Cleaning your home office can be a challenge for most of us. You often don’t know where to start, how to clean certain items, and may even forget to clean a few nooks or crannies that accumulate a small warren of dust bunnies.
Heck, life just gets in the way and when you do have a few extra minutes, the last thing you want to do is to clean your house. To make this task easier, we’ve developed this complete guide with all the steps and elements that you will need to clean your home office in no time at all.
So with that, I present to you the complete guide to cleaning your home office:
The Guide
Here at Summit Maids, we prescribe the top-to-bottom cleaning technique – that is, whenever our house cleaning team begins work, they will start at the top of the house and work down to the basement; and whenever they enter a new room they work from the ceiling down to the floor. This ensures that dust and dirt is always moving from high areas to lower areas, and ultimately is all contained and removed.
In this guide, we aim to take the same approach to cleaning your home office or workspace by starting with the top and working our way down to the floor.
Declutter
An important part of keeping a clean home office is to avoid having piles of loose paperwork and pencil cups overflowing with highlighters (half of which don’t work anymore).
So, the first thing you want to do is to declutter your home office to make a little breathing room and feel like everything is a bit more organized. Go through your shelves, cabinets, and desk and remove the items you don’t use anymore.
Be honest with yourself and only keep the things you need on a daily basis. If you have to get rid of things that still work (but you don’t use), you can donate them (we’re big fans of Goodwill).
Clean Your Desk
Now let’s move on to the most important piece of your home office: your desk! Remove all your desk accessories, and using a cloth, dust the empty surface and legs. You can use a cleaning solution or a damp cloth to clean your desk, depending on its material.
Next, you have to dust off your desk accessories. Wipe them one by one with a cloth, and put them back on the desk. This also is a great opportunity to reorganize your desk so that it better reflects how you like to work.
Clean Any Bookshelves
Many people love having books and bookshelves in their home office. Some love them because they read tons of books; others, because they find them beautiful décor pieces.
Either way, dust loves to collect on books and open bookshelves. First, you want to remove all your books from the shelves. Once the shelves are empty, remove the dust from top to bottom with a cloth or extendable duster. When you’re done with the bookshelves, clean the book covers. Use a dry cloth and be careful when manipulating the books so as not to get any page stained.
Be very careful if you choose to use any water or cleaning solution near your books – getting them wet will end up resulting in a whole other mess to clean up (or worse, mildew!).
Dust Your Computer
This step is more important if you have a desktop computer. Unlike notebooks, desktop computers tend to get dustier due to the computer fans pulling air inside.
Before dusting your computer, make sure to shut it down and unplug it. Now you can proceed to dusting its components: the screen, the central processing unit (CPU), the mouse, and the keyboard.
If you feel comfortable dissembling electronic devices, you can also remove the tower cover to clean the dust that’s built up inside your computer. Don’t forget to dust off your printer or any other electronics you have.
One of the easiest ways to dust a computer without taking anything apart is to use a can of compressed air (or even a vacuum) and blow it across your keyboard and any fan intakes. This will help your computer work better and reduce the dust and allergens floating around your home office.
Dust Other Flat Surfaces
If you have file boxes, tables, or any other piece of furniture, take your microfiber cloth and remove the dust.
Remember to always work from top to bottom as this will save you time and effort. Why? Because dust and dirt falls from the top to the bottom, or floor, which is the last thing you clean.
Vacuum Your Desk Chair
Many people overlook their desk chairs when cleaning their home office. The truth is that desk chairs collect dirt and are bound to get stains, dust, oils, moist, bacteria, given you spend a lot of time on them. This said, you need to devote some time to it during your cleaning session if you want to keep your work area clean.
Vacuuming is a basic way to clean you desk chair. Run your vacuum from top to bottom to remove lint, hair, and debris. However, if your desk chair has stains, you should look for its care and cleaning instructions. What products you can use to clean your desk chair is subject to the type of upholstery fabric.
Wipe Down Light Fixtures
Light fixtures are another component of your home office you’re sure to overlook when cleaning. To clean home office light fixtures you’ll need a damp microfiber cloth. The reason behind this is that the heat from bulbs can bake dust onto the surface. You can also mix a few drops of vinegar with water and dampen your cloth in this solution. Use a stepladder or a chair to reach the light fixtures; always make sure they stand on a stable surface.
Clean Curtains or Blinds
Whether you have curtains or blinds, you want to start by vacuuming them with a brush attachment. This will ensure you remove all the dust and debris attached to them.
If you have curtains, there’s a high chance they’ve soaked up moisture and smells. After vacuuming them, you can throw them into the washing machine if their fabric allows it.
If you have blinds, the cleaning process is a lot simpler. First, fill a bucket with warm water and a few vinegar drops. Get a microfiber cloth and dampen it to clean the slats. Make sure the blinds are straightened up so you can access each slat individually.
Wash Any Windows
Windows are part of the house that don’t get clean as often as they should. It’s ironic given that clean windows can make such a difference in a room.
A clean work area will have clean windows, so here are the elements you need and the steps you need to follow to wash them properly. First, you’ll need a microfiber cloth. Some people like to use newspaper or paper towels to clean windows. These are great substitutes, so feel free to use them if you don’t want to use a cloth.
Next, you’ll need a glass cleaner or dishwashing liquid. If you have a glass cleaner, spray it on the cloth and then wipe the glass until it is clean. If you don’t have a glass cleaner, simply mix dishwashing liquid and water. Put the solution into a spray bottle, and follow the same steps as with the glass cleaner.
Sanitize High-Touch Appliances
Sanitizing and disinfecting high-touch appliances is a sure way to combat germs, foreign substances and remove surface dirt. Using a disinfecting wipe clean the appliances you use the most to sterilize them. Here are a few you shouldn’t miss: your telephone’s keypad, the keyboard, mouse, door knobs, and light switches.
Vacuum the Floors
Don’t leave just yet! The last step of your cleaning session is vacuuming the floors. First things first, though. Check that the vacuum cleaner bag is empty and clean prior to use; a vacuum with a full bag can lose up to 80% of its performance.
Once you’ve done this, you want to move large pieces of furniture like armchairs or your desk to facilitate access. Pay special attention to the edges and corners of the floor when you’re vacuuming.
Bonus: Take Out That Trash!
The last thing you’ll want to do for a clean home office is to take out the trash. It seems like this might be obvious, but it’s in the Summit Maids House Cleaning Checklist for a reason! Once you have spent all that time cleaning your home office, you don’t want to spoil it by sitting down and staring at a full rubbish bin.
Once you take that out, you will finally have a clean home office that is ready to get some work done in!
List of Things You’ll Need to Clean your Home Office
Having the right elements before you start cleaning will guarantee you have a clean home office by the end of the day. Here’s a list with the products and items you’ll need:
- A microfiber cloth
- A vacuum
- A damp microfiber cloth
- Disinfecting wipes
- Glass cleaner or dishwashing liquid
- Water
Hopefully this article has been a helpful resource for creating a clean home office! The above eleven (plus one!) steps are the same steps that our own Cleveland house cleaning teams use whenever they visit one of our clients. A clean workspace isn’t just good for your productivity, it’s also good for your health and overall wellness.
If you would like a hand cleaning your home office in the greater Cleveland area, give us a call! We’ll be happy to help!
