion
It is crucial to tidy up your working space at least every week. No one likes to work in a pile of dirt so implementing daily offie clean ups is very important. Creating a clean space promotes better work ethic and makes you focus on your work instead of starring at the dirt that is surrounding you.
The numerous tips that were included in this article is what will keep your woking environment looking professional and pleasant to work in. Office cleaning doesn't have to be hard and lengthy, and hopefully this article showed you that and taught you many tips that you will implement in your own office.