Spring is a time for revival and it can definitely be used to spruce up the office and boost productivity. Yes, we’re talking about spring cleaning. It’s easy to do and a few simple steps will have a profound impact on the workspace. You don’t have to dig deep – a little bit of de-cluttering will immediately transform the office and make people more motivated to come to work in the morning.

So, what does it take to do effective spring cleaning and enjoy a wonderful workspace? Here are a few simple tips to follow.​​

Take a good look at everything found on your desk. How many of the things that you find on the surface have you used in the past month? Three months? Past year?

Most of us have a tendency to simply pile things on top of each other instead of dealing with clutter right away. This is particularly true for items that we’re not certain about. Chances are that they’ll potentially be handy again in the future. Chances are that you’ve used the particular item once and you wonder whether you’re going to need it (ever) again.

If you haven’t used it in the past week or month, throw it away or submit the item for recycling. Dig deep in the pile. You’ll probably come across items that you’ve long forgotten about. A little bit of work space de-cluttering will make your desk much more organized and functional.​

It’s about time to reduce the amount of paper being used in the office.

Going digital is essential for reducing the waste of paper in the typical office. Do a thorough paper purge and recycle all of the documents and sheets that are no longer required or being used. It may be impossible for you to go completely paperless but the time is just right to consider the ways in which you can reduce the use of sheets.

Many old contracts can be scanned and stored in a digital format. The paper can then be recycled. Apart from being good for the environment, this decision will open up a lot of space in the office.​

Being organized impacts every aspect of doing your job. Desktop clutter is very important to tackle. The same applies to digital clutter.

Take a look at your desktop. How many files and shortcuts do you see there? How many of those do you use? The rules for cleaning digital clutter are the same as the ones for organizing your desk – if you haven’t used it recently, let it go.

A hard drive can be used to save a digital copy of important older documents and files. Everything else that’s not important (drafts, plans and proposals that you no longer need, images and even software that isn’t being used anymore) has to go.

Cleaner and more functional offices don’t require major changes. Starting small and having the right cleaning/organization team can lead to major improvements. It’s all about using the space that you have available in the best possible way. Spring is the perfect time to transform offices. Take a day or two and get everybody involved. The results will be observable almost immediately.
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Every business, regardless of size and industry, has only seconds to impress clients and business partners. This is why the appearance of the lobby and the reception area matter.

The reception is the first thing that people see when coming for a meeting or a purchase. The cleanliness, the furniture and even the demeanor of the receptionist are all so important. If you have a lobby or a waiting area, you’ll have to think about their appearance, as well.

Don’t know whether your reception area is up to par? Worry not, we’re here to help!
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The reception area, lobby or waiting room can all be ranked as high traffic areas. There will be dozens of people passing through these parts of the office on a daily basis. As a result, your lobby can quickly get dirty.

It will get particularly bad on rainy and snowy days.

Make sure that the lobby is cleaned thoroughly at least once per day. If it’s raining outside, you’ll probably have to get the floor cleaned a couple of times.

The simple placement of welcome mats in front of the entryway can reduce the amount of mud and moisture that guests bring inside. Another simple trick that will enable you to keep the lobby clean involves a minimalist design. Having fewer accessories and decorations means having fewer items to wipe from dust.
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In many offices, the reception turns sooner or later into a storage area. This is a big no-no, even if you’re pressed for space. If things tend to accumulate in areas like the lobby, you’ll have to get in the habit of periodical de-cluttering.

Such activities can happen once per month. Look for boxes and office supplies that don’t belong in the reception area. Throw out old magazines and promotional materials, replace those with fresh media. Files and documents should also be kept out of sight, creating a nice place for the people that are there to interact with your employees.

A cool reception area doesn’t demand a major investment. You simply have to think about comfort and a good presentation. Keeping the lobby clean at all times will also be sufficient to please visitors and create the right first impression. Next time you enter the office, reconsider the importance and the appearance of the reception. Chances are that you can do at least a couple of things to make it better.​

Besides calling to the services of a commercial cleaning contractor, you should also train your employees and implement a series of office cleaning good practices. This way, you’ll call the janitors less often and also make employees at your office more responsible about the environment where they work every day. It doesn’t mean you’ll ask them to handle the entire cleaning, but instead you’ll determine them to keep the working space in good condition and improve their productivity.

If important pieces of paper seem to disappear when you need them the most, the desks at your office are probably filled with scattered piles that are difficult to index. Use cabinets, archive older folders, and keep just critical documents within reach. Label items and use a reliable filing method.

Many people throw various items into a desk drawer just to get rid of them and eventually lose track of what’s inside that drawer. Soon they become anxious at the idea of opening it, not to mention cleaning it up. As long as you have a place for each item in your office, you’ll never need a catch-all drawer. However, if you do keep one, try organizing it every month and discarding unnecessary items.

You may want your employees to work more, but working through lunch is not a good idea. Not being able to enjoy breaks and relax actually decreases productivity, and moreover, monitors will be splashed with food and keywords will be full of crumbles. It’s no wonder that the keyboard is one of the places most loaded with germs in an office. If you care about the way your office looks and your employees’ well-being, encourage them to give up eating lunch in front of the computer.

Because electronic devices are nowadays being used almost all the time in office environments, they attract dirt and bacteria. These items should be cleaned on a regular basis instead of waiting for the janitors to remove the dirt every once in a while. Provide your employees with microfiber cloths and special vacuum cleaners or compressed air cans to clean electronic devices.

Having a clean break room improves the employees’ morale and keeps them motivated. Some ideas to achieve this include cleaning the refrigerator regularly, sanitizing tables and sinks after each lunch break, washing dishes after use and emptying waste baskets every day.

Most of the papers that you save are never used or needed again. When in doubt, throw it out – or even better, don’t even print it at all. However, if you really need hard copy, implement an efficient filing system.

Procrastination is the enemy of both productivity and cleanliness. Encourage staff to clean working stations at the end of the day instead of leaving it for the next morning. You are a lot more effective when you bring closure to each working day and enjoy a clean start every morning.

References
Roberts, Jason. Definitive guide to office cleaning. Retrieved from the Vacuums Guide website: http://www.vacuumsguide.com/office-cleaning/
Top 10 Tricks To De-Clutter Your Office. Retrieved from the Forbes website: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/lmj45iljd/10-tricks-to-spring-clean-your-office/

If you think the restroom is the most likely place at your office where you can pick up some bacteria, you are wrong. Germs thrive in apparently inoffensive spots, and you can easily become vulnerable to the next flu going around at your workplace. 
Keep on reading to find out where office germs lurk!

Various studies have revealed that the dirtiest place in an office is the sink faucet handle in the break room – multiple bacteria crawl on this surface because people are less aware of the risk of germs in the break room. Office workers heat up lunch, make coffee and wash dishes there, and food leftovers are the perfect environment for bacteria to develop.

Another place in the break room where plenty of germs have been found is the refrigerator, specifically on the handle. This spot is touched by many hands every day, but it rarely gets cleaned.

A large number of people do not regularly wipe down their desks. This creates the perfect environment for germs to thrive. Wiping the surface of your desk weekly is a great way to keep germs at bay - as well as keeping your desk clutter-free!

The telephone is another object that you touch every day but might rarely remember to clean.  The best way to clean your telephone is with a soft cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol or a solution of water and vinegar every week or so. 

Keyboards hold a host of germs for the same reason as the telephone – we touch the keyboard every day, but we rarely clean it. Use a compressed air can to remove dirt and wipe it with a cloth dipped in a water-vinegar solution.

This is another place you are likely to get the next cold from, so remember to clean door handles regularly while waiting for your food to warm in the microwave. 

According to a study performed on almost 5,000 swabs from office buildings housing more than 3,000 workers from various industries, 23% of water fountain buttons had a high level of contamination and carried a high risk of illness transmission.

Next time you want to quench your hunger with a snack, remember that the study mentioned above found that 21% of vending machine buttons also had a high contamination level.

These devices may not attract as much dirt as keyboards, but they still represent a common source of germs and need to be cleaned thoroughly.

Too afraid to go to work now? 

Don’t worry – you don’t need to eliminate germs entirely. In fact, our bodies need to come in contact with germs so our immune systems are stimulated and work efficiently against disease. However, keep in mind that some spots at your office carry more germs than others and you should pay special attention to hygiene. Also, remember to wash your hands regularly if you want to reduce the risk of getting flu, colds, or stomach illness.

References:
DeNoon, Daniel J. The 6 Dirtiest Places in Your Office. Retrieved from the WebMD website:  http://www.webmd.com/news/20120523/the-6-dirtiest-work-places
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Sifferlin, Alexandra. The 6 Dirtiest Places in the Office. Retrieved from the Time website: http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/24/the-6-dirtiest-places-in-the-office/

Did you know that the typical office can be inhabited by more than 500 types of germs? If you’re a lady, you have a reason to feel less concerned. Researchers have found out that the desks and work spaces of men tend to be contaminated by a bigger number of bacteria than the desks of their female coworkers.
You probably know that some germs are a bit scary while others can coexist peacefully with human beings. How about the bacteria found in the office? Let’s take a look at some of the most common varieties.

Sounds scary and it can be problematic. Staphylococcus aureus loves the keyboard and it’s one of the bacteria that can cause infections. It’s interesting to point out that this bacterium is starting to develop resistance towards certain kinds of antibiotics.

Also known as staf for short, these bacteria can be found in up to 25 percent of people without causing health problems. At room temperature, staf will multiply quickly. Thermal processing destroys the bacterium completely. Some of the best disinfectants that can kill Staphylococcus aureus include bleach, Lysol, concentrated hydrogen peroxide and even white vinegar.

This is one of the most common bacterial varieties found in the office. These are both terrestrial and aquatic bacteria. Though predominantly found in the soil, actinobacteria can easily spread and multiply on the surfaces in the office.

The most harmful members of this group are the Actinomycetales bacteria. These bacteria can cause various medical problems, among which an infection called actinomycosis.

Actinobacteria can once again be destroyed completely through thermal processing or by wiping surfaces completely with bleach. Using anti-bacterial wipes isn’t the best approach but if you don’t have any other solution, these will do the trick for the day.

Unfortunately, some harmful bacteria that we’re more or less familiar with can also be found in the typical office. E-coli has been found on office keyboards and on shared equipment like telephones, printers, scanners and even doorknobs.E-coli bacteria typically live in the intestines of healthy individuals and are harmless. There are a few, strains, however, that can cause nasty infections and that can easily spread in the typical office.

The symptoms of an E-coli infection include abdominal cramping, nausea and diarrhea. Most healthy adults will recover from the infection within one week. To reduce the risk of contamination and kill E-coli in the office, wash your hands frequently, use anti-bacterial soaps and disinfect the equipment that you touch frequently.

This is another bacterium having a rather scary name. Poor personal hygiene and the failure to wash hands can easily spread Heliobacter pylori in the office. Just like E-coli, this bacterium can cause gastrointestinal problems. The infection increases the risk of experiencing gastric ulcers and even stomach cancer.

Just like in the case of all other office bacteria, washing hands several times per day (especially before having a meal) will be sufficient to reduce the risk of contamination.

We’ve saved the worst for last. Norovirus is very contagious and since it’s not a bacterium, it can’t be killed by anti-bacterial products.

A norovirus infection is characterized by severe GI upset, diarrhea and vomiting. Close contact with an infected person and with surfaces on which the virus is found can contribute to spreading the medical issue. Norovirus infections are very common in closed environments that feature people sharing the same space like schools, nursing homes and… yes, you’ve guessed it – offices.

Impeccable personal hygiene is the only way to prevent a norovirus infection. 

Since you’re sharing the office with each other, it’s important that everyone is on board when it comes to getting rid of bacteria. Frequent professional office cleaning is the first step towards preventing contamination. Maintaining equipment disinfected will also make it a lot easier to enjoy a healthy work environment.

All that you have to do is build an inventory of disinfecting soap, wipes and bleach. If everyone builds a habit of using those on a daily basis, the risk of infections at the workplace will be taken down to a minimum.

By Cliff Derksen
Owner of First Impressions Janitorial