Even if it looks clean, your office can still be home to lots of nasty germs, bacteria and viruses just waiting to make your staff sick. Today, workplace hygiene is more important than ever, meaning cleaning your office is vital. So, an office cleaning guide is a helpful bit of information.
Most offices will have a weekly cleaning schedule. But a regular office clean doesn’t always mean that everything is given a wipe-down that needs it. And missing important areas could lead to a significant reduction in the overall cleanliness of your office.
As one of the best commercial cleaning companies in Dorset, Dorset Commercial Cleaning are experts in office cleaning, from weekly top-level cleans to less frequent deep cleans. We have developed this guide on all things office cleaning. In it, we dive deeper into office hygiene, the worst places for bacteria to hide, why it matters to your business and how to clean it.
What’s the Difference Between Regular Office Cleaning and Deep Office Cleaning?
To start off our office cleaning guide, we should touch on the difference between a regular office clean and a deep clean.
Regular office cleaning typically focuses on maintaining the cleanliness of the office. This will take the form of tasks like tidying, hoovering and mopping floors and cleaning the bathrooms and kitchens.
A deep office clean on the other hand, is more in-depth, looking to improve the hygiene of the office. This means trying to get rid of any grime, dirt and bacteria that has built up in your office over time. Deep cleaning your office consists of reaching areas that aren’t typically covered by a regular office clean like:
- Behind kitchen appliances
- Under the sinks
- Inside and outside of windows
- A full and deep dusting
Why Should You Deep Clean Your Office?
Now you understand the difference, you need to know why you need to complete a deep clean every now and then.
Deep office cleans improve overall office hygiene, thereby reducing the spread of infections and viruses, as well as keeping tabs on clutter and dust.
This can benefit your staff as it may help motivate your employees as they feel happier coming into a clean workspace, especially if there was a previous problem around illness or rodents.
Where Do You Need to Clean?
So, where do you need to make sure you clean?
Keyboards, Computer Screens and Mouse
Did you know that keyboards can have up to 20,000 times more bacteria than a toilet seat?
When was the last time you cleaned your keyboard? Pick it up, turn it upside down and give it a gentle shake, and you may be very surprised to see how much dirt comes out of it.
Of course, keyboards are one of the most touched pieces of equipment within an office, not to mention that they also catch crumbs from the mid-morning snacks and spray from any coughs and sneezes.
The bacteria harbouring on a keyboard can be reduced significantly if they are regularly and thoroughly cleaned.
Of course, a computer mouse is the same, and the tops of a computer screen are often forgotten about as they aren’t in the eyeline. Most of the time, those looking at the computer will be looking at the lit screen rather than the base or top, meaning they don’t see the collection of dust gathering.
Desk, Telephone and Keys
One of the most used items in the office but one that’s often overlooked for cleaning is the telephone.
This makes an office or desk phone a hot spot for bacteria to grow – especially if it is a shared phone. With multiple people picking it up, speaking into the receiver and putting it directly on their face, the average office telephone has around 25,000 bacteria on its surface.
If a large number of people use it, the spread of viruses and bacteria through the phone buttons is likely, meaning you could end up with an illness spreading through your office like wildfire.
No matter what your industry, whether in the automotive, marina and yacht clubs or leisure and entertainment industries, your phone will need a clean.
Door Handles
It is easy to focus on cleaning the big pieces of equipment in a workspace, the tables and desks, the sinks, toilets and floors.
This means the door entering each room is taken for granted and is never thought about as a place for dirt and germs to hide. But, unsurprisingly, these are other places that will often be teeming with bacteria.
Everyone uses door handles to get around the workplace. The more people that do, the larger the variety of germs that can pass from person to person.
We know that door handles sound like quite an obvious germ hotspot, but it’s important to note that the more obscure ones, such as the handles to the refrigerator, microwave or cupboard doors, can easily get overlooked.
Lift Buttons
If you work across several floors and have a lift between them, staff and visitors will be pressing the call buttons all day, every day. This can result in a high build-up of bacteria, which is then spread throughout your workplace.
Ledges
Skirting boards and other ledges are another area often out of sight for the majority of people in the office, but this doesn’t mean they don’t collect dust.
These areas aren’t difficult to clean and just need a wipe-down with a cloth. Regular cleaning will stop dust from gathering, making the ledges easy and quick to keep tidy.
Drying Racks
Everyone knows to keep the kitchen tidy, so the sink, microwave and fridge will receive a clean fairly frequently. However, what about the drying rack?
This is a great place for limescale and grime to build up, making the rack look and feel dirty. It can feel like a big job because there will often be cutlery and crockery stacked up; not only will the task be to clean the rack but also empty it.
Giving the drying rack a good clean will help make the kitchen feel sparkling and hygienic.
Vending Machines
Vending machines are often overlooked, simply because they only contain packaged food items. As with lift buttons, the buttons on a vending machine are home to a large number of bacteria.
Office Deep Cleaning Tips
Our office cleaning guide wouldn’t be complete without a few cleaning tips.
Remove Everything Before Commencing
Everything that can be moved on your office floor should be moved out of the way before you start to clean.
This means:
- Desks
- Drawers
- Shelving
- Furniture
Moving these out of the way will mean it’s easier to reach and clean awkward corners and areas. This also gives you the opportunity to declutter at the same time.
Consider Rearranging Your Office Space
After a deep clean, you may think about rearranging your office space since all your furniture has been moved anyway. This gives you a great opportunity to experiment with different layouts that may be more practical, functional and easy to work in.
Computer Equipment Should be Cleaned Properly
As we’ve mentioned above, computer equipment is teaming with bacteria and germs, making it vital they are cleaned.
Computer keyboards are known as one of the dirtiest places in an office, as germs can build up due to their constant use. We advise a proper clean consisting of compressed air and alcohol (applied via a cotton bud) between the keys.
Manage Office Rubbish
We advise investing in good-quality office bins that can contain litter without any leaks. Bins should also be wiped and disinfected at the end of each week.
Have Plants in Your Office
As one of the reasons for an office deep clean revolves around improving air quality, you should look into having plants in your office to assist. Not only do they look nice, but they produce oxygen, and also clean the air of health-damaging toxins and release humidity back into the atmosphere.
Additionally, a few plants around the office can go a long way to improving both staff concentration and team morale.
Let Us Do the Work For You
As you can see from this office cleaning guide, there is a lot to office cleaning! Because of that, it can often be a time-consuming task that is constantly put off.
Don’t put it off any longer and hire our professional office cleaning team.
At Dorset Commercial Cleaning, we understand the importance of ensuring every surface in your office is perfectly clean and hygienic, not only to protect staff from sickness but to impress clients as well.
As a trusted team of commercial cleaners, we have experience cleaning a range of workspaces, so we know to pay a little more attention to specific areas to prevent the spread of bacteria throughout your office.
We offer completely flexible and personalised cleaning services that provide the very best results and excellent value for money. Our services include everything from regular commercial cleaning to deep cleaning and window cleaning so you and your employees can get on with what you do best.
To find out more or to arrange your no-obligation estimate for your office cleaning, call us on 01202 986700 or complete our online contact form. Our friendly team will be happy to speak to you and share more about who we are and our office cleaning services.
