Keeping an office tidy for you and your employees can have a significant impact on productivity. Whether you are the manager of a small office space or the head of a larger department, certain principles of cleanliness and tidiness could have a huge effect not only on efficiency but on employee morale as well.

Here’s a short guide to things that every office manager should do to keep their office clean and why those things are important. 

Workspace

All the hustle and bustle of a busy workday usually leads to a cluttered desk. Take some time at the end of your day to clean your desk area. Straighten out office documents and throw excess papers, food wrappers and other trash away.

Clean your desk by using an antibacterial spray that will kill germs and bacteria. Don’t forget to clean your keyboard and mouse as this is a breading ground for germs.

Health

The health of your employees is a benefit worth keeping your office clean. If you can make it less likely that your employees get sick, you can improve productivity by making it less likely that they’ll have to take a day off.

Use sanitary wipes to disinfect common contact surfaces. These include the surfaces of desks and cabinets, keyboards, computer mice, and monitors. You don’t need to shell out for expensive and smelly cleaning products when there are perfectly effective wet wipes available that do just as well and are much easier to use.

Stress

Everything about clutter makes the office space more stressful to work in. The most obvious effect is on productivity where your employees don’t know where their stuff is because their desk is cluttered. This makes them stressed out naturally because they aren’t being as efficient at their job and their work and storage spaces are frustrating to look through.

You don’t have to do that much to stop clutter from accumulating in the office. Invest in a mid-range vacuum cleaner to get the carpet looking nice and free of dirt – that can have a huge effect on morale. Tell employees to reduce the amount of time they’re eating at their desks and to use only communal meal spaces.

Not only are employees less distracted at their desks, but there’s less mess in the common workspace and more stress-relieving interaction in the staff room.

Communal areas

Communal areas such as the toilets and kitchen are areas that are the most unhygienic and can spread illnesses if not cleaned thoroughly.

A kitchen worktop sees regular coffee spillages and collects broken food crumbs, so it should be cleaned every day as it can accumulate bacteria and can lead to diseases and odours. At times, the kitchen can have seating areas for eating lunch and gathering for short breaks, therefore it is important to ensure that the tables and chairs cleaned for your employees to enjoy their food and coffee in a neat and tidy space.

The toilets should be cleaned every day. Disinfecting this area is the most important. Ensure you install air fresheners in both these spaces to keep a pleasant scent.

Keeping the office and workspaces clean can boost employee morale and productivity. It gives employees the chance to stay focussed and makes the workplace a nicer environment to be in.