With the reopening of offices across the country, it’s important that every employee feels safe in their workspace. We need smart protocols in place to keep surfaces clean and protect individuals from spreading germs. Office cleaning is mostly a common-sense activity, but we’ve created this guide to offer a few suggestions when sanitizing common spaces and wiping down electronics.
Here are five tips for keeping a clean office – including an office cleaning checklist to help ensure you don’t miss a step.
1. Disinfect the Common Area and Kitchen
Common areas (or break rooms) and kitchens experience a lot of foot traffic, and this can lead to a health hazard if the spaces aren’t kept spotless. People are preparing and eating food in this space, so it’s essential to disinfect all countertops, tables, shelves, and sinks with high-quality disinfectant spray.
The handles and insides of refrigerators and microwaves should be kept spotless, as well. Old food needs to be thrown out, and the interior surfaces also need to be wiped down regularly. And don’t forget to disinfect surfaces that people grab regularly, like coffee pot handles and drawer knobs.
To keep everything and everyone as healthy as possible, consider posting signs as reminders to maintain clean and sanitized spaces.
2. Sanitize the Restrooms
Restrooms are a high-traffic part of the office that should be checked throughout the day. At a minimum, daily cleaning is absolutely necessary for a safe restroom environment. This includes wiping down all surfaces including door handles, scrubbing toilets, sweeping and mopping floors, and keeping soap and paper towels/toilet paper stocked. It’s also a good idea to keep a small trash can near the restroom door so that visitors can grab the door handle with a paper towel and toss it before leaving.
3. Don’t Forget the Conference Rooms
A clean office is a sign of respect – for employees, for visitors, and for our society in general. That’s why it’s so crucial to keep the
conference room spotless – because it’s a space that potential business partners will visit and see on a regular basis. It’s also the place where groups gather, which raises the odds of spreading germs.
Modern conference room spaces are almost always already stocked with hand sanitizer and tissues. The rooms should feel clean and bright, with all surfaces and equipment wiped down regularly. We’ll cover cleaning conference phones and other technology in the next section.
4. Clean Technology Properly
Office cleaning isn’t an exact science, but certain items need to be
cleaned in a specific way. For instance, your tech equipment may need to be cleaned with an alcohol-free solution or as little water as possible (i.e. a damp cloth).
Other tech products can be disinfected with alcohol-based wipes and sprays, depending on how they’re designed. For cleaning keyboards, mice, office phones, and other everyday equipment, we recommend following care guidelines outlined by the manufacturer. If you’re unsure where to start, follow the
CDC guidelines for disinfecting facilities.
When it comes to cleaning Yamaha UC conferencing equipment, we recommend using a spray or wipe with 70% alcohol content.
5. Be Consistent About Cleanliness
Keeping a consistent cleaning schedule is easier said than done, but without cleaning regularly, germs will be more likely to spread. We recommend putting a recurring reminder in your calendar or note-taking app so that you know exactly when and where to clean. Plus, you can use the office cleaning checklist below to make sure that you don’t miss a spot.
The Office Cleaning Checklist
Grab a printable copy here!
- Dust every surface with a damp microfiber cloth – including shelves, countertops, desks, and cabinets.
- Wipe down and disinfect every surface with an alcohol-based solution.
- Disinfect technology – including mice/keyboards, phones, headsets, and conferencing equipment.
- Empty and replace trash bags regularly.
- Dust mop all hard-surface floors.
- Sweep all debris into a dustpan.
- Wet mop all hard-surface floors with a cleaning solution or water/bleach mixture.
- Use an all-purpose cleaner to wipe down walls and other vertical surfaces.
- Vacuum all carpeted areas, including mats and rugs.
- Disinfect every object in the bathroom – including hand dryers, soap dispensers, sinks, door handles, and toilet paper dispensers.
- Clean windows and mirrors with a glass cleaner.
- Keep small trash cans near the bathroom doors, so that people can grab the door handle with a paper towel and then toss it as they exit.
- Clean and disinfect the conference rooms – including all surfaces and technology.
- Make sure the entire kitchen and break room are spotless. Don’t forget to clean the refrigerator and microwave, inside and out!
- Dust all ledges, vents, windowsills, and other surfaces that are typically ignored.
Recommendations for Cleaning Supplies
Many companies already have office cleaning services for their entire building, but sometimes the cleaning responsibilities are left to an office manager. In that case, you may want to hire a professional office cleaning service, or you may decide to hire part-time employees and provide all the supplies. In that case, we highly recommend using eco-friendly office cleaning products from brands like Seven Generation, Method, and ECOS. In addition, Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning line is aromatherapeutic, which can help to relieve stress in the office.
Eco-friendly office cleaning supplies are much better for the environment, and they’re also less abrasive on furniture and technology. They also offer anti-microbial options that kill 99.99% of germs, so you can rely on them to eliminate viruses and bacteria.
To learn more about effective office cleaning, watch our quick Yamaha UC cleaning video and download our technology cleaning guide. Thank you for visiting Yamaha UC – we wish you a safe and healthy return to the office!