Create your own Office Cleaning Checklist
Our offices are supposed to be the place where we are most productive, the place where our big ideas happen, and often the place where we spend the majority of our time. Since we depend on them so much to offer us a space to be creative and work, it is important that we get the most out of them. Having a messy office or a workspace where we cannot be at our most productive is not going to help us in the long run.
Just like with the homes that we go back to after a long day at the office, we need to make sure that our offices are left clean and tidy so that when we come in each day, we are ready to get to task with as few distractions as possible.
Having a clean office or workspace is easier than it sounds. The first thing that you need to do, is to create an office cleaning checklist that you can commit to following. Look around your office. What do you see, or what is around you that you wish was more orderly or clean? Is there any mess or distraction that you feel is pulling your attention away from the task at hand? If so, then you need to take a few minutes and write down a list of all the things in your office that need your attention.
Some of the most common cleaning needs in an office are:
- Clutter
- Dust
- Overflowing recycling or trash cans
- Dirty refrigerators where people keep leaving lunches
- Messy common areas
- Overflowing junk drawers
No matter what cleaning tasks you have in your office, write them down. Some offices may have lots of glass that needs a good cleaning, a common kitchen area that everyone uses but nobody wipes down, or maybe it’s a washroom that never gets the attention it deserves.
Once your list is complete, create a checklist. Break each task into a separate group within your checklist. Decide first, how often each task must be completed, and roughly how much time it should take. For example, dusting and tidying your desk or work areas should probably be done each day before you leave so that you come into a fresh, clean work area, while the refrigerator may need to only be cleaned out at the end of each week.
Sanitizing and deep cleaning are important too. Do not forget to properly wipe down all surfaces and washroom areas each day. The last thing you want is to become ill from someone else’s germs at work, and take it home to your family.
Once you have completed your checklist, sorted by how often each task must be completed, you can begin to build it into your work schedule. Just like any other routine in your life, it will take time to fall into. Give yourself the time to adapt to it, and start by tackling more manageable tasks first.
Start by making sure your own space is clean and tidy. Each day before you leave the office, make sure that your desk is free of clutter, put things back into their correct place, and try to have your area set up in a way that you are excited to return the next day.
By creating an office cleaning checklist, you are not only allowing yourself to better plan and manage the time you have each day, but you are also able to better help those around you get the most out of their work environment. If you need, create two checklists. One checklist for yourself, that focuses on your workspace or office, and another that is aimed at common spaces like kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas that are shared by other staff, so that they can also help you to complete some of the larger tasks.
Everyone wants a workspace where they are excited to come to work, and by creating a checklist, you can help to make your office enjoyable. Accountability is key. Follow your office cleaning checklist as closely as possible, but be open to revisions. Cleaning up as you go, and tidying your office at the end of each day will become habit before you know it!