*This is a collaborative post.
Home offices may not get as much traffic as busy areas like kitchens and living rooms, but they still need a thorough cleaning. Whether you work from home every day or just use the space occasionally, it’s worth knowing how to make your home office shine.
So here are 6 tips for cleaning your home office.
How to Clean Your Home Office: 6 Cleaning Tips
1. Organize your paperwork
Of course, most of our work is done on computers, but there are many reasons why we still have paperwork. It’s worth getting organized before doing a deep office clean, or it’ll get in your way.
How you organize your paperwork depends on the space available, but anything from storage boxes to folders and binders can help keep it together. Make sure to differentiate things based on importance and whether they are business or personal matters. It doesn’t make sense to randomly stuff everything to hide problems.
2. Work from the top down
It’s a bit easier, but make sure to start cleaning at the top of the room and work your way down. Doing this means you can iron out any extra mess you make along the way. For example, cleaning a home office may involve:
- wipe off the cobwebs
- clean shelves
- Clean your computer screen and keyboard
- clean table
- clean chair
- Vacuum the floor
3. Clean your computer
Your computer can be the center of your home office, so keeping it clean is a must. The basics are pretty simple, but it pays to be careful when cleaning your computer, as some parts can be very fragile.
clean computer screen
Some computer screens are prone to scratches, especially the iMac. To be as safe as possible, use a glass cleaning cloth—this will ensure you don’t scratch the screen. Usually, you don’t have to use any kind of spray on these clothes—just wipe the screen in small circular motions.
If you know the screen is more resilient, use white vinegar and a microfiber cloth. Spray a small amount of vinegar on the cloth and wipe the screen in circular motions. Treat your computer screen like a mirror or a window.
Clean the keyboard and mouse
You’d be amazed at how much grime can build up in your keyboard. Fortunately, cleaning your keyboard is easy:
- 1. First disconnect or turn off the keyboard.
- 2. Turn it over and shake gently. This should clear most of the debris stuck behind the keys.
- 3. Next, get a can of compressed air and spray it under and between the keys. You can buy jars with small spouts specially designed for this purpose.
- 4. Finally, wipe the isopropyl alcohol on and between the keys with a cotton swab. This will kill bacteria that has built up on the keyboard.
Cleaning the mouse is just as easy. You just need to wipe it down with some isopropyl alcohol and it will look like new.
4. Clean office chairs
Office chairs can be breeding grounds for everything from food crumbs and pet hair to clothing lint and stray papers. Just like your table, your chair needs a thorough cleaning. But fabric chairs get dirty more easily and require more work. Ideally, avoid this by using a leather or faux leather office chair.
No matter what your chair is made of, start by sucking it up with upholstery accessories. Make sure you get in all the crevices and remove the crumbs from last week’s lunch!
If your chairs are fabric, follow the directions on the bottle to use an upholstery cleaning spray. You only need to do this every few months. For faster cleaning, wipe the chair with a damp cloth.
For leather office chairs, white vinegar and a cloth can be used to keep it clean. If it’s real leather, consider using a leather moisturizer to moisturize.
5. Don’t eat at your desk
This isn’t so much a cleaning tip as a precaution: don’t eat at your desk! It may be tempting to use the computer while eating lunch, but food crumbs are the number one culprit of office chaos.
Debris can become lodged in the keyboard keys, preventing the key pans from functioning. Plus, if you accidentally spill food on the table, you have to clean it up before you can continue working.
Keeping a cup of coffee and a bottle of water by your desk is fine, but try to avoid bringing any food into the home office.
6. Keep it minimal at your desk
Keep your desk simple by learning from Marie Kondo. Not only will this help keep it clean, but it will also help you maintain a great workspace.
Make sure you have all the classic home office organizing elements: pen holders, binders and folders, and cable organizers. Ideally, you should have a computer on your desk, maybe a lamp, and nothing else.
final thoughts
Now you know it: 6 cleaning tips for your home office. Much of the work of keeping your office clean is scheduled, but you still need to vacuum every now and then! At least having everything organized means it will be an easier process.
If you don’t have time to clean your home office or even your home, then you might also consider making yourself a regular meeting. Home Cleaning London.
