Why Keeping the Office Clean is A Must

Although many people view schools as breeding grounds for germs, office spaces can be just as bad. Even though adults are supposed to be better about washing their hands, about 45% of employees have seen their coworkers exit the bathroom without washing their hands. It’s important to make sure that regular office cleaning is getting done, either by employees or a cleaning service. As you probably know, if you work in a cubicle setting or otherwise shared office, if one person gets sick, it’s typical that a wave of illness strikes everyone else in the office. In addition to making sure office surfaces are kept clean, don’t forget about the carpet cleaner! Your carpets can harbor allergens and other debris.
The Importance of A Clean Work Area
General Cleanliness
For many, their office space can be like a mini home away from home–spending eight, nine, or even more hours there a day makes it a familiar space. To maximize efficiency, save money, or even just because they don’t want to leave the office, many workers stay in their office to eat–at least 85%. Eating at your desk has a lot of benefits, but it can also get messy, even if your trash gets regularly changed out and your desk wiped down by janitorial services, crumbs can get stuck in between your keys on the keyboard, or ground into the carpet.
Even if you don’t eat at your desk, there are other activities like clipping your nails (which one in three employees have admitted to doing), brushing your hair, or picking your teeth that you may unconsciously do without even knowing it. All this adds gunk to your desk and general workspace. If you add being sick and coughing and sneezing to your overall office space, germs get spread very quickly by a myriad of hands to other keyboards, phones, and doorknobs.
Increased Levels of Efficiency
The “Monday blues” are something many people suffer from, looking at the start of a new work week. However, those Monday blues can be increased by a dirty office environment. The Office Cleanliness Monitor ran a survey and found that 64% of employees (out of a pool of 1,000 people) thought there was a connection between working in a clean space and the number of times an employee called in sick. Additionally, almost 70% of workers believe that a clean office makes employees more productive.
Fixing Up The Workplace
If you work in a smaller company and are worried about affordable office cleaning, there are resources available online. Your supervisor may also be able to help you, if you inquire and express concern about the state of the office. Be sure that cleaners aren’t targeting just the more obvious spots–desk surfaces, for example, but also paying attention to the carpet, computer screens, or any shared appliances. Use carpet cleaner to get allergens or other debris out of the workspace entirely. See if you can even get a professional carpet cleaner in at least twice a year to do a whole sweep down of the entire office.
You can also politely start a work initiative–encouraging co-workers to keep their own space picked up and sanitized. They can keep disinfectant wipes at their desk and wipe down their spaces, have tissues hand sanitizer regularly available, and have a rotating staff clean out any shared refrigerator space or microwaves.