A clean and organised work environment is fundamental to boost productivity.
Experts will tell you that a clean environment is a productive environment and this has been borne out by successful businesses across the country. It is easy to underestimate the power of image but it is an undeniable fact that if a business has a strong clean image backed by a crisp fresh work environment, it reflects not only on the business but in the performance of staff as well.
You can bet that the staff in a clean fresh office will be happier and more efficient than those who are forced to work in a dusty grimy environment. It is not just the staff who feel better, but the customers too. When people walk into your business their first judgement occurs when they assess what they see around them, we all do the same thing, so don’t underestimate the impact of a clean fresh working environment.
Generally offices are cleaned by professional office cleaning companies similar to Precise Commercial Cleaners, but there are certain things that can be done to help improve the cleanliness of these work places outside of this.
Keeping the work environment clean is a cheap and cost-effective way to keep staff happy. The workplace needs to be fun to maintain morale and this is much easier if everything is clean and sparkling. A company that takes the care to provide an optimal working environment for their staff will benefit from heightened staff loyalty and better performance.
A recent study in the UK revealed that 67% of employees consider that the decor and condition of a workplace significantly contributes to morale and overall performance. Of these respondents, a staggering 80% stated they would be happy to help clean up the environment themselves but thought it was the employer’s responsibility in the first place. Of job applicants, 76% stated they would be reluctant to work in a dirty or unclean environment.
This evidence highlights the opportunity that employers have to make a major impact on profits simply by engaging a cleaning contractor and creating some good workplace cleaning practices.
What would your clients and prospects think if they walked into your office to find clusters of paper work everywhere, dirty carpets and disorganised tables?
I walk into such offices regularly. Â With that in mind, I’m going to share with you some easy to execute office cleaning tips to help keep your office sparkling clean at all time, be it a town office or a home office.
Here are some things you can do to keep your staff happy and to improve efficiency.
- Make sure that you employ good commercial cleaning services to clean your office every day.
- Introduce a clean desk policy were all employees keep their working services as free from clutter as possible.
- Try some feng shui techniques like de cluttering all sections of the office including the kitchen and the refrigerator. Also try to use natural cleaning products instead of harsh chemicals and use aromatic herbs like rosemary and mint to keep the air fresh. Another good feng shui tip is to keep the entrance to your office sparkling clean especially the doors and reception area.
- Ensure that staff only consume food in the kitchen area and never at their desks, this will avoid keyboards from becoming contaminated with stale food particles that attract insects and bacteria.
- This might sound obsolete but you would be surprised how many offices still haven’t applied it to their work environment. Reduce paper clutter by bringing in a digital filing system.
- Create a cleaning and organisation inspection team, the idea here is to nominate two or three employees, depending on the size of your workforce, to go around the office inspecting tables and drawers. This team should report directly to the Office Manager or Administrator or to you. They should give out warnings for those who don’t keep their workstation organised and awards for the tidy ones. Nothing flashy, a free Coffee next time the coffee van arrives, an early mark one day. That way you will incite your workers to keep their tables and drawers organised at all times.
- Create a  “Paper Recycling Dayâ€. The cleaning and organization inspection team can go around the office asking for people to get rid of old paper work that won’t be filed and is just cluttering desk space.
For some it may be a simple matter of common sense, but if you ever needed convincing that a clean crisp office environment will benefit you, these facts should tip the evidence in your favour.
