Your team spends more of their waking hours at work than they do in their own homes. In addition, as workplace culture becomes a central aspect of employee recruitment and retention, keeping your office clean and healthy is a baseline requirement for creating a great place to work. However, regular cleaning and maintenance of a large, shared, space is no easy feat, especially on top of a packed schedule.
Managed by Q is trusted by thousands of companies, including small startups, retail stores, and enterprise-level businesses, to keep their offices clean and well maintained. In addition to regular day- and night-time cleaning, Managed by Q handles deep cleans, floor buffing, and speciality cleaning jobs like carpets, upholstery and drapes, and tile and grout. We also handle maintenance such as painting, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, appliance repair and installation, HVAC service, and general handyman work–everything you need to keep your office looking and functioning great.
Based on our experience taking care of so many different types of offices, we recently released the Complete Guide to a Clean Office, a step-by-step guide to help you organize and manage the daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal cleaning and maintenance check-ups that will ensure your space and your team can perform at its best.
Managed by Q is trusted by thousands of companies, including small startups, retail stores, and enterprise-level businesses, to keep their offices clean and well maintained. In addition to regular day- and night-time cleaning, Managed by Q handles deep cleans, floor buffing, and speciality cleaning jobs like carpets, upholstery and drapes, and tile and grout. We also handle maintenance such as painting, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, appliance repair and installation, HVAC service, and general handyman work–everything you need to keep your office looking and functioning great.
Based on our experience taking care of so many different types of offices, we recently released the Complete Guide to a Clean Office, a step-by-step guide to help you organize and manage the daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal cleaning and maintenance check-ups that will ensure your space and your team can perform at its best.
As you put together to a plan to ensure your office stays clean and welcoming, here are three major elements to consider:
Tidy spaces make us happier and more productive
Clutter is overwhelming and counterproductive. In 2013, The Huffington Post put out a survey of over 1,000 U.S. adults and found that 84 percent of respondents who were “recently stressed” worried about their untidy homes. In addition to stress, according to Productivity Consultant and Certified Professional Organizer Kim Oser, a messy office is a recipe for distraction.
"Clutter affects our attention, which sets you back from whatever task you're working on," she says. "It's multitasking, which doesn't even really exist; task switching is a more accurate term. A 2011 Princeton University study backs her up. According to researchers, nearby clutter is so over stimulating that it often impacts attention and work efficiency.
If mess and clutter are a challenge for your space, think about what you use that you need to keep and organize more efficiently, what you need to jettison, and what kind of workplace policies you can work with your team to put in place about neatness and organization of individual employees spaces.
Tidy spaces make us happier and more productive
Clutter is overwhelming and counterproductive. In 2013, The Huffington Post put out a survey of over 1,000 U.S. adults and found that 84 percent of respondents who were “recently stressed” worried about their untidy homes. In addition to stress, according to Productivity Consultant and Certified Professional Organizer Kim Oser, a messy office is a recipe for distraction.
"Clutter affects our attention, which sets you back from whatever task you're working on," she says. "It's multitasking, which doesn't even really exist; task switching is a more accurate term. A 2011 Princeton University study backs her up. According to researchers, nearby clutter is so over stimulating that it often impacts attention and work efficiency.
If mess and clutter are a challenge for your space, think about what you use that you need to keep and organize more efficiently, what you need to jettison, and what kind of workplace policies you can work with your team to put in place about neatness and organization of individual employees spaces.
Clean offices are healthy offices
With cold and flu season approaching, keeping common spaces as germ free as possible is on everyone’s mind. However, keeping workspaces sanitary should be a focus year round. Communal workspaces, especially kitchens and break areas, can be breeding grounds for harmful bacteria. As reported by The Today Show, microbiologists say it takes just two to four hours for a virus to spread from a coffee pot or microwave handle to someone's desk. Dan Childs of ABC News also revealed just how filthy computer equipment can be—chances are, your keyboard is dirtier than your toilet seat (I know, that fact made me want to skip the sad desk salad too).
Ensure that communal workspaces are cleaned with disinfectant regularly and that you have plenty of disinfecting wipes for surfaces around the office like desks and conference room tables. In addition, have germ-killing wipes that are safe for electronics like computers, monitors, and phones on hand as well.
With cold and flu season approaching, keeping common spaces as germ free as possible is on everyone’s mind. However, keeping workspaces sanitary should be a focus year round. Communal workspaces, especially kitchens and break areas, can be breeding grounds for harmful bacteria. As reported by The Today Show, microbiologists say it takes just two to four hours for a virus to spread from a coffee pot or microwave handle to someone's desk. Dan Childs of ABC News also revealed just how filthy computer equipment can be—chances are, your keyboard is dirtier than your toilet seat (I know, that fact made me want to skip the sad desk salad too).
Ensure that communal workspaces are cleaned with disinfectant regularly and that you have plenty of disinfecting wipes for surfaces around the office like desks and conference room tables. In addition, have germ-killing wipes that are safe for electronics like computers, monitors, and phones on hand as well.
A regular schedule for maintenance will save your company money
Maintenance of the physical space and systems in the office is vital, but the work that goes into checking appliances or cleaning the ventilation system rarely gets a specific budget line item. As a result, companies often put off regular repairs and maintenance, which can end up costing them more later when an appliance or system requires a major repair. Research from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) found that maintenance is the third largest office expense, after fixed costs and and utilities.
Annual appliance maintenance and quarterly check ups of the systems that provide essentials to your office, including plumbing, heating and ventilation systems, can catch any problems before they become major issues. Our Complete Guide to a Clean Office also includes a maintenance checklist so that you can make sure you’re keeping your space in good working order.
Keeping your office clean and running smoothly can feel overwhelming, but knowing your space and your company’s culture helps understand what your office needs to function at its best. Ask yourself and your colleagues what kind of culture and workspace you want to create together and come up with guidelines that everyone can agree to. At the end of the day, it’s not just about making rules about doing the dishes, but the kind of community and responsibility to each other you want to encourage in your space.
Not sure where to start? Download the Complete Guide to a Clean Office for the in-depth information and checklists you need to organize your office cleaning and maintenance and create a great workspace with your team.
Maintenance of the physical space and systems in the office is vital, but the work that goes into checking appliances or cleaning the ventilation system rarely gets a specific budget line item. As a result, companies often put off regular repairs and maintenance, which can end up costing them more later when an appliance or system requires a major repair. Research from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) found that maintenance is the third largest office expense, after fixed costs and and utilities.
Annual appliance maintenance and quarterly check ups of the systems that provide essentials to your office, including plumbing, heating and ventilation systems, can catch any problems before they become major issues. Our Complete Guide to a Clean Office also includes a maintenance checklist so that you can make sure you’re keeping your space in good working order.
Keeping your office clean and running smoothly can feel overwhelming, but knowing your space and your company’s culture helps understand what your office needs to function at its best. Ask yourself and your colleagues what kind of culture and workspace you want to create together and come up with guidelines that everyone can agree to. At the end of the day, it’s not just about making rules about doing the dishes, but the kind of community and responsibility to each other you want to encourage in your space.
Not sure where to start? Download the Complete Guide to a Clean Office for the in-depth information and checklists you need to organize your office cleaning and maintenance and create a great workspace with your team.
Eleanor Whitney is the Managing Editor at Managed by Q. She is a writer, musician, and community manager based in Brooklyn, New York. In 2013 Microcosm Publishing released her first book, Grow, a field guide for creatives to build satisfying companies and careers. She is currently working on her second book, a feminist memoir, to be published in 2018.
Managed by Q is the platform for office management. Q makes it easy to run an office by connecting companies to services, including cleaning, maintenance, office administration, IT, and security. A solution for recurring and ad-hoc office needs, Q saves companies valuable time and supports office operations for thousands of businesses nationwide.
Managed by Q is the platform for office management. Q makes it easy to run an office by connecting companies to services, including cleaning, maintenance, office administration, IT, and security. A solution for recurring and ad-hoc office needs, Q saves companies valuable time and supports office operations for thousands of businesses nationwide.
RSS Feed
