Reasons To Keep Your Work Area Clean

Whether you work from home or work in an office, cleanliness is a very important factor for many reasons. Here are some of the most common reasons to keep your work area clean, and tips for keeping it that way.

Reducing clutter reduces stress.

A major cleaning challenge is paper clutter. We’ve all had issues with documents and papers that need to be filed or shredded and we just haven’t found the time to take care of it. I for one used to be a the type of person that when I needed to file something I would put it in my “to be filed” pile, and then I would sit there and stare at it and stare at it knowing that I needed to get it taken care of and it would just grow. This became such a huge stress for me, that it would then take more time out of my day to stand in front of the filing cabinet sorting through all the documents and filing them in their respective file, that I just started making myself get up right away and if it needed to be filed, I would just file it. Now, don’t get me wrong it took me a good couple of weeks to get myself in that habit, but once I did it made a world of difference knowing that I no longer had that stack that just kept getting bigger and bigger.

Cleanliness boosts confidence

When you have a prospective new client, or employee come into your office for a visit the first thing they notice is the cleanliness of your desk. If someone walks in and there are papers all over it, and clutter it can make them wonder about your professionalism, whereas walking into an office that is cleaned up, and things are put away, makes people think you care about the minor details. I know when I take the time to clean and I mean clean my desk it also gives me that boost of energy of something being accomplished.

It’s easy to lose things when your desk is a mess

Have you ever had so many papers, and other items on your desk, and then you know you put something somewhere on it and you just can’t find it? I know I have! Think about how much time you waste looking through everything to find that one piece of paper you needed. If your desk was cleaned and de-cluttered you wouldn’t have to worry about it, because everything would have its place.

Hygiene

Let’s not forget this important one. Our desks need to be sanitized, especially during cold and flu season! I’m not saying you need to use hand sanitizer every time you pick up something or put something down on your desk, but making sure you wipe down your desk at least once a week is a good habit to get into, oh and don’t forget those phones and keyboards! Most everyone sits at their desk and uses their keyboards non-stop all day long, can you imagine the germs on that thing! Make sure to use a disinfecting wipe on it weekly if not daily!

Your work area influences productivity, performance and well-being. No matter the industry maintaining a clean workplace is important for keeping you safe, healthy and productive. So, while it may be tempting to put off, filing those stacks of papers, wiping the dust off your desk, or putting off organizing your drawers, maintaining a clean workplace is vital to hep reduce stress and keep your efficiency high. So, take the time to do it and you just might feel that boost of confidence!