How often do you clean your workspace? It might surprise you that only 20 percent of people around the world clean our desks on a regular basis, despite the fact that they are home to over 10 million bacteria.
A cluttered desk is hazardous both for your health and productivity. According to Frontiers in Psychology research, there is a significant co-relation between our physical environments and our emotions, cognition, and behaviour, which influences our decision-making abilities and work relationships. According to one study from the University of Arizona, your desk has 400 times more bacteria on it than a toilet seat! No thanks. In fact, the area where you rest your hand on the desk is home to around 10 million bacteria.
Think about it – no matter how often you wash or sanitise your hands, bacteria lies waiting on the surfaces you touch, and it’s easy to transfer it from one surface to another. On average, we touch our phones nearly 3,000 times a day – effectively carrying bacteria, germs, and viruses around in our pockets all day long! This is an especially frightening fact considering that many modern workplaces utilise shared workspaces or ‘hot desk’ set-ups. Even if you’re working from home or have your own dedicated desk, keeping your space clean should be an essential part of your daily routine.
It’s so important to clean your workspace daily to kill disease and banish dust. What’s more, a clean work environment boosts productivity, efficiency, focus, and morale, so keeping on top of the mess in your office should be a top priority. If you set aside a dedicated time on your daily to-do list, it will become a habit – soon you won’t even have to think about it! Cleaning your workspace at the end of each working day “bookmarks” the day and leaves your workspace and mind fresh for tomorrow morning’s grind.
Follow this easy guide on how to deep clean your workspace and office devices properly, without damaging them.
Sort your stuff and designate a ‘home’ for each item
Each item in your workspace should have a dedicated home. Divide your items into 4 piles: Keep the items that you regularly use (for example, computer or diary) neatly on top of your desk; Keep the items that are used once or twice per day tucked away out of sight in a drawer or filing system (for example, cables, files, and stationery); Keep sensitive/confidential files and expensive items (like hard drives) stored away in a locked cabinet to prevent accidental disaster; and chuck away trash or items that you don’t use or need to keep (be aggressive with this!). This system will make it much easier for you to clean up quickly and efficiently, and keep your workspace tidy, and free of distractions.
Remove and wipe down all items
We’ve all heard the expression “tidy space, tidy mind.” Having this mindset can keep you motivated while decluttering, cleaning, and wiping your desk, as well as relieving stress. Before you file all your things into their proper places, take everything off your desk and out of your desk drawers and wipe your items down with a damp cloth to catch the dust. Use a small amount of gentle disinfectant to kill germs and bacteria.
Wipe down all surfaces
It is critical to thoroughly clean every surface to remove all dust and dirt that has accumulated. Even if your desk looks clean, invisible bacteria thrive on high-touch surfaces – and dust lives everywhere else. Using a damp cloth, wipe down your desk, shelf-tops, inside of desk drawers, and filing cabinets. You can use a cleaning solution of water with a disinfectant cleaning agent or cleaning vinegar to wipe down many of the non-electronic surfaces of your workspace.
Clean your devices
Start by turning off and unplugging your device. Use a dry microfibre cloth to remove dust. Then kill germs and remove fingerprints by spraying a cleaning solution that contains at least 70% isopropyl alcohol onto a cloth, or use pre-moistened alcohol wipes. It’s important to remember that any sort of moisture can seriously mess with the function of your electronic devices. For example, Apple recommends that you never spray anything directly on your device, or use any kind of heavy-duty products like bleach, or aerosol sprays. To clean your keyboard or any other objects with hard-to-reach areas, use compressed air, Q-Tips, a small brush, or a clean toothbrush.
Daily upkeep is important in maintaining a clean workspace. Keep your cleaning materials stored nearby so that you don’t have to think about it. Clean your high-touch surfaces (devices and desk) daily and make sure that everything is kept in its proper place. Do a deep clean like this one at least once every fortnight.
A clean environment is essential for a clean mind, organisation, and productivity.
