The start of the year always marks a new beginning, new perspectives, and new insights. Whether employees are coming from a long vacation or a quick celebration, there is nothing better at maintaining positive spirits than coming back to a clean and spotless workplace. Your workplace reflects everything. It shows not only the image of how the employees use the workspace, but it is also a mirror of what you aim to accomplish. When the environment is organized, employees are more likely to continue this kind of system. That is why it is necessary to have an office cleaning checklist at the very start of the year, if not monthly.
Prductivity and Office Clutter
According to the Harvard Business Review, a messy workspace can hinder or derail you from your persistence. Harvard conducted a test with over a hundred undergraduates to do an unsolvable task. Half of them did the project in an organized office space, and the other, in a disorganized area. It showed that those in a better environment were more dedicated to finishing the challenge than those who were in a messy office.
So what does this mean? It means that what you see heavily affects your mood and how you handle work. When you have a dirty and cluttered workspace, you could:
- Lose focus on the task at hand. There are too many things on your table. There is so much dust settled in the corner of the room. When you think about it often, it is hard to concentrate on what’s in front of you
- Spend too much time on an otherwise easy task. Because you do not have 100% focus on the work you are doing, you may end up spending too much time and resources over one thing.
- Experience increased stress and feel uninspired. When there is just too much chaos going around in the workplace, coming up with ideas can be quite tiring and more complicated.
- Make you sick and miss work. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in January 2018, over 4.2 million workers have had illness-related absences. The things with the most bacteria in the workplace, according to South University, are actually things we come into contact with daily such as computer keyboards, elevator buttons, and telephones. Since we devote so much time a day to our workplace, it isn’t surprising that people get sick at some point during work.
To resolve all of this, an office cleaning checklist may do the trick.
Your January Office Cleaning Checklist
Start the year right by having an office cleaning checklist to protect you and other people in the office from bacteria and other types of germs. Here are a few things you have to clean:
1. Reflective surfaces.
Do you have mirrors, windows, metal railings, elevators, and the like? The first thing you have to do is wipe them down. Reflective surfaces like this are not as prone to bacteria as other surfaces. They are the easiest to clean as they aren’t really often touched, and the surface is not prone to a germ or bacterial growth.
2. Walls and floors
We often take walls for granted, but it is actually one of the things most people see that leaves an impression. Clean walls free from dirt or unnecessary grime indicate care for the workplace environment. They can likewise boost the morale of employees to work hard, knowing that their facilities are well taken care of.
Floors, on the other hand, are one of the first few things people, whether an employee or businessman notices in an office or establishment. Is it clean? Is it sticky or too slippery? Does it feel like an unsafe place to work on? These are questions immediately answered in the workplace the moment you take your first steps because of how you feel between those steps.
3. Dust-prone surfaces
Surfaces such as keyboards, couches, office chairs, shelves, and the like are things you don’t leave out of an office cleaning checklist! These surfaces are prone to accumulate dust and other types of allergens present in the air. In turn, they can trigger nose inflammation and other types of common illnesses.
4. Moisture accumulating surfaces
Sinks, toilets, bathroom floors, and counters are areas of the workplace that are prone to accumulating moisture. What is terrifying is that moisture helps bacteria to spread to other types of surfaces slowly. With yeast, bacteria, and mold, they only need a home that is humid moist and warm enough to spread. That is why these are commonly found in the bathroom or kitchen. For pillows, couches, and cushion covers that have had moisture at one point, consider also washing them to prevent the start of bacteria growth.
January is the start of a new year. Show passion and care for your business and employees by making sure the items in this office cleaning checklist are done and ticked off.
Choosing a Company for Your Commercial Cleaning and Janitorial Services
Cleaning the office is not the same as cleaning the home. Because plenty of people use offices, there is a tendency to have different kinds of viruses everywhere. To prevent this, you should invest in an experienced company specializing in commercial cleaning services.
Contact Prestige Property Services today! Prestige Property Services offers specific commercial cleaning and janitorial services based on space, budget, and overall assessment of your property! Call us now and get a free estimate.
