A workplace can look clean without necessarily being thoroughly clean.
Floors may have been vacuumed, bins emptied and desks wiped, but some of the areas touched most frequently by employees and visitors can easily be overlooked.
Here are ten areas worth checking in your workplace.
Door Handles and Push Plates
Think about how many people touch the main entrance, meeting room and toilet doors every day.
Door handles, push plates and surrounding surfaces are high touch areas and should form part of a regular cleaning routine.
Light Switches
Light switches can be easy to overlook because they rarely look visibly dirty. However, they are touched repeatedly throughout the working day.
This includes switches in offices, toilets, kitchens, storage areas and meeting rooms.
The Undersides and Edges of Desks
Cleaning the visible surface of a desk is only part of the job.
Edges, undersides and drawer handles can accumulate dust and marks over time, particularly on shared workstations and hot desks.
Office Phones, Keyboards and Shared Equipment
Shared equipment deserves particular attention.
Office phones, keyboards, printers, photocopiers and shared touchscreens may be used by numerous employees throughout the day.
Cleaning arrangements should clearly establish who is responsible for these areas and how frequently they are cleaned.
Chair Arms and Backs
Desks may be cleaned while the chairs around them receive much less attention.
Armrests, adjustment levers and chair backs are frequently touched and can gradually collect dirt, dust and marks.
Kitchen Cupboard and Appliance Handles
The workplace kitchen is another area where apparently small details matter.
Fridge doors, microwave buttons, kettle handles, cupboard handles and coffee machines can all receive significant daily use.
Behind and Under Furniture
Areas underneath desks, cabinets, sofas and other furniture can quickly become collection points for dust and debris.
Some furniture cannot practically be moved during every clean, but periodic deeper cleaning should include less accessible areas.
Skirting Boards and Corners
Dust around skirting boards, corners and edges can gradually make an otherwise clean workplace appear neglected.
These areas are particularly noticeable in reception rooms, corridors and client facing spaces.
Internal Glass and Door Frames
Glass doors may receive regular attention because fingerprints are easy to see, but frames, edges and surrounding surfaces can be missed.
Clean glass combined with dirty frames can make the overall finish look incomplete.
High Level Surfaces
The top of cupboards, shelving, vents and other high level surfaces are often outside the immediate line of sight.
Because they are less visible, dust can accumulate for long periods without anyone noticing.
