If there’s one thing that’s in common for the majority of people all over the world, it is that we discovered just how organized (or not) we are when working from home. The pandemic pushed most of us to work from home, whether we had a home office or not.
However, if you are one of the lucky ones who have the dedicated space for work in your own home, you have a different problem – it needs to be cleaned. And if your time-management skills aren’t perfect, it can be quite a challenge.
We asked Castle Keepers in Atlanta to share their take on what some of the best ways to clean a home office are.
Start Big
One of the biggest sources of chaos in our homes and in our offices is paper. Even though we mostly use computers now, chances are that there are a bunch of papers lying around.
But, before you just start throwing everything out, go through your papers and make sure you’re not throwing out anything important. Organize your paperwork and find a suitable place for it. There are handy folders with separators for different kinds of documentation.
The reason why you should start with this papers is a bit of psychology. It is fairly easy to clean and organize, but the sense of accomplishment will give you a nice boost to finish cleaning your home office.
Get Rid of Dust
Whether you like it or not, dust accumulates in your home office much as it does in the rest of your home. Even if you are not allergic to dust, cleaning it every once in a while is necessary, both for the cleanliness and for the health benefits of having cleaner air.
Dust all of the surfaces and don’t worry about dust falling on the ground – this is why you’re doing this first. When finishing up, you can simply vacuum or mop the floor and you’re all done.
Clean the Table
If you’re only using your work table for work – i.e. if you only have your computer and computer peripherals on your table, I salute you, you have more character than most of us. Most people use their work table for a variety of things, including eating.
Food and drink are probably the biggest source of mess in the house, and it is no different in your home office. If you’ve spilled a drink or sent the crumbs from your cookie all over the table, now is the time to get that sorted.
Get the Computer In Order
Finally, the centerpiece of most modern offices – the computer. No matter if you work on a small laptop or a full size desktop computer, cleaning it once in a while is a good idea. Getting rid of dust is a good starting point. You probably know how detrimental dust buildup can be to your computer, so don’t skip this step.
More importantly though, you should clean your keyboard and mouse – two of the items you’re in contact the most when working. There are some estimates that claim that keyboards are the dirtiest parts of the office, and it sort of makes sense.
Clean the keyboard and mouse with some rubbing alcohol and q-tips. Just make sure they’re off before you start. And don’t be surprised by the amount of dirt.
Finish Off by Vacuuming
Now that the bulk of the work is done, you can focus on cleaning the floor. If you have a hardwood floor, you can simply mop it and be done with it. However, if you have a carpet, you will need to vacuum it.
Leaving the floor for last is best because you get to clean everything that fell to the ground in just one cleaning, which is more efficient.
Your home office may be just another room in your home, but it does have certain challenges unique to it.
