How Often Should You Clean Your Office?

Whether it’s a busy day and you just don’t have time to think about anything other than the massive project you are working on, or you simply don’t see a reason to pull out the polish and give the whole office a bit of a dust, many employers don’t give a second thought to how often their offices should be cleaned.

But how long is too long to go between cleans and, more importantly, how is your cleaning routine affecting your employees and their productivity, and what is its impact on office hygiene?

The Office Essentials – Keyboards, Mice, Phone and Screen

It probably comes as no surprise that the desk is the most dirtiest place in the office. In fact,  a single work desk can contain over 400 times more germs than a toilet seat – not something that anyone wants to think about!

As the desk will be where your employees spend the majority of their working day, it’s important to help them stay healthy and happy while they go about their work – and coming into contact with tens of thousands of bacteria while checking their email isn’t something anyone wants to contend with.

Ideally, the office essentials such as keyboards, mice, trackpads on laptops, screens and phone should be cleaned with a disinfectant wipe at least every week, if not more often where possible. If an employee has been ill, more attention should be paid to their workstation to remove any germs which could cause others to become ill.

The Desk Itself

Many people use their desks to their full potential; no space is left unused and it is often a great way for your employees to show a little personality through decoration and organisation.

However, even the messiest of people should endeavour to keep their desk as tidy as possible. If your employees are sat at your desk every day for the majority of the day, they should be encouraged to clean them regularly when they see dirt and dust start to appear, which can be within days in some cases.

It’s a great habit to form, and can be encouraged by people in a management position by assigning a short length of time at the start of the week which should be dedicated to giving their desk areas a good clean down, ready for the work week and cleaning away the dirt and grime that has been accumulated over the previous week.

The Floor

It doesn’t matter whether you have a carpeted floor in your office or laminate or wooden style flooring instead, it’s important not to forget about it during cleaning. Carpets can hide a lot of dirt, dust and grime and, when left to accumulate over time, you’re running a higher risk of illness in the office.

The best way to tackle carpeted floor is to vacuum every evening or morning before your employees come into the office. Using a high-performing, heavy duty vacuum cleaner, you’ll be able to lift all the buildup of dirt and grime, and give your employees a cleaner feeling office to walk into at the start of the day.

For a more thorough clean, which should be done at least once a month, weekends provide the perfect opportunity to move the office furniture and give the whole floor a good, deep clean. There are plenty of carpet shampoos out there which soak into the tread of the carpet and remove dirt, stains and odours. Some often dry into a white powder and require vacuuming up.

For laminate and hardwood flooring, cleaning is a little more straightforward and can be done more regularly with little effort required. Using a mop and some floor cleaning products which are suitable for your floor type, you can simply mop the floor and leave to dry. This should be done a couple of times a week to ensure the flooring is kept free of any spills or dirt from during the day.

The Employees’ Bathroom

Just like any bathroom, regular cleaning is required to ensure employee satisfaction and happiness. Toilets which are left to the wayside and not cleaned become smelly and generally not very nice places to spend any amount of time.

While you may assume that your employees are all old enough to treat the bathroom with respect, it may be necessary to place some toilet etiquette posters to remind people that others need to use the bathroom too, in order to help you along with your dedication to keeping the office clean.

Toilets should be cleaned at least every week, with both the inside and outside of the bowl and the toilet seat being the main focus, as well as the taps and any surface that an employee’s hands may come into contact with, such as soap dispensers and hand dryer buttons.

The floor should also be mopped regularly, to avoid germs building up and causing illness. As the  flooring in bathrooms tends to be tiled or some form of hard material rather than carpet, it shouldn’t take long to give it the once over every day once the day is over. Pay particular attention to around the bowl area to deal with any drips which may have occurred from the bowl.

The Office Kitchen

If your office space has a kitchen area, or at least an area where food and drink can be prepared, it’s essential that it is cleaned on a regular basis to avoid the build up of dangerous germs and bacteria which can cause illness – especially if ingested.

Asking your employees to clean down after using the kitchen is a great way to keep on top of some of the cleaning requirements of the space. Getting them involved in the cleaning process, and making them understand the dangers of leaving food on uncleaned surfaces or using appliances which haven’t seen an antibacterial wipe in a few months can reduce the need for a thorough deep clean every week – although deep cleans should be regularly conducted to target the places which are often forgotten.

Office Windows

While this doesn’t necessarily have an impact on the health of your employees, having clean windows which give them a glimpse into the outside world and also let in natural light is important.

Natural light can help boost productivity of your employees, as well as their happiness and can even have a positive impact on their health.

Depending on the location of your office, your windows may not need to be cleaned all too regularly. Inner city offices will experience more dirt build up over a shorter period of time due to the air pollution and constant traffic flow past the building. It also depends on the landscape around your office – is it easily accessible for a window cleaner to actually reach your office windows safely?

Ideally, you’ll want to pay attention to your windows during the rainier months, as rainfall is one of the biggest culprits of dirty windows due to the mineral deposits it leaves behind. Window cleaning should be conducted more often in these months, whereas in the drier months, every other month is generally an acceptable schedule.

Are you looking to improve your office hygiene rules and make more of an effort to keep your workplace clean, safe and hygienic for all your staff? Our products be the perfect solution. For more information, don’t hesitate to contact us today.