There are usually 3 times every year when I like to clean every surface in my office.
Those 3 times are:
- The beginning of the New Year
- Spring Break
- Back-to-School
So since we've just started another New Year, I'm ready to clean, clean, clean!
After a relaxing time away from work during the holiday season, I like to "attack" my office and whip it into shape for another productive year ahead.
I find that when my office is clean and decluttered, I not only enjoy spending time in my office, but I'm also much more productive because I can find what I want and don't waste time moving piles around or searching through all the junk in my drawers.
If you'd like to jump-start your New Year with a sparkly clean (and more productive) workspace, here are 3 simple steps to help you get started!
Step 1 = Declutter
Before you can really CLEAN your office space, you must first declutter the surfaces, cabinets, drawers, etc.
This might seem overwhelming, but I promise it will be a lot easier once you bite the bullet and just get started. Don't believe me? Here are 10 ideas to organize your office in 10 minute or less!
Weed out your filing cabinets to make room for all those piles on your desk, clean out your Inbox, delete all those voice message, coral your cord clutter, and purge/donate anything you don't need, use, love, or want.
Step 2 = Clean
You don't need to get carried away scrubbing every nook and cranny for hours on end, however, a thorough office cleaning is more than just casually wiping the crumbs off your computer keys!
Here are a few of my general office-cleaning tips.
Also, if you're looking for a fabulous "green" cleaner for your office, try mixing 1/2 water and 1/2 white vinegar in a spray bottle. You can use this to disinfect and clean almost any hard surface!
Step 3 = Maintain
Once you've decluttered and deep cleaned your space, I can guarantee it will get dirty, messy, and cluttered again — unless you never actually use your office!
In order to KEEP your office in tip-top shape, I'd suggest creating some sort of daily, weekly, and/or monthly maintenance plan. And if you have common areas on your office (kitchen, conference room) it might be a good idea to ask for help from your colleges to maintain the cleanliness of those spaces.
I like to quickly declutter my own personal workspace every evening, clean common areas on a weekly basis, and do over-all deep-cleaning each quarter.
I think you might just be surprised how these three simple steps can totally change the look, feel, and even function of your office space!