Spring Office Cleaning Tips for April 2016.
Spring Office Cleaning Tips
Spring is finally here, and it's time to get your office clean and healthy for the long summer ahead.
Remove the Clutter
Clean up and shred or recycle all of the clutter around your desk and office.
- Bookcases and filing cabinets.
- Junk drawers.
- Storage closets.
Office clutter can contribute to employee physical and mental health issues.
According to WebMD:
Clutter is bad for your physical and mental health...[sic]
Too much clutter can be a fire hazard.
Dust, mold, and animal dander that collect in cluttered homes are all bad for allergies and asthma.
A 2011 survey conducted by OfficeMax found that:
- 68% of respondents felt there was room for improvement regarding their organization in the office.
- 1% (100 of those surveyed) thought they were disorganized and had no desire to become so.
Disorganization and clutter were listed by respondents as having an adverse impact on:
- 77% - Productivity.
- 65% - State of mind.
- 53% - Motivation.
- 40% - Happiness.
- 38% - Professional image.
The reasons listed in the survey for the disorganization could quickly be addressed by a professional cleaning service:
- 29% - Not enough time.
- 26% - Not enough storage space.
- 17% - Too much work to do.
- 15% - Too tired.
For More Information:
Dust Everything
A general rule of thumb is to dust everything from top to bottom.
- Ceiling fans and air ducts.
- Remove books and items from bookshelves and other office equipment when cleaning.
Excessive dust can present several safety and health issues.
- Office fire prevention.
- Employee respiratory health.
Combustible Dust
Dust buildup, especially in industrial buildings, is a fire hazard.
While the likelihood of a fire starting strictly due to dust accumulation is minimal, that same dust in air ducts will rapidly accelerate a flames expansion in an enclosed space.
Anything substance with a flame point has a combustion point.
Put simply, anything that can catch on fire, given enough heat, has the potential to explode.
OSHA has listed several guidelines for improving fire safety in the workplace, citing several instances of explosions and the resulting damage to human life, from 1999 to 2003:
- 1999 - Massachusets - three dead, nine wounded - A deposit of phenol formaldehyde resin dust created "a secondary explosion which was powerful enough to lift the roof and cause wall failures."
- 2003 - North Carolina - 6 dead, 38 wounded - An explosion caused by "an accumulation of a combustible polyethylene dust above the suspended ceilings fueled the explosion," destroying the building and causing minor damage to a nearby home and school.
- 2003 - Kentucky - 7 dead, 37 wounded - An explosion caused by "a small fire extending from an unattended oven which ignited a dust cloud created by nearby line cleaning. This was followed by a deadly cascade of dust explosions throughout the plant."
For More Information:
Dust Exposure and Lung Health
OSHA has established an upper exposure limit of an employee to dust particles at 15mg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter), or approximately 0.015 ppm (parts per million).
This exposure limit is meant to protect an employee from health issues ranging from eye, skin, and respiratory irritation to lung disease.
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Additionally, in 2015, the National Institutes of Health, Environmental Health Perspectives, updated findings from 2000, stating that:
There is sufficient evidence of a causal relationship between dust mite allergen exposure and exacerbations of asthma in individuals specifically sensitized to dust mites. Continual exposure to dust mite allergens is also a contributing cause of chronic bronchial hyperreactivity.
Clean your Desk
Thoroughly clean and sanitize all of your electronics.
- Phones
- Computers
- Monitors
- Keyboards
- Mice
Bacteria on Keyboards
A study published in the American Journal of Infection Control found a high rate of bacteria and infectious disease present on consoles.
Microbes were recovered at 36°C from all keyboards, with counts ranging from 6 CFU/key to 430 CFU/key. At 22°C, mould was not found on 8 keyboards, but was detected on all other keyboards up to a maximum of 120 CFU/key.
Yeast was found on 17 keyboards up to a maximum of 420 CFU/key.
Staphylococci were found on all keyboards but one at counts up to 120 CFU/key.
Typing using API galleries revealed Staphylococcus aureus, S epidermidis, and Micrococcus spp.
Enterococcus was found on only 7 keys, including 6 shared keyboards, and was typed as E avium (1-31 CFU/key).
Pseudomonas was not detected on any keyboard.
S aureus was significantly more common on shared keyboards than on nonshared keyboards (P = .03).
Key contamination was significantly greater on the keyboards of users who usually ate at their desks compared with the keyboards of those who did not, and was significant for total microbe load (TML) at 36°C (P = .06) and Enterococcus (P = .037).
Bacteria were consistently present on keyboards, but CFU loads on shared keyboards were higher only for Enterococcus.
Monitor Dust and Your Vision
Additionally, OSHA has determined that dust accumulation on computer monitors can have an adverse impact on viewing conditions.
For More Information:
Clean the Carpet
Most people are familiar with the universal benefits of carpeting:
- Office appearance and aesthetics.
- Noise cancellation.
- Heat retention.
However, many individuals may be unaware of how a carpet functions as a filtration system for indoor air pollution.
According to the EPA:
Carpet also acts as a reservoir for dust, dirt, pollen, mold spores, pesticides and other materials which may originate indoors or be brought into the indoor environment from outside.
If kept very clean from the time it is installed, carpet can trap a significant amount of particles, which can be removed through regular and effective vacuuming.
However, inadequate maintenance can allow large quantities of dust and debris to build up in carpet.
Some studies indicate that poorly maintained carpet can release significant quantities of particles into the air during the course of daily activity.
In addition, young children may play on carpet where they may be more likely to come into contact with contaminants that have not been properly removed through regular and effective vacuuming.
If covering a large surface area, carpet and other fabrics can act as "sinks" for the adsorption of VOCs from other sources (during application of paint and other finish coatings, for example) and re-emit them later.
To minimize the potential for VOCs to be adsorbed from other sources and re-emitted over time, sequence installation of soft surfaces such as carpet as late as possible and/or remove or cover all soft surfaces and use direct ventilation until the coating dries.
-Controlling Pollutants and Sources: Indoor Air Quality Design Tools for Schools
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has released a study establishing the correlation between VOC's and Sick Office Syndrome various respiratory issues, including:
- Rhinitis, and nasal congestion.
- Epistaxis.
- Pharyngitis, and a cough.
- Wheezing, and worsening asthma.
- Dyspnea, and;
- Severe lung disease, specifically Hypersensitivity pneumonitis, Legionnaires' Disease.
For More Information:
Clean the Kitchen
Studies have shown that public breakrooms are a haven for bacteria.
- Clear out and defrost the refrigerator.
- Thoroughly disinfect microwave's and refrigerator's, inside and out.
- Either clean or replace the kitchen trashcan.
Mold and the Office Refrigerator
The office refrigerator can be a host of health affecting mold spores.
A published report from UC Davis stated that:
Some molds cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems.
And a few molds, in the right conditions, produce “mycotoxins,” poisonous substances that can make people sick.
Office Refrigerator Cleaning Tips
A USDA Food Safety News Alert published by the University of Florida, IFAS Extension said that:
Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 °F, the "Danger Zone," some doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes.
To prevent the spread of potentially dangerous mold, the following steps are recommended:
- Keep the temperature of the refrigerator between 38 and 40 degrees.
- Clean it out often, at least once a week. Typical guidelines are to throw away anything left in the fridge on Friday's.
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Get everyone involved in the process.
Common area cleanliness and health are a community responsibility.
Make sure to post messages reminding employee's that the privilege of using the common area comes with responsibilities to themselves and their fellow employees.
A 2015 survey from EatRight.org uncovered a disturbing reality.
Of those surveyed:
- 67% - Stored food in the office refrigerator, however;
- 20% - Stated the fridge is rarely cleaned, and worse;
- 18% - Had no idea if the fridge is ever cleaned.
Go Green
Why not use this year's spring cleaning as a chance to go green.
- Implement a recycling plan.
- Purchase live plants and place them throughout the office. This will help reduce airborne office pollutants and increase employee well-being.
- Fix broken lights, and consider upgrading to more natural lighting solutions.
- Hire a green cleaning service.
Recycle for Health
According to CalRecycle.com:
From copy paper to cleaners, automotive fluids to printing services, every product purchased, and even the way you travel, can have an impact on human health and the environment.
To reduce the quantity and toxicity of waste in California, State law requires State agencies and other public entities to purchase environmentally preferable products that consider a range of attributes, including if the product is repairable, durable, made with recycled content, and can be recycled again.
For More Information:
Office Plants and Natural Lighting
A 2005 paper published by HortScience concluded that:
[sic]...scenes having a window with a view of nature plus indoor plants had the greatest effect...[sic]
Further finding that:
A windows with a view of nature plus indoor plants produced the most positive response...[sic]
-Human Response to Window Views and Indoor Plants in the Workplace
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of early Spring office cleaning for your business, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield CA, call 661-395-3009
In Fresno CA, call 559-473-1790
