Just like homes, offices require TLC too to ensure that they are kept in peak condition. This is why many businesses hire designated office cleaners to ensure that their workplace maintains a high standard of cleanliness, tidiness and organisation. Here are the top five things that you and your staff should do to maintain a clean office:
Look Beyond The Surface
Cleanliness transcends things looking clean. After all, your office may appear spotless to the naked eye, but most likely requires deeper disinfecting, especially post-Covid, as office staff are increasingly aware that looks can be deceiving and germs can linger anywhere. From hot desks where colleagues share workspaces, to communal areas where meetings with clients take place, and of course your bathroom facilities – there are plenty of places for germs to linger.
The worst culprits for germs and bacteria in the office are your desktop, with 400 times more germs than a toilet seat, and telephones, which harbour even more bacteria. As employees continuously touch these surfaces, build-up of potentially dangerous germs can occur, necessitating regular cleaning. It is also advised that phones, desktops and keyboards undergo a deep clean every now and again. Be sure to grab some disinfectant and some cotton buds to get into hard-to-reach crevices.
Take Your Lunch Elsewhere
Encourage your workforce to avoid eating at their desks, and try to provide them with an alternative communal space to enjoy their lunch.This provides staff with an opportunity to relax, unwind and boost productivity. Eating at desks creates crumbs, grease and grime, as well as pungent lingering smells if you indulge in a particularly flavoursome lunch. More worryingly, studies carried out by SMC Premier show that only 11% of employees clean their desk properly after eating there.
Keep Up The Good Work
Cleaning your office every so often simply isn’t enough to maintain a consistently clean work environment. You’ll need to schedule regular cleans with your chosen professional to maintain the high standards your employees and clients expect. This goes beyond hiring professional cleaners – it’s also vital that your staff get on board and maintain the work that your cleaner has carried out to avoid mess accumulating again. This is especially important considering that only 40% of employees surveyed by SMC Premier would be willing to clean up communal mess if they absolutely had to. Try to encourage your employees to undertake small tasks such as emptying their bin at the end of the day, and be sure to provide basic cleaning supplies such as anti-bacterial spray and hand sanitiser for communal use.
Storage And Organisation
Your office will be cleaner and tidier if everything you own has a place. Designate paper files, invest in stationary holders, and always have a bin nearby to ensure that any waste is properly disposed of. If something doesn’t have a designated space, there’s more chance of things piling up into mounds of clutter. An organised workspace is also a great way to mitigate the stress of lost pens and paperwork. A 2022 survey revealed that office workers spend an accumulative one and a half days per year searching through mounds of paperwork and files for specific documents. Not only is this time consuming, but this can disrupt the flow of work and cause unnecessary stress. With ample available office storage, workers can reclaim this time.
Speaking of timeliness, improved cleanliness, storage and organisation can even boost productivity. After all, an organised environment is indicative of an organised mind. In fact, a study carried out by the Staples Corporation unveiled that 94% of employees feel that their productivity is enhanced by a clean office. The same study revealed that 77% of employees believe they produced better work in a clean office. So, if you want to improve your team’s output, investing in office cleaning services is the way to go.
Hire A Cleaning Professional
It is vital that you source a cleaning professional to carry out your office cleaning services and maintain a hygienic and productive work environment for your employees . They will have the expertise, tools and equipment required to leave your office spotless. After all, office cleaning isn’t something to be taken lightly. Illnesses caught at work led to 38.8 million days off between 2019 and 2020. When totalled, this cost British businesses over £16 billion.
Finding a reputable local cleaner can be transformative to your office space and your cohort of staff. It can reduce the risk of illness contracted within the office environment, impress clients and visitors, and improve motivation.
The team at Virtu understand the huge impact a clean office can have. That’s why we created CleanPlus+, our complete office cleaning solution. From skirting boards to lobbies, desks to elevators, our cohort of cleaning professionals provide clients with a service they can truly rely on. Our team carry out a detailed site survey, followed by a site matrix to lay out our agenda of when, where, and how often we believe your premises need our attention. This is tailored cleaning at its finest.
Explore the difference Virtu could make to your office today by filling out the form below: