10 Tricks to Help You Clean Those Tight Spaces You’ve Been Avoiding

Keeping a work space clean can be a pain at the best of times. When you’re at work, you’re focused on getting things done and completing tasks - answering phones, responding to emails, working through paperwork, etc. Often the last thing on your mind is keeping your desk or work area clean and tidy – and if the places that need to be cleaned are in tight, hard-to-reach areas, then it’s often easier just to ignore them entirely.Trust us, it’s completely understandable! Even if you do find the time to clean your desk, it can be difficult to know what you to do about those tight spaces that are tricky to clean. So, we’ve compiled these 10 tricks to help you keep your work space sparkling, and keep those pesky germs at bay:

• Invest in a Keyboard CleanerMost people come into frequent contact with a computer keyboard throughout the day – if you work in an office, you are touching your keyboard constantly. And unless you are making a habit of sanitizing your hands after you touch your face or check your phone, then, like most people, your keyboard could probably do with a good clean. Invest in a keyboard cleaner air spray to keep on your desk and blow those crumbs (and bacteria) away!
• Keep Desk Items to MinimumThe more clutter you have on your desk, the more likely it is that your desk is going to get dusty and dirty. Unless you dedicate time to moving all of your desk items around as you clean, it’s much quicker and more efficient to keep desk items to a minimum. The more open space you have, the easier it is to identify the areas that need a quick wipe down with disinfectant spray or wipes.
• Watch Those WindowsIf you sit by a window, you might not realize how much dirt and bacteria gets lodged in the window tracks! This can often be an awkward place to clean – but this is where you can use office products to help you! A sticky post-it note will be able to pick up any dust that has accumulated, and it requires minimal effort.
• Keep a Toothbrush HandyA toothbrush is the perennial tool when it comes to cleaning hard-to-reach places. Whether that’s the corners of your desk, narrow blinds, or air vents, wrapping a Swiffer duster sheet around a toothbrush is one the best ways to combat those problematic spots in your office.
• Think ‘Up’Keep your computer monitors on their own stand. Not only will this improve your posture and stop you staring down at a computer screen, it will give you more clean desk space (and less awkward areas to clean) and avoid those dreaded dust bunnies. Ergonomic and efficient!
• Keep Your In/Out Tray OrganizedWe all have methods to keeping our e-mail inboxes organized, but what about those loose bits of paper that collect on your desk? If your desk is covered with paper, you’re likely cleaning around them instead of moving them and getting into all the nooks and crannies. By managing a physical inbox and outbox, papers won’t sit on your desk collecting dust and germs, and will be easy to go over with a duster once a week. Plus, this leaves you with plenty of room to get into the corners and quickly clean.
• Keep Your Trash Can CloseKeeping your trash can within arm’s length will reinforce you throwing away items that you don’t really need. Don’t keep items at your desk that are just taking up space (unless they are uplifting or have sentimental value). Get into the habit of evaluating what really needs to be on your desk – a cluttered work space is harder and more awkward to clean.
• Scan EverythingIf you have access to a scanner, scanning and saving all of your paperwork will dramatically cut down on the amount of paperwork you have at work. As well as being easier to keep clean than dozens of pieces of paper, using your scanner regularly will clear up your work space, and, you guessed it, allow you to reach those difficult and awkward places when you need to clean them.
• Schedule Cleaning TimeIdentifying exactly what the tight, awkward spaces that need to be cleaned are, and then actually setting aside time to clean them each week will make a huge difference. Instead of just feeling guilty for not getting to it whenever you think about it, you can treat it like a meeting and do what you can in 15 or 30-minute intervals.
• Disinfecting Wipes Are Your New Best FriendWhether it’s a cluttered desk, air vents, windows, or other tight spaces, there’s little that cannot be effectively cleaned with a disinfectant wipe. Keeping a tube at your desk, or even better, within arm’s reach, will reinforce the habit of cleaning and will motivate you to target those spots that’ve you been avoiding!

For information on how OpenWorks can keep your facility clean and safe, visit our services page on our website here: https://openworksweb.com/services