A cluttered desk is bad for both your health and your productivity. Clutter keeps you from cleaning the desk, which allows dust, germs, and bacteria to grow and affect your health. Clutter also keeps you disorganised, which can cause you to miss important meetings and deadlines unintentionally. A clean, organised desk will keep you healthier and improve your productivity. Here are some tips for organising and cleaning your desk for good health and efficient workflow.
Purge Your Desk
The first step is to purge the mess. Instead of trying to sort everything on the desk, clear everything off. Also clear everything out of filing cabinets and drawers. This will give you a huge mess on the floor, but it’s only temporary. The goal is simply to clear the desk for now. Make sure you clear every item and sheet of paper.
Clean Your Desk
Now you ignore the mess on the floor so you can clean the desk. You’re going to rid yourself of all the harmful dust, germs, and bacteria.
Begin by wiping down the desk with a damp cloth to catch all the dust. It’s best to use a disinfectant spray on the cloth, but you can use water at this stage if you need to.
Next, spray a disinfectant or cleaner on the desk and wipe it clean. Make sure it’s a cleaner that won’t cause problems if you breathe it in.
Lastly, use a wood polish on the desk to give it a shine.
Organise the Mess
The next step is to turn your attention to the mess on the floor. This is probably going to be the most time-consuming phase of the process. You need to sort all the paper and supplies into piles according to supplies you need, important documents, immediate paperwork, and trash. The trash should obviously get thrown out or recycled. Important documents and immediate paperwork should go into separate piles, which are separate from the supplies.
Designate Specific Places for Everything
Now you’re going to figure out where to put everything. You should have a secure place for important documents – this could be a drawer in a filing cabinet. Immediate paperwork should have a place on your desk that doesn’t overcrowd you. Try organising it with folders or trays.
Go Minimal
When you are organising everything, place your office supplies in drawers except for those items that you use often. These should stay on top of your desk so you don’t need to constantly dig in drawers.
Consider going minimalist. This means storing everything in drawers for a clean, uncluttered look.
Establish Filing and Organisational Procedures
If you allow papers and junk to pile up again, all your hard work will have been for nothing. You need to establish new processes for controlling the clutter. Use desk organisers for supplies and files. Establish a system for filing papers that allows you to find and store documents easily and quickly.
Use Trays and Inboxes
Another aspect of your workspace that needs to be controlled before it gets out of hand is incoming paperwork and documents. Trays and inboxes can help you to organise new, unopened documents and paperwork that you’re still working on. When new work comes in, direct people to your inbox so papers don’t pile up on your desk again.
Designate Separate Workspaces
Keep different areas of your work separate from one another. For instance, have your computer set up on one area of your desk and only do computer-related work there. Keep another section of your desk clear for paperwork and only do paperwork there. This keeps you from feeling cluttered, overworked, and run down.
Schedule Cleaning
Make time to clean your desk regularly. If you let the dust pile up again, you will start to feel the symptoms of respiratory problems and illness. Designate a specific day when you will clear off your desk in order to clean it and wipe it down.
Straighten Up At the End of the Day
Straightening your desk at the end of each day is a great note to end on. You won’t have to deal with a messy or disorganised desk in the morning, allowing you to start your day on a happier and more productive note.
Let a Professional Help You Keep Your Workspace Clean
A commercial office cleaning service can help you maintain your newfound level of organisation. You keep the desk organised and the cleaner will keep it clean. Crewcare can clean your desk and the rest of the office so everyone’s workspace remains clear of dust, germs, and bacteria. Our Carenote system allows you to track results in real time, ask questions, and provide feedback. We have established a concise and effective system for cleaning that makes the most out of a dedicated staff and eliminates the extra costs associated with inconsistent cleaning. Contact Crewcare today for a free quote on your office and desk cleaning needs.