The start to the new year means returning to work, getting back into the swing of things and perhaps giving yourself a chance to do things differently. This should apply to your desk too! Clean off your Desk Day is on Wednesday 8th January, and now has never been a better time to have a good clear out.
Clean Off Your Desk Day
This is a day designed to motivate you to give yourself a clear head with a clean and tidy desk. If you left the office in December with an over-stacked desk with wrappers hidden in the drawers, it’s time to start fresh. Tidying is a wonderful habit to get into and Clean off your Desk Day is the perfect excuse to start now! But where do you begin?
Remove the rubbish
The best place to start is to grab a small bin or bag and remove the rubbish. Go through your drawers, pull out any scrap paper that’s taking up space and make sure it’s all gone! This is something we recommend doing on a weekly basis to help you save space for important items such as flash drives or documents.
Keep clean
Once you have removed the rubbish, it’s time to temporarily remove everything else and give the entire area a wipe down. You may want to consider keeping a microfibre cloth and some cleaning spray by your desk at all times to keep the area clean throughout the year. Once you have wiped down your surfaces, you can move on to organising!
Filing
Any printed files or documents should be organised in a way that works for you. This could be alphabetical, by date, colour coded, or even by priority! Whichever way you choose to arrange your documents, be sure to check back each month and make sure everything is where it should be.
Labels are your best friends
By correctly labelling folders and filing systems, finding what you need will be a doddle. You can also use labels to organise your office supplies to make sure each item is stored correctly.
Drawers
A drawer organiser can do wonders for your office and desk. No longer will you have to dig around to find a paperclip or stapler; everything has its own place!
Scan and save
If you want to reduce clutter and minimise space, scanning documents and saving them as PDF’s means you can either shred and recycle your paper documents, or store them out the way in a secure cabinet.
Electronic Organization
Don’t forget to organise your computer space either! Now is a great time to go through your documents and arrange them to suit your needs. We also recommend creating an archive for work you no longer require, but perhaps may come in handy later on. Signing up for cloud storage services such as Dropbox can also help create more space.
Distractions
If you find yourself distracted by things such as your phone or nearby magazines, keep them away! Designate a drawer to keep them in until your break time and keep your mind focused on work.
Designated dining
We have spoken before about how many workers choose to eat lunch at their desk, but this can create a mess! Instead, make it a rule to eat your lunch in a designated dining area and clean up as soon as you’re done.
Daily declutter
At the end of each day, make it a habit to rid your desk of any coffee mugs, candy wrappers, post-its and wastepaper. Prepare any materials you may need for the morning and give your desk a quick wipe down.
Hire the professionals
Finally, if you want to make sure your office is kept clean on a regular basis, you may benefit from expert help. At Absolutely Gleaming, we take pride in our ability to offer a range of high-quality cleaning services to commercial and other professional properties. Get in touch to find out more.