It doesn't matter where you're standing, there's a lot wrong with a messy office. It's bad because it looks bad, it's bad because it's bad for productivity, it's bad because clients will look at the mess and think, "whoa, this is bad," and it's bad because messiness and a lack of cleanliness usually go hand in hand, which is especially bad when you think of all the reasons to be extra clean right now. Cough. Coronavirus.
Basically, you need put your best foot forward and keep your office clean, something we can do better than anywhere else. Of course, there are somethings you can be doing in between having the world's best cleaners come and do their thang, and that's where these epic cleaning hacks come in.
Scissors Need Vinegar
Not for hydration purposes per se, but because most office scissors get covered in that sticky reside from cutting sticky tape, while most need a freshen up because they've lost their shine.That's where white wine vinegar comes into play. Simply dip a cloth into your white wine vinegar and give the blades a wipe. Not only will the stickiness be gone, but it will stop your scissors from rusting. And the best bit: you can use this trick on other metal things too. Now where's that hole punch?
Cap Your Vacuum
Every office boasts a bunch of hard to reach gaps, like your desktop organiser and that gap at the back of your fixed-to-the-wall desk -- and what's worse, even that super-small attachment on your Henry Hoover fails to do the job. The solution: the lid from a plastic condiment bottle, which you can attach to the end of your Henry with elastic bands. Don't say we don't do anything for you.
Broken Glass Needs Bread
The best thing about never growing up is cheering whenever anyone smashes a glass or plate, in turn letting everyone around you know there's broken glass and they need to tread carefully. But instead of running around trying to find the dustpan and brush that Karen claims she didn't use last, run to the kitchen, grab a slice of bread and, after you’re picked up the bigger shards, use the bread like a doughy-sponge to pick up the tiny bits of glass left. And if you don’t have any communal bread handy, take Karen's sandwich and use that.
PhoneSoap Is Now Essential
The average person picks up their phone every 6 minutes. That's a lot of touching. In fact, that's so much touching your phone is covered with even more bacteria than a toilet seat. Ten times the bacteria in fact. That's a lot of nasty stuff to be putting near your mouth. And that was before we had the threat of Covid-19, which is another reason to buy your office some PhoneSoap and keep your phone clean and your body healthy.
Sticky Notes For The Win
You know the worst thing about having your boss peering over your shoulder all the time? You feel like you have to eat your lunch at your desk, and that means getting crumbs and lint and all sorts of little things stuck in between the keys of your keyboard. Thankfully, there's an easy solution: grab a sticky note and use the sticky edge to clean out all of those small pieces. Spoiler alert: you're keyboard is about to look fly.
Microfibre Cloths Are A Must
Every office needs a stash of microfibre cloths dotted around the place for one simple reason: keep that nasty dust from settling here, there and everywhere. And if you're thinking you're too pressed for time to add dusting to your to-do list, we have the answer: do it while you're on the phone to your favourite client, or while your on the way to that meeting, or while you're waiting for the kettle to boil. Any time you can, grab a cloth and swipe it over your desk top, your monitor or just the hard furniture nearest to you.
Do It With Dryer Sheets
If your office smells kinda funky and musty when you walk in every morning, try dotting some dryer sheets around the place to soak up that smell and replace it with some freshness. Pop them behind your potted plants, in your desk or close (but not too close) to that old heater you really should upgrade.
Wipe Clean Your Blinds
(Almost) every office in the UK has window blinds, which are great until it comes to cleaning them. But we have the answer and it involves a sock and some vinegar. Simply grab an old sock (or the one off your foot), slide it over your hand like you're about to do a puppet show and then get it damp with a 50/50 white wine vinegar and water solution. Now all you have to do is rub this sock over the slats of your blinds and watch as the vinegar acts as a sanitiser. Oh and don't worry about the smell, that disappears pretty quickly.
Bye Bye Water Ring Marks
We all know we should use a coaster to avoid this but we rarely do, which is when water marks come back to haunt us. The answer: a hair dryer. All you have to do is aim it at that water mark and it will quickly disappear. If it doesn’t, don't panic just yet because there is one more thing you can try and it's called mayonnaise. Yup. Rub some mayo on it, leave it for an hour and then wipe it away. Ta-da.
Permanent Marker On A Whiteboard
Some of us did this when we were at school, others waited until they had started a new job. The point is, everyone has accidentally used a permanent marker on a whiteboard. Luckily, there is no need to panic because there's a simple solution. Simply pick up dry wipe marker you were meant to do, write over the top of the permanent marker and then wipe it all off with either an eraser or a soft cloth. Voila. Magic.
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