10 Everyday Office objects you are forgetting to clean

Your office looks and feels great, but have you been missing out on these frequently used objects?

1) monitors, KEYBOARDS AND MOUSE

These are your bread and butter when it comes to churning out the next big business proposal, so you bet they’re going to see tones of action. Chances are we will be having drinks and snacks to power our creative juices, and it would definitely layer the grime and dirty over time. Not to mention the dust and bits of dirt that gets stuck in between the keys!

A nice, thorough wipe generally gets ride of most grime and dirty on the daily, but we recommend doing a dusting and and vacuuming of the keyboards regularly (perhaps, every 6 months or 1 year).

2) CHAIRS

We love those ergonomic chairs, with all the adjustments for maximum comfort and keeping your chiropractor happy. But these innovative chairs often come with many nooks and crannies where lint, dust, crumbs, dead skin and hair can hide and accumulate. It doesn’t help that our bodies secret natural oils that can rub off on the mesh or fabric of your chairs, and are magnets for dirt and debris.

Worse, if you had an unfortunate spill, and it slips right into those spots you can’t reach.

Regular vacuuming of the chairs aside, we suggest opting for upholstery cleaning regularly - between every 6 months or annually - to keep things peachy clean.

3) Door knobs, handles and switches or buttons

The pandemic has made obvious to us that “high touch surfaces” are more common than we thought. Everyone, be it your colleagues or visitors, would most likely touch at least one door knob, handle or pressed a button every day. You add all that up, plus Singapore’s humid weather, and you’ve got a pretty grimy situation.

Regular wipe down of these high touch surfaces are highly recommended in your regular cleaning regime. Better yet, if you’ve a dedicated tea lady on your premises, it is suggested to give these high touch surfaces a sanitising wipe every hour or so.

4) Office appliances

Ranking high in our list of “things that generates the most dust”, we’ve got the printers and shredders. Small particles of graphite or paper particles are byproducts of printing process, and even more so with paper particles in the shredding process. Most of it do get removed with regular vacuuming and/or sweeping, but these too-small-to-see particles often land in hard to reach areas behind the appliances or within the nooks of the machine itself.

These build ups may be subtle, but it greatly affects the air quality in the office. Air purifiers are great, but we also recommend cleaning staff to regularly wipe down and check build ups behind these appliances.

5) Walls

Walls are quiet offenders when it comes to getting dirty over time. Besides dust and cobwebs, mold is also another potential issue. Offices with open windows, particularly offices near roads, can also invite outdoor dust and allergens.

Keeping walls clean and dust-free can also help reduce overall pollutants and keep the air quality in your office space fresh and clean.

6) Air conditioning vents and flaps

Perhaps one of the most overlooked areas are vents, particularly air conditioning vents with a central system. Your air conditioning is part of a series of air ducts and can easily have build up, which are being forced through into your vents (and, essentially, the air you breathe).

While the internal workings of an air conditioning unit is best left to your building management (typically under their jurisdiction and insurance), your cleaning regime should include a wipe of the vents and flaps. We suggest doing so every 3 months or at most 6 months to minimise the dust fall out coming from the build up.

7) Light Fixtures

Similarly to the air conditioning vents and flaps, light fixtures will collect dust and grime. Oft-overlooked, they tend to have build ups that can silently affect the air quality in your office. Brightness can also be affected if there is build up on the bulb or the shades or covers.

We recommend giving these fixtures a thorough wipe monthly, or at least every 2-3 months to keep your office dust-free and bright.

8) Cabinet tops and ledges

It comes as no surprise that anything above eye level tend to be overlooked. Cabinet tops and ledges often fall into this category, and, unfortunately, their height makes them the first to “receive and gather” the dust, grime and even insects and their droppings.

It is an easy fix. Simply opt for a cleaning regime that covers these areas on a regular basis. Depending on the number of colleagues in the office, events you’d have and how old your building is (older buildings may have more build up in the air vents), they should be cleaned either monthly, every 2 months or at least every 6 months.

9) Window or glass partition frame AND trim

If it’s a surface, dust is going to be there. The same goes for all the window and glass partitions in offices, held together by a frame, casing and/or trim.

Many offices have started to opt for more windows and clear glass partitions between seats to offer a more open and welcoming ambiance. To maintain that ambiance, keep these glass dust-free and clear is obviously important. Offices that opt for black frames for that classy, professional look are more susceptible as dust and oily fingerprints show up easily against the dark surface.

On top of regular spot cleaning, it is recommended to do window or glass partition on cleaning (along with the actual window or glass) monthly or every 2-3 months as part of your regular cleaning plan.

10) office cabinets

Perfect for organising files or for colleagues to handily keep away personal items, these cabinets are often neglected as their hidden away under desks. Pesky dust are, sadly, very resourceful when it comes to gathering on the tops of these cabinets. They tend of be overlooked and continue to gather a layer of dust, making it unsightly and can contribute to bad air quality in the long run.

It is recommended to do give these cabinets a wipe down monthly or every 2-3 months as part of your regular cleaning plan.

In Summary

Keeping an office clean and tidy can be an overwhelming task. No office is made exactly the same either. Different building structures, work styles and layouts require an cleaning expert to work with the office staff to identify what is needed to keep the office clean and provide colleagues and guest a healthy and safe space.

Cleaning regimes should be customised to what the office needs, and adjusted as working styles and requirements evolve. Need a clearer picture? Speak with one of our cleaning professionals and see what you may still be missing out.