Spring cleaning your home office
Spring is the perfect time to do a deep clean of one of the most important spaces in your life — the home office! But, where do you begin? Does the thought of doing a major spring cleaning of your office make you want to run away? Don’t despair! Here are some great tips on how to perform a major spring clean of your home work space:
Clear out
Your schedule. Spring cleaning is not like your every-day cleaning because it is larger in scope, and it takes more time. So, make up your mind right now that the benefits of this deep cleaning will be worth all the time and effort. Set aside some time for this bigger job. After all, you spend a huge part of your life in this room. Why not make it a haven for productivity and peace. So put on your favorite CD and crank it up. Time to get to work – whether it’s on consecutive days or spread out over several weeks.
The clutter. De-cluttering is the first part of your spring clean. Toss out all clutter. Recycle the paper products. Shred any papers that have your personal identity connected to them. Consider donating any old furniture you don’t need. Get rid of anything that does not belong in the home office. Jonny’s hockey stick and Mary’s ice skates need to go! Now that you have cleared the clutter, let’s move on to the next major hurdle.
The desk. At this point you can do a major reorganization of the desk, if needed. Divide this phase into smaller, bite-sized steps if it is too overwhelming. First, take out the drawers and containerize all the contents with “like” items. Office supply stores have wonderful organizational products that will help you with this step. While the drawers are empty go ahead and clean the bottoms of the drawers, too. You won’t believe how much junk, crumbs and debris build up in the bottom of drawers. Next, you may want to organize your filing system. Do you need to invest in some new folders or hanging files? Fresh new supplies can really lift the morale. Only keep documents and paperwork that are meaningful and relevant to your life. You could fill a box with archived documents and place it in a storage space away from your office. After going through all the drawers toss or recycle anything you don’t use frequently.
Clean off
The surfaces.
Move on to the surfaces of your desk and shelves. Dust all surfaces and rid these areas of any grime, sticky residue, and mess. Polish or clean the wood with a lemon-scented product to make the whole space smell fresh. Only replace objects and knick-knacks on your surfaces that beautify and enhance your work space. Don’t forget to clean your windows and window sills.
Electronics. Computers, printers and fax machines all need a good dusting and cleaning. Dust is one of the biggest enemies to your electronics. It can settle into and block internal fans which could ruin your machine. Use electrostatic or microfiber cloths especially designed for cleaning electronics. You could also use cotton swabs to dust and clean in those tiny crevices of the keyboard. For screens, use a good electronics cleanser, like Endust Electronics, and follow the directions. Don’t forget the DVD and CD drives by inserting special “cleaning” discs. Blow out dust from the keyboard, mouse, and other areas with a can of compressed air.
Floors. Floors are always last, of course, in any cleaning job because all that you have cleaned up to this point has fallen on the floor. Vacuum thoroughly, and don’t forget the crevices and corners. Do you have a wooden floor? Thoroughly dust mop or run your Swiffer to get up all the mess. This might be a good time to revitalize your wooden floor with a good polish. Wash or replace any area rugs. Clean and re-place the plastic floor mat for your office chair. Don’t forget to vacuum out the heat registers and dust the baseboards.
Celebrate!
Your personality. Celebrate your personal style by sprucing up the look of the office. Do you need to replace that old art with something fresh and inspirational? Why not replace the curtains, add new rugs, or change out the knick-knacks? How about a new bulletin board with personal photos or memories hung up in view of your office chair? A new plant or light fixture can add new life to an old room. Scented wall plug-ins can also bring a nice ambiance to the space.
Need some help? My recommendation is to get some help. If the ideas I have proposed in this article seem too overwhelming OR if just the thought of cleaning or organizing your home office is too overwhelming, I encourage you to get help. Find a good cleaning company or individual who has excellent cleaning skills AND find an organizer in your area or call me- I can help remotely. You will be amazed as to how much you can accomplish WITH SOME HELP!
Your success. Your major spring clean of your home office is done. What a great way to breathe new life into your work by starting this new season with a clean and beautiful office. And your success will result in more time for what you really love. Job well done! Now go out and celebrate this fresh new space by having a cup of coffee with a friend. Or better yet, hit the beach! You deserve it!
Share!
I hope you will share your “before and after” photos with us. Please email your photos to Sue@withtimetospare.com. I would love to celebrate and, if you are willing, post your success. Your hard work can inspire others.