How Often Should an Office Be Deep Cleaned & Disinfected

Office cleaning is often an overlooked aspect of running a business, and with the COVID pandemic, it’s become even more important. Allowing dust and dirt to build up can lead to illness among employees and create unnecessary tensions, all of which causes them to work less efficiently.

When it comes to office cleanliness, the first thing people think of is dusting, decluttering, and taking out the trash. But it’s about a lot more than just these simple things. Deep cleaning and disinfecting are two vital processes that you should consider to keep you and your employees well protected from bacteria and germs.

In fact, the air quality of indoor spaces is often more polluted than outdoor spaces. And a study from Harvard actually found that low air quality can impact cognitive function negatively. In other words, a dirty office means your brain isn’t working its best.

So, how often should your office be cleaned? Some workplaces have specific rules for how many times they need to deep clean their office in a year, but many don’t. While there is no one correct answer, we’ve got some practical tips on why you should deep clean your office and how to get started.

What is Deep Cleaning?

In the pandemic era, we’ve all heard the words “deep clean” used a lot more than before. So, what does this really mean? Well, deep cleaning is the process that removes all visible dirt, as well as invisible bacteria and germs. It involves cleaning and disinfecting all areas in your office, focusing on the places with the heaviest foot traffic.

Deep cleaning goes beyond the surface and gets every nook and cranny. From the corners of your office to the carpets underneath your desk. Recently, it also aims to thoroughly disinfect all spaces from bacteria and viruses, such as COVID and the flu.

When comparing it to janitorial services, deep cleaning includes detailed and demanding cleaning tasks that are usually overlooked in regular cleaning. For example, this might include things like:

Wiping and sanitising light fixtures, switches, and doorknobs
Vacuuming carpets, blinds, windowsills, and drapes
Cleaning both inside and behind the fridge
Cleaning all your shared kitchen appliances
Sanitising toilets and other bathroom surfaces
Disinfecting all kitchen and pantry areas
Getting in hard-to-reach places with special equipment

Therefore, with deep cleaning, you are sure that all areas in your offices are clean and safe to touch. You’re also getting rid of the build over of dust in even the places you can’t see. Most importantly, you have more reason to believe that your office is a COVID-free space.

What are the Essential Areas to Clean in an Office?

These areas can differ from one office to another, depending on what purpose these rooms serve. In a typical office setup, here are the key areas to clean:

Workstations: Everything that your staff use to do their jobs, such as desks, chairs, telephones, computers, keyboards, and other equipment, should be cleaned as this is where bacteria and germs can build up.
Touchpoints: These are items and areas that individuals frequently touch, such as switches, doorknobs, railings, cash registers, and clocking-in stations. As these are high-contact areas and infrequent cleaning makes it easier for bacteria to run rampant.
Common Areas: These are spaces where people usually gather to talk and interact, like in the boardrooms, bathrooms, elevators, lobby, and foyer. As these areas are high traffic, the accumulation of dirt and germs tends to be very rapid.
Kitchen Areas: Where people prepare and consume food and drinks can quickly attract bacteria and germs. Especially when employees leave food residue on the table or rotten food in the fridge. All this makes a hotspot for bacterias that can cause sickness.
Reception Areas: This is an important area that should always be sanitised. Because this is where you welcome your guests or accept clients, that means more strangers are walking in there than other areas.

Why Should You Consider Deep Cleaning?

As a business owner or a manager that handles many employees, you should remember that maintaining a safe and healthy office benefits everyone. There are many ways for your employees to keep their workspaces clean, but cleaning the entire office is a task that shouldn’t fall to one person.

Workplace hygiene is vital for many reasons, such as:

Leaving a positive impression to anyone who enters your premises. It is especially critical when you’re trying to close business deals or impress potential clients.
Working without distractions. Cluttered desks and dirty workspaces can make anyone less eager to work because they’re distracted by clutter. On the other hand, a clean office and work area allow them to work efficiently.
Cutting down the number of sick days. A clean office decreases the chances of infection from bacteria, germs, and viruses. With more people working in the office, your productivity will rise significantly.
Creates high standards. A clean and tidy office environment serves as the standard of the organisation. In short, it is a reflection of your entire business. So, if the office is always spotless, it is easier to spot rubbish and clean it up.
Improving brain function. As we touched on at the start, offices can have low air quality which directly impacts how our brains work. Keep your staff sharp by cleaning regularly or investing in a good air circulation system.

How Often Do You Need to Deep Clean Your Office?

The best practice is to deep clean your entire office at least twice a year or every six to twelve months. Doing so ensures that your office is always in top shape. However, the frequency of deep cleaning and disinfecting differs on many factors, such as:

The number of employees reporting to the office
The age of the building or office space
The type of business

You need to take all this into consideration when creating a deep cleaning schedule that works for your business. For example, large universities need to be sanitised and disinfected daily, because they have thousands of students pouring into their library and classrooms every day.

As you can see, the frequency highly depends on the nature of business operations and other variables. Choose what works for you and what fits within your time and budget.

Deep Cleaning For A Better Work Environment

A well-maintained office environment is essential if you want your employees to be the best that they can be every day. A clean workspace doesn’t just inspire creativity and productivity among employees—it also serves as a morale boost for everyone involved.

Of course, it’s not a small job, especially if you have a large office. You can hire in-house cleaners and train them, but the downside is that it needs a lot of time and effort which could be spent on more important tasks. Instead, we always suggest hiring a professional and experienced cleaning service for your office as the best way to maximise resources while ensuring a spotless work environment.

Spruce is a professional cleaning service in Auckland that highly values quality and detail. We provide a wide range of services that ensure your work area is thoroughly cleaned, regardless of the size of your commercial space. Our cleaners are all well-trained in all manners of office cleanliness一including deep cleaning一so you’re assured to come back to a fresh and clean office.

Contact us today and let us help you achieve and maintain a clean office.