Working from home has shot up in popularity in the last few years. Pre-pandemic, only 5% of us would describe our office as home-based workers. Now, that figure is closer to 18% and rising.
With working from home becoming the norm, keeping your workspace tidy and organized is essential to create a productive, comfortable atmosphere for you and your family.
This post will discuss everything there is to know about home office cleaning and how to keep a healthy, organized environment that maximizes productivity.
Decluttering Your Home Office: How to Streamline Your Workspace
Clutter is one of the significant challenges of a home office. So before you begin cleaning, you must first declutter and minimize your office environment.
Identify the functional and psychological needs that the home office serves. What is the central purpose of your home office? Is it a workplace, a place for relaxation, or a place for children to study, for example?
Analyze the clutter in the office. What items do you need, and what items are unnecessary? Are there items that you have not used in the last month? Remove any items that do not serve a purpose.
You can give away unwanted items to a friend or donate them to a charity.
Organize the remaining items. Put items away in labeled bins or drawers. That will ensure that your home office can easily navigate and quickly find what you need.
Make sure the office is comfortable and inviting. Invest in comfortable chairs, good lighting, and a quality desk. That will help make the office where you want to spend time.
Take a few minutes at the end of each day to put away items and clear away any clutter that has arisen. That will help to maintain a productive workspace and prevent the mess from accumulating.
Understanding the Basics of Home Office Cleaning
By cleaning and organizing your workspace, you create an environment that is inviting and conducive to work.
Without a professional-looking and well-organized office, it isn’t easy to be productive and create a workplace that inspires creativity. A clean, clutter-free office also reduces stress and improves focus and concentration.
Keeping your office neat and organized allows you to find what you need quickly and saves time, promoting productivity.
A clean workspace will also make a positive impression on any guests or potential clients that you may have come to visit your office.
You’ll need to write a task list to keep up with your home office cleaning. Here’s what to add to it:
- Empty wastebaskets and replace liners
- Remove dust and dirt from desks, shelves, and cabinets
- Dust and wipe down all surfaces
- Vacuum or sweep floors
- Clean monitors, keyboards, and mice
- Clean windows, blinds, and curtains
- Dust furniture, lamps, and artwork
- Wipe down doors, door handles, and light switches
- Wipe down and sanitize telephones and other office items
- Mop floors
Always use a light eco-friendly spray for cleaning home office desks. And make sure you take care when cleaning around electronic equipment. Always unplug items before you start your cleaning routine.
It is best to establish a regular cleaning routine that is realistic and works for you, so if you don’t feel you can manage a weekly cleaning routine in your schedule, try a twice-monthly routine instead. But stick to your plan.
Additionally, tidying up quickly after each day in the office is essential to avoid clutter from accumulating.
Practical Tips for Organizing Home Offices
Cleaning your office is only half of the job. What’s important is finding a practice routine and home office setup to help you maintain that polished and organized appearance. Here are some practical tips to help you with that.
Make a plan
Write down a plan of how you want your home office to look and what you need to do to achieve it. That will help you stay focused and organized.
You might consider hiring a professional cleaning team to help you keep up with the housekeeping routine.
Assess Your Space
Assess the size and shape of the room. Perhaps you have plans for the office, such as a reading corner for your children or a study space for teenagers.
If you need to make changes, now would be a great time to do that. If you take video calls from home, don’t forget to think about how you can make the background look neat at all times.
One of the best ways to do this is to have a shelf in the background with a couple of books and a fresh vase of flowers or a low-maintenance plant.
Keep Decluttering
Clutter tends to accumulate over time. So each month, go through all the items in your home office, and determine what you need and don’t need. Anything that you don’t need should be disposed of or donated.
Invest In Containers and Organizers
Invest in containers and organizers that can help you store items and keep them organized. These containers and organizers will also help to keep all surfaces clear and clutter-free.
Utilize Vertical Space
Utilize the vertical space in your home office. You can use shelves and hooks to maximize your storage space and keep your office organized. However, consider practical ways to keep it clean when adding vertical space.
For example, if you need to dust a high shelf, you may want to buy a footstool and have an extendable arm on your duster to help clean any hard-to-reach areas.
Avoid Buying New Items
Try to avoid acquiring too much stuff. If you don’t need it, don’t get it. That will help you keep your home office tidy and organized.
Keep Your Office Snack-Free
Snacking and eating will leave you with more cleaning jobs, as food spills or crumbs need vacuuming, and surfaces need wiping. So to keep your office looking clean, eat food in a separate space such as your dining room.
Getting Organized With Your Home Office Cleaning
Home office cleaning is essential to establishing a productive environment.
With the right tips and techniques, you can declutter, clean, and organize your workspace, maximize productivity, and create a comfortable workspace that your family can enjoy.
Having a home office often means working around the clock, so finding the time to clean is a challenge for many of us.
If that sounds like you, why not get a quote from our team for a professional house cleaning? You can do that by completing this form.