During the colder months of the year, the damp and grime around the office seems inescapable. Not only are things dark and dismal at the best of times, but it seems borderline impossible to keep on top of office cleaning. Which for obvious reasons doesn’t work wonders for morale or motivation.
Which is precisely why it’s important to approach winter office cleaning proactively. With a positive and focused attitude, there’s no reason why your office can’t stay warm, clean and pleasant all winter. It’s simply a case of focusing on a few problem areas as priorities.
So if looking to tackle your own office cleaning duties this winter, here are five expert tips to steer you in the right direction:
1) Windows
In most offices, it tends to be the windows that are neglected most during the winter. With it being so dark and miserable outside, the windows simply get ignored from autumn to spring. Unfortunately, the grubbier the windows become, the greater the effect on the overall office environment. Not to mention, the obvious danger associated with mould spores getting trapped on windows and aggravating breathing issues. Even if there’s not a lot to see or celebrate outdoors, you still need to keep a close eye on your windows throughout the winter. On the plus side, it’s also technically one of the easiest of all office cleaning duties.
2) Floors
If you don’t keep on top of floor cleaning, it doesn’t take long for things to deteriorate rather disgustingly. Bear in mind that dirty floors don’t only give entirely the wrong impression to visitors and customers. Instead, they also create a demotivating and unpleasant working environment. Not to mention, present slip and trip hazards for anyone and everyone. Ensuring floor mats are placed at all entrances can help minimise mud and moisture being tracked into the building. If necessary, consider asking members of the workforce to bring separate indoor footwear to wear around the office. Last up, ensure that as many people as necessary are given the duty of monitoring floor safety and addressing excess mud/moisture where required.
3) “Catch it, bin it, kill it”
What this basically refers to is the importance of incorporating the strongest hygiene standards into your winter office cleaning regime. You cannot simply expect every member of the workforce to know what to do and how to act, as far as hygiene is concerned. Bugs and illnesses are rife during the winter months when our immune systems are weakened. So if there’s any time to ensure hygiene standards are at their highest, it’s now. Make sure every member of the workforce knows what they need to do to play their part.
4) Declutter!
As winter is the time of year when offices tend to get dirtier than ever, why not start spring cleaning early? Anything that can help create a clean, tidy and pleasant workplace during the winter can only be a good thing. Spring cleaning and general decluttering being a great way of making this happen. Rather than setting about things randomly, assemble a plan involving every member of staff to some degree at least. Start a campaign with the intention of ridding the office of anything and everything you don’t absolutely need. Decluttering is not only therapeutic, but can make office cleaning in general so much easier. After which it’s simply a case of doing your best to ensure you don’t get buried in clutter once again!
5) Home Office
Last but not least, allowing workers to do their job remotely can be particularly useful during the winter months. Not just in terms of office cleaning, but also for the sake of motivation and performance. It’s not as if the daily commute is particularly enjoyable for most people at the best of times. Particularly when the weather is at its worst. As such, should it be a plausible prospect for your business, you might want to think about letting employees work from home. From office cleaning to productivity to the prevention of workplace illness, there are so many benefits to remote working. So even if it’s something you haven’t considered before, now might be the time to do exactly that!
For more information on professional office cleaning in Norfolk, get in touch with the Absolutely Gleaming customer service team today.