Office Cleaning Checklist: 7 Tips for Keeping the Workplace Dust and Pest Free

Ever wonder how many hours does an average person spend at work? If you are a working individual and spend a significant chunk of your time at work, or want to have a thriving and successful business, keeping the environment of the workplace pleasant may be more important than you realize.

An average person spends more than 1800 hours of a year at work. That means your productivity, as well as your mood, largely depends on the office's environment. Now imagine, you step into the office, and there's dust everywhere. The minute you start getting comfortable, lo, and behold, there are pests as well.

While these problems may not seem so big to someone, you will be surprised to see the impact they create on your work. An unhygienic office environment can be disruptive, causing dissatisfaction at work, absenteeism, and eventually, employees may take extreme steps such as resignation.

Common Mistakes that Attract Pests

Some of the most common complaints from employees are typically around a dusty environment or poor maintenance. However, the most worry-some complaint is about pests bugging your employees at work.

Office spaces have a lot of people coming in and leaving, which escalates this problem, but the situation becomes even more embarrassing if you have clients coming in and facing this problem. Here are some of the common mistakes people make at their work that attract pests:

1. Eating at Desk

One of the most common causes of pests at work is unhygienic eating habits. In some workplaces, employees tend to eat while they are working. This snacking activity means that employees could spill food crumbs on your desk, and that may attract flies, ants, and cockroaches to your workstation.

2. Improper Waste Management

Another common culprit is improper waste management by the office cleaners. Disposing half-eaten meals and unfinished drinks in the waste bin of your work desk is not only unsafe for your health, but it also invites pests to your desk.

First, employees need to dispose of things at an appropriate area, and then you have to ensure the waste bins are emptied regularly and diligently. It is best if food waste is recycled so that none of it goes into the dumpster.

3. Leaving Open Drinks Unattended

One of the common habits among employees is leaving their drinks open and unattended on their desks. Any sweet flavored drink attracts sugar ants and flies, making it difficult for people to sit in that area.

4. Poor Facility Maintenance

Irregular and poor facility maintenance brings some big risk factors. Old buildings with no maintenance often result in pipe leaks, gaps, and holes. These holes and broken pipes give an entry point to pests such as ants, rodents, cockroaches, etc.

Tips for Keeping the Workplace Dust & Pest Free

A clean workplace not only keeps your employees happy, but it also boosts their morale and reduces health issues among employees. Unfortunately, it is easier said than done because it takes a lot of effort. But don't worry, we have got you covered. Here are our top 7 tips to keep your workplace dust and pest free. Happy reading!

1. Create a Cleaning Routine

About 70% of your cleaning issues would be resolved by taking a single action, set and ensure a cleaning routine. This is the first step to keep your workplace clean. Ask your cleaners to make a habit of doing cleaning tasks before the employees walk in to ensure that the office is in great shape. Besides the daily tasks, you could also make a list of the weekly and monthly maintenance tasks as well, such as cleaning all kitchen appliances, emptying the refrigerator, etc.

2. Routine Pest-Control Inspection

Prevention is better than cure - it's far easier to prevent dust and pest attack than to get rid of it. Make it a habit to conduct routine pest-control inspections each season to prevent pests for the season. Furthermore, Sprucing the place with peppermint oil can do the job for you as well.

3. Don't Forget the Nooks and Crannies

Nooks and crannies of offices have the most tendency to build up dust and dirt. While cleaning, it is essential to make sure you reach into all those areas and don't let dust and grime build-up. The best approach to do so is by moving the furniture and desks regularly and cleaning the cracks and crevices. Don't forget to focus on the pantry or other cleaning areas because they attract pests the most.

4. Focus on Cleaning Common Rooms

Specific rules to eat and relax should be maintained at work from the start. Discourage eating at the workstations and keep specific eating areas. It's usually a great idea to set the rules from the start for your employees on where they are allowed to eat.

It's much easier to clean the space this way, and it will prevent leaving crumbs everywhere. Limiting food consumption to the dining area only will go a long way and help you prevent pests such as ants from reaching your workstations.

5. Don't Forget the Storage Areas

When cleaning your office, focus most of your efforts on storage areas such as closets and other areas filled with clutter. To keep your office free from rodents, you need to avoid placing cardboard boxes on the floors and use plastic boxes to store.

6. Hire Professionals

To improve the overall cleanliness of your office, it's a great idea to hire professional services. You can go about it in two ways: you can hire an in-house cleaning crew, or you can outsource it to a cleaning agency.

Carpet Cleaning Epsom, a premium cleaning service in the UK, claims that many offices prefer to outsource because it is convenient and cost-effective.

7. Establish Strict Rules for Hygiene

The hygiene level of your office starts with the employees, so you must establish strict standards. Discourage leaving food leftovers overnight. Ask employees to leave their food in the fridge, but make a rule that nothing can be kept for more than one day. Moreover, encourage employees to declutter their desks and hold them accountable for their desks to ensure a pleasant work environment.

In Summary

Don't forget to include these 7 tips when you are making your office cleaning checklist. By following them, not only will you have a clean workplace, but you will also be more comfortable and fresh working there. How do you keep your office dust and pest free? Let us know!