With the covid-19 lurking around in the streets, almost the entire Sydney seems to be working from home. Working from home is not a new concept. People have been working from their homes for all the reasons, because of sickness or long distance, international jobs, and more. Whatever the reason, if you work from a home office, make sure to regularly clean and keep your home office tidy. It’s simple with our DIY home office cleaning guide.

While it is essential to have a quiet and isolated space for your home office where you can work without interference, it is also important to keep your workplace clean and tidy.

It will not just keep you safe from germs that are common in a dirty workspace but might also help you focus more. A cleaner workplace is often associated with increased productivity.

Even if you are working alone and are the only one using the office, without irregular cleaning it may soon start accumulating dust and bacteria. And in no time, the germs can reach beyond the office and start infecting your family. You certainly don’t want that.

More than anything, it feels really good and refreshing to have a clean and tidy home office where you can have complete peace of mind.

Now, cleaning a home office is more than just simple dusting and wiping. Your desk, where you work for hours without stopping, may soon become the breeding ground for germs without regular and proper cleaning. Mere dusting will not cut it. You have to go beyond it. Here’s a simple-to-follow, step-by-step guide to keeping your home office clean.

DIY Home Workplace Cleaning Checklist by Clean Group

What you’ll need?

Here’s everything you’ll need to start DIY home office cleaning.

• Cleaning solution/ Baking Soda
• Vinegar
• Buckets
• Microfiber cloths
• Duster or dusting cloths
• Mop
• Scrubbing brush or sponges
• Vacuum cleaner
• Disinfectant wipes
• Cleaning gloves and masks

Though there are many good, eco-friendly cleaners available in the market that you can use for cleaning your home office, the best alternative is an all-purpose cleaner that you can make easily at home using vinegar, water, detergent and lemon.

What to clean?

Here is the cleaning process or checklist that our expert office cleaners follow when cleaning a home office.

• Clean the desk and all objects and accessories on it.
• Clean the bookshelves and other shelves on office walls.
• Dust and wipe the computer.
• Clean the drawers, file cabinets, and other furnishings.
• Vacuum the sofa and curtains.
• Wipe clean telephone, AC remote, door handles, switches and other frequently touched objects.
• Disinfect the desk, computer keyboard, mouse, telephone, remote, light switches, etc.
• Wash the doors and windows
• Clean, wash and disinfect the toilets.
• Sweep and mop the surface and disinfect.

How to Deep Clean Your Home Workplace (And Keep It Clean)

To start with, design your home office such that it is easy to clean. Arrange the furniture and all other items in a way that they are easy to clean quickly and without a lot of shifting around.

For perfect results, use a combination of basic cleaning and disinfecting. In simple words, clean everything first to remove visible dust and dirt from surfaces and then disinfect all surfaces and frequently touched objects to remove viruses and bacteria.

Ideally, you should clean your home office daily and disinfect it at least once every day. Then, you can deep clean the office area once every week, which will include emptying and cleaning drawers inside out, deep cleaning carpets, windows, vents, etc., cleaning underneath and behind the furniture, and more.

1 Cleaning the Electronics

Use a microfiber cloth to gently wipe or dust your electronics, including the computer screen, keyboard, mouse and machine. Do not use wet wipes or a wet cloth to wipe electronics as they may cause serious damage. When cleaning the keyboard, dust it thoroughly and use a brush to clean between the keys.

If there are stains on your keyboard or computer mouse, use a moist cloth to wipe them clean properly while being careful not to get the water inside the cracks.

2 Cleaning the Office Desk

First, remove all objects from the desk. To clean your office desk, you can use any basic cleaning solution along with a microfiber cloth to wipe clean the surface carefully. Also, disinfect the desk surface at least once a day using a TGA-approved chemical/disinfectant.

If you are sick and sneezing or coughing on your office desk, it would be a good idea to disinfect it multiple times during the day.

After you are done cleaning and disinfecting the desk, let the solution dry itself or wipe it clean with a microfiber cloth. Once the desk is completely dry, rearrange the items back on it. Try and keep your office desk as clutter-free as possible, which will also make the cleaning job easier.

3 Vacuum or Sweep and Mop

For other parts besides the desk, sweeping or vacuuming followed by mopping should be enough and will save time. Sweep the floors and mop them at least two or three times a week.

To save more time, you can vacuum the floors, couch, curtains, etc. once every two days. Do not miss hidden spots such as under your desk and behind the couch. To mop the floors, use water and soap solution or mix an eco-friendly floor cleaner.

4 Lamps, Vents and Windows

When deep cleaning your home office, you would want to clean everything, including walls, doors, windows, and even the vents.

It is recommended to dust/wipe your lamps, fans, light bulbs, switchboards, vents and other unreachables at least once a week.

Dust your carpets and doormats at least once every week.

5 Toilets and Restrooms

If your home office has a dedicated restroom, do make sure to clean it frequently. Everything, including the toilet area, seats and urinals must be cleaned and disinfected at least once a day.

6 Disinfect Frequently Touched Objects and Surfaces

After cleaning, disinfect all high-traffic areas and frequently touched objects including light switches, doorknobs and handles, toilets, water taps, washbasins, chair armrests, phones, water bottles, and others.

Keep a hand sanitiser handy to properly sanitise your hands every time you come in contact with an object that has been outside. Also, properly wash your hands with soap and water every time before eating and after using the toilet.

What More Can You Do?

To ensure your office space is clean and hygienic all day long, here are a few other things you can do besides cleaning:

• Keep and use a dustbin near your office desk.
• Keep wet wipes handy and use them to clean up spills and dust as soon as they occur.
• Use desk organisers or containers for separate items such as files, stationery, etc.
• Avoid eating at your desk. It is the quickest way to get infected.
• Focus more on high-traffic areas when cleaning your home office.
• To keep the wires tidy, use cable ties. Also, dust them regularly.
• Disinfect frequently touched areas or objects multiple times during the day.

If you are sharing the office space with your spouse or anybody else, clean more frequently than usual, especially common areas like toilets and bathrooms.

Should you hire an office cleaner for home office cleaning?

Yes. If you lack the expertise or have no time to do it yourself, don’t think twice before hiring an expert office cleaner.

If home office cleaning is more complicated than you expected or is taking a lot of your time, especially during these pandemic times, hiring a professional office cleaning service might just be the right choice for you. Depending on your cleaning requirements, you can hire a full-time or hourly cleaner.

Here at Clean Group, we have expertise in all types of office cleaning, including home office cleaning and maintenance. Feel free to call us to book a cleaning service or just to say hi!

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