For the business owner, getting your workers engaged in making the office look attractive provides some outstanding benefits. Clean workstations more than enhance staff morale. Fewer distractions and less clutter lead to increased productivity.
As far as spring-cleaning is concerned, the majority of people take time to organize and spruce up their homes. Your office is the place you spend most of your productive time, and you need to give yourself a friendly working space. Empower your staff to do daily cleaning tasks. Assign them to individuals or teams to enhance accountability and responsibility. A checklist reminds you of important tasks that would affect productivity if ignored.
Embrace the office spring cleaning checklist to motivate your workers to spruce up their workstations. Here are ten office spring cleaning tasks and activities:
1. Clean the Desk
A clean desk is known to enhance productivity. Wipe down your desk, remove every item and put the essential things in an organized form. Keep items you frequently use close by. Such may include sticky notes, paper and pens. Store or file items you rarely use.
2. Organize the Drawer
When cleaning your desk, where do you dump the sticky notes and the paper clips? A “catch-all drawer” is not the ideal place. Get drawer organizers that can help you create individual spaces and compartments to contain all your supplies. Organize current items in your drawer and find an alternative place for things that don’t fit to make it easy to keep an eye on supplies. This helps you to be proactive in the purchase of items that need to be replenished.
3. Clean the Computer
Cleaning the computer entails filing and organizing your documents, filtering the emails and cleaning the desktop. Create distinct folders for the previous year’s messages, documents, icons and other items. Back up the folders to an external drive or a cloud to enable easy access to any info and avoid digital clutter. Consider changing passwords for your secure files and business logins.
4. Organize Files
Clean your filing cabinet by taking out everything and choose which file needs to remain. Archive inactive or old records and documents. Shred sensitive documents that are no longer required. Create folders for new customers, clients and projects. Organize your files alphabetically or chronologically. Relevance and use of records can also help in filing. Colour-coding can separate files by their task. Organized files make it easy to reference and retrieve information with accuracy.
5. Refresh the Office Décor
Framed photos on your desk should be swapped with current pics of your loved ones or pets. A new coffee mug, mouse pad, and water bottle donned with spring colours can be just what you need to brighten your day. Any other office décor can be refreshed in a manner befitting the aspirations of your business and style. On your office walls, display banners stating your vision, mission and core values of the company to inform and inspire everyone. Donate or take home unnecessary stuff such as an unused spare set of winter boots or books.
6. Tidy Break Rooms
Get out all the items in the cabinets and fridge. Remove expired or old foodstuff and restock it with what you need in an organized format. Clean and sanitize the microwave, coffee maker, refrigerator, and other appliances. Wipe down the countertops. Each person can perform their task or clean as a team.
7. Clear the Conference Rooms
Conference rooms can be cluttered with an array of supplies, equipment and notes from previous meetings. Such litter can be jammed into cabinets and places overlooked in quick cleaning sessions. When cleaning out these areas, file, store or throw out the items in a proper manner. Sanitize the table surfaces and dust the shelves and cabinets. Wipe down equipment with technology-safe cleaners or terry cloths as needed. To freshen the upholstered furniture, use a hand vacuum.
8. Grab a Bouquet
At this time of the year, take advantage of Mother Nature. Consider bringing a part of the outdoors into your working space with a bunch of potted plants or favourite flowers. According to a 2014 study published in the Experimental Psychology journal, enriching the working area with plants increased workers productivity by 15%.
9. Keep Wires Tidy
Clap together loose wires around your phone, desk or other parts of the office. Loose wire or material can cause injuries and damages. Tidying them secures the office from possible fires and inconveniences. Call in a professional to put the cables together to avoid power and system failures.
10. Call in the Professionals
Professional cleaners observe the highest standards of cleanliness possible. Although your staff may do well to help in spring-cleaning the office, they may not do as thorough a job as a professional cleaner would. Cleaning specialists can get the work done at a reasonable fee. They should be on your spring office cleaning checklist.