1) Declutter
Even if you do your best to maintain a “paperless” environment, it’s amazing how easily and how quickly paper can manage to pile up! Go through those stacks and bins of papers, throwing out anything that’s unimportant and organizing anything that is.
If you’re a note scribbler, try consolidating your notes into an online app like Evernote. These apps also let you scan in important and easily-misplaced documents like receipts.
Once you’ve tackled the paper, finish by putting away things that migrated from drawers and cabinets to the top of your desk.
2) Clean Your Work Area
What’s the most germ prone place in your home or workplace? Believe it or not, it’s your desk! Studies estimate that your desktop can be up to 400 times as dirty as your bathroom, and office phones can host up to 25,000 bacteria per square inch! With the clutter gone, this is a perfect opportunity to clean your desktop, phone, mouse, keyboard and monitor. Remove loose dirt, then use cleaner and a soft cloth to wipe down your desktop, phone and mouse. If you’re using a cordless mouse, check to see if the batteries will need to be replaced soon. To clean your screen, first power off your computer and monitor. Unplug the monitor to be extra safe, and use a soft microfiber cloth to remove spots and smudges. Wipe the screen, pressing as lightly as possible. If this doesn’t do the trick, try a microfiber cloth that’s lightly moistened with plain water or a combination of water and vinegar. Never use alcohol, soaps or window cleaners - they can damage your screen. While your computer is powered down, unplug your keyboard (if necessary.) Turn it upside down to shake out loose dirt, use canned air to blow debris out from between the keys. Use cotton swabs dipped in rubbing alcohol to clean the keys themselves, and small towelettes dampened with alcohol to clean other parts of the keyboard. A toothbrush can help loosen ground-in dirt. Power up your computer again. Don’t forget to re-connect any peripherals you had unplugged for cleaning.3) Banish the Dust Bunnies
Now that we’ve taken care of the places which are easily accessed, it’s time to turn our attention to those areas which are not. Clean and vacuum under your desk (being careful not to dislodge any computer or network cables), behind file cabinets, and other places where dust bunnies like to congregate.4) Virtual Cleaning
Your desk isn’t the only place that attracts clutter – email inboxes and other online folders are also places that can quickly become an overwhelming jumble of data. Before you start e-cleaning, make sure you back up your system – just in case you “over-clean.” (If you don’t regularly back up your data, now is a good time to start!) Then, like you did with the real paper, go through all unruly mailboxes and folders – re-organizing and archiving things you may need again, and deleting things that you won’t.5) Spruce Up Your Décor
You’re almost done - just a final pass to freshen your décor and clean other items which are frequently overlooked. Replace that dead plant, clean the windows and light fixtures, vacuum shades and blinds.If you’re in NYC and need help cleaning your home or your office, contact NY Brite for a free cleaning estimate! Trusted by some of the city’s most demanding clientele, our reliable and professionally trained cleaning team has been serving customers throughout NYC for over 26 years. Call 800-682-7483 to find out how we can help you today!
