Here is the fact, we spend a lot of time in our offices ( or home office nowadays). For most people is an average of 8-10 hours daily. If we sleep (or should) 8 hours, that gives us about 6 hours out of the workspace. The last thing that should be on our minds is having to clean.
So, WHY is important to have a clean office?
It will take several posts to explain how important is to have your office/ workspace clean, but lets talk about few of them briefly.
1) First Impression matters: The way your office looks when your client first walks in, can affect, in a good or bad way, how the business-client relationship will be. The smell when the door opens, how the floors look, how organized the work spaces are. All of these things combined can boost the experience and mood they have. If the workspace is in tip top shape it will show them that you are a business that cares.
2) Less sickness: The objects in a busy office are great places for germs to build up. It is extreme important that a office gets cleaned and disinfected on regular basis, so we reduce the risk of spreading virus like Covid-19 and the Flu. That way, the employees will remain healthy and happy and will also boost the productivity, since they will not take as many sick days.
3) Mood Improvement: Another way to boost productivity in a company, is making sure that employees are in a good mood. A clean space will help them feel comfortable and safe, and show them that you care about the workplace and them. Walking into a dirty work environment makes people feel uncomfortable, worried, and want to leave that area as quickly as possible.
4) Concentration: Jeffery Campbell, PhD chair of the facilities management program at Brigham Young University conducted a study on the relationship of cleanliness and learning in higher education in this study he found "A total of 1,481 people were surveyed for the study. 88% of respondents reported that productivity, concentration, and learning is hampered in dingy places. Sensory distractions like clutter and foul smells affect focus in many ways." as reported by Phil-reporter.com. If you are not worried about your surroundings and are comfortable then your mind can be more relaxed and able to concentrate on the task at hand.
5) Organized: When we say 'Time is money' we really mean it. Have you ever timed how long it can take for you to find something in a messy/dirty place? Now multiply that by the numbers of employees. A clean and organized workspace not only feels great but also helps work flow. That way you can get more done in your 8 hour work day.
Now, HOW a office should be cleaned?
Hiring a professional cleaning company is the best way to get a spotless office. We will discuss how a office should be cleaned.
1) High to low areas: We start dusting the high areas like ceiling corners, light fixtures, ceiling fans and the walls. This then leads to cleaning desks ( without touching any loose papers) and horizontal surfaces. Finally, grab the garbage and replace the garbage bags and finish the floors ( sweeping, moping and/or vacuuming). In this order will insure that the maximum amount of dust and dirt is removed from the area.
2) Dry to wet and dwell time: It is important to dust areas before using a cleaning solution, that way it will be easier to remove germs and the final look is better. And when it comes to kill germs, it is fundamental that we let the cleaning solution sit for a few seconds at least but for a minute or more for best results before wiping it down. That applies to disinfecting mirrors, toilets, door handles and light switches
3) Back to Front: A good way to guarantee that all the areas will be covered is to clean your way out. Start at the back offices, hallways and bathrooms moving towards the exit.
4) Equipment and tools maintenance: Making sure all the cleaning equipment and tools are in proper conditions is essential. That includes, cleaning and maintaining vacuum, storing mops and cloths properly, washing the microfiber cloths regularly, replacing or washing dusters and making sure you check if the cleaning solutions are low and need to be refiled.
Finally, WHEN you should have your office cleaned?
Lets talk about how often a office should be cleaned. That really depends on multiple things.
1) How many people work there and the amount of visitors that come and go is proportional to the frequency of cleanings. If you have a small business with only a few staff, a once a week cleaning would be good. A medium size office with a staff of 20 or so might need a two or tree times a week cleaning. For large businesses with a lot of staff will need to clean every day and sometimes more than once a day.
2) The type of business : Restaurants or schools, for example need to be cleaned daily. a more industrial company that does not have a lot of staff or visitors may not need a full cleaning in the whole office but in public spaces like bathrooms and receptions. Bathrooms and kitchens should be cleaned on a every day basis for most businesses.
3) Budge available that the business have to spend on cleaning. If you have the resources you might have janitorial staff that can work to cover all of the necessary tasks involving cleaning whenever needed. If the budget is tight then work with your cleaning company to see if there are some adjustments that can be made to cut costs. But, in times like these, that we have viruses like Covid-19, we recommend having your office cleaned at least twice a week, for small traffic offices and weekly for bigger traffic companies. So it is easier to keep up with all the germs and we can avoid the spreading of illness and again, boost the productivity of the company.
Keeping the office clean seams like a tall take for an office manager or operations manager but that is why it is so important to find a reliable and trust worthy cleaning company that can take these important issues off your plate and in turn make you and your supporting cast more productive and happy while at the work place
Comentarios