Maintaining cleanliness is crucial to many facets of office management. For one, it’s a huge contributor to productivity. An unclean, disorganised workplace simply doesn’t inspire employees to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.

In addition, a clean office reflects upon your organisation. It tells your employees that you care about their wellbeing, as well as gives visitors, potential business partners, and the general public a good first impression about your company.

Lastly, office cleaning helps you meet the requirements set by the law for employers to provide a healthy, safe, and comfortable working environment.

Fortunately, through the help of professional office cleaners, it’s easier than ever to keep your workplace spick and span. That being said, there are still some areas that need a little extra attention. Take note of the list below, so that both you and your commercial cleaners can keep things in good shape for longer:

Light Fixtures

Because most light fixtures are installed above eye level, they aren’t always the focus of cleaning efforts. As such, they can accumulate dust without you realising it. Eventually, the buildup can result in inadequate illumination even if the lights are new or the bulbs have been recently replaced.

Keep in mind that poorly lit environments aren’t conducive to productivity and motivation. Thus, to avoid this situation, make sure to include lighting fixtures in your cleaning to-do list. This can be done at least once a week. You can use a soft cloth to wipe the bulbs, and a dusting implement to clean casings, shades, and other decorative elements.

Ceiling Fan Blades (and Fan Blades in General)

If you have a ceiling fan in your office, the top sides of its blades likely have a thin film of dust and cobwebs coating them. Over time, these debris will pile up and get scattered across your office as the fan turns. This not only makes the entire workspace more difficult to clean, but it also causes poor air quality.

To clean ceiling fan blades, you can use a long-handled duster with an adjustable head. You can also use a vacuum cleaner. Of course, if you have other fans in the office, make sure to regularly clean their blades as well. Once a month is usually a good schedule to follow, but it ultimately depends on how often you use the fans and how dusty your office gets.

Blinds

Like fan blades, blinds tend to accumulate dust because the flat slats have a lot of surface area where particles can settle. Fortunately, most professional office cleaners include blinds in their routines.

Many workplaces have Venetian or roller blinds, which are easy to clean using vacuums or microfibre cloths; these can also be taken down for a quick wash. Other blinds (e.g., Roman blinds, motorised blinds) may require extra care, so let your cleaners know any special instructions beforehand.

Undersides of Chairs and Under Furniture

Many of the areas you miss out on when cleaning are usually those that fall under the category of “out of sight, out of mind.” These include the undersides of chairs, which you may be surprised can actually gather a lot of dust.

The spaces under most large furniture also get forgotten (or excluded) in daily cleaning routines because they can be hard to get to; they’re also hidden from the eye most of the time, anyway, so most would tend to leave this cleaning task for last—until they forget about it.

Make sure to include these areas in your weekly cleaning routines. For the spaces under furniture, once a month is a reasonable frequency for a thorough vacuuming session.

High-Touch Objects and Surfaces

Things like remote controls, telephones, elevator buttons, stair rails, door handles, and light switches can get quite grimy after just a few hours, due to the number of people touching them. Even worse is that these high-touch objects and surfaces can also be a harbour for harmful germs.

Thus, it’s wise to clean and disinfect them every so often within the span of a day. The frequency will depend on factors like foot traffic, but following an “as needed” schedule is perfectly reasonable.

Plants

Keeping a few plants in the office can be good for everyone’s wellbeing. In fact, there have been quite a few studies that revealed various health and productivity benefits of having some flora in the workplace.

However, plants can also accumulate dirt and cobwebs over time; their leaves also wilt. If you don’t keep up with their maintenance, these same plants that you brought in for stress-relief may end up causing you even more stress.

To keep your office greenery in good shape, keep them dust-free by wiping the surfaces of the leaves using a soft cloth. Then, trim dying or dead leaves to keep your office plants looking fresh and alive.

Other neglected office areas that you should be in your cleaning checklist include:

  • the insides of the microwave oven
  • air vents and ducts
  • walls and baseboards
  • framed photos and certificates, trophies, and other decor
  • ceiling tiles
  • upholstery

With every nook and cranny in your office in immaculate condition, everyone can do their jobs well in safety and comfort.