Office cleaning is necessary, but it is far from being the only thing that you need to invest time and effort in to keep your office space in presentable shape. Reducing clutter is just as necessary, and it is all up to you to do it.
Office clutter takes many shapes and forms. Usually, items that you think are necessary for your work only contribute to the mess at your desk. You need to identify these things and take steps to reduce or store them properly.
For this reason, pay attention to the following list and take the necessary steps:
- Paper – paper is perhaps the most notable offender and contributor to office clutter. It does not just concern your desk, but the office as a whole. The more prints that people make, the more sheets of paper floating around. Perhaps you have often wasted time looking for a specific document under piles of paper. Well, it does not need to be that way. Reducing paper should be a priority for every office out there. When you think about it, there is no problem storing information online and being more print-cautious. Do you need to have a physical copy of every single email? Can you possibly keep the data online and reference it on your computer whenever you need to? Living in the 21st century surely makes this easier than ever. You hit two birds with one stone: you reduce clutter and also improve security, as the more company information present on paper, the higher the risk of data theft.
- Personal belongings – it is okay to keep a photo of a family member or perhaps some other small item that is dear to you on your desk. However, when these items become 5 and more, they start to contribute to clutter. You should be as efficient as possible on your desk, and this means using the space to keep only the items you need for work. Everything outside of that is considered clutter, and you should take steps to reduce it.
- Cleaning supplies – keeping cleaning supplies in the office is not terrible per se, but keeping them all out on your desk is probably not the way to go. Wet wipes, screen wipes, pads and cloths can all be used to make the office environment a cleaner place,
but they should be stored somewhere else. Once you are done cleaning with the wet wipes, for example, make sure you put them back in storage, instead of leaving them on your desk. - Stationery – sometimes you may think that you need all those stationery items, but the truth is that’s almost never the case. For example, when was the last time you had to use both a stapler and a clip? Can’t you do with just one of these? An eraser, a pencil, multiple pens … these can all be stored in a drawer and only used when you need them.
but they should be stored somewhere else. Once you are done cleaning with the wet wipes, for example, make sure you put them back in storage, instead of leaving them on your desk. As you can see, there are quite a few items in your office that contribute to clutter. You need to address them, as they will not just make office cleaning easier, but also contribute to your workplace well being.
