With tax season over, now is the perfect time to consider the benefits of green cleaning services to remove clutter and improve the efficiency and productivity of your business.
Green Cleaning Services for Accountants, Bookkeepers, and Tax Preparers
After a long and busy tax season, your office is likely covered in cluttered boxes and papers.
This has likely lead to a lackluster cleaning regimen over the last few months, potentially contributing to several environmental factors that can negatively affect worker health and performance, specifically the build up of dust particles and other, potentially illness causing, or allergy triggering microbes.
Further, excessive clutter has been proven to increase stress and potentially aggravate mental health issues.
According to Psychology Today, clutter;
- Bombards our minds with excessive stimuli causing our senses to work overtime on stimuli that aren’t necessary or important.
- Distracts us by drawing our attention away from what our focus should be on.
- Makes it more difficult to relax, both physically and mentally.
- Constantly signals to our brains that our work is never done.
- Makes us anxious because we’re never sure what it’s going to take to get through to the bottom of the pile.
- Creates feelings of guilt and embarrassment, especially when others unexpectedly drop by our homes or work spaces.
- Inhibits creativity and productivity by invading the open spaces that allow most people to think, brain storm, and problem solve.
- Frustrates us by preventing us from locating what we need quickly.
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Office Clutter and Indoor Air Quality
The quality of your buildings indoor air can have a significant impact on the health and performance of building occupants.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, paper, and cardboard boxes are common sources of indoor particle and fiber contaminants.
Significant measurable changes in people’s ability to concentrate or perform mental or physical tasks have been shown to result from modest changes in temperature and relative humidity.
In addition, recent studies suggest that the similar effects are associated with indoor pollution due to lack of ventilation or the presence of pollution sources.
Estimates of performance losses from poor indoor air quality for all buildings suggest a 2-4% loss on average.
Office Clutter and Mental Health
Studies have shown that clutter in the office can have a negative impact on the mental well-being and focus of building occupants.
Neuroscientists at Princeton University conducted an experiment that measured people’s task performance in an organized and a disorganized environment.
They found that physical unorganized objects lying around are “visual stimuli” that competes for your attention.
The result?
Because of the limited processing capacity of our visual system, those that worked in a disorganized environment had decreased performance and increased stress.
The clutter was the culprit, because it competed for your attention and held you back from focusing on one task at a time.
Combined with the negative physical health effects of indoor air pollution, the mental ramifications of clutter can lead to significant drops in worker productivity, increased absenteeism/presenteeism, and reduced profits.
Green Cleaning Tips
There are several cost-effective, proactive tips your office can implement now to eliminate clutter and its associated issues.
- Obviously, keeping paper clutter to a minimum is ideal, but not always practical, so keeping it organized in one place, out of the way of employees other work, will have a tremendous impact on air quality and stress levels.
- Live plants absorb indoor pollution and help keep the air clean.
- If live plants are not practical, consider placing HEPA air filters at key locations.
- Try to place boxes and paper stacks on tables or shelves to allow the custodial staff to vacuum the entire floor on a regular basis.
- Consider implementing an all-hands cleaning day to encourage physical activity and reduce or remove any clutter lying around.
- Remember to dust, especially boxes that have been resting idle for a lengthy period of time.
- If you’ve allowed the office clutter to pile up over the last few months, seriously consider a thorough green cleaning regimen to return your office back to it’s original productive state.
References & Resources
Takeaway
Tax season can be incredibly stressful for everyone involved, and the inevitable clutter that results from that process can contribute to several negative mental and environmental health issues.
Cluttered paper and cardboard boxes are considered indoor pollutants and can negatively impact indoor air quality, as well as employee health and performance.
Clutter also negatively impacts mental clarity and focus resulting in increased worker issues with illness and productivity
If you would like to learn more about the advantages of outsourced green cleaning services and facilities maintenance for your accounting, bookkeeping, or tax preparation firm, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno CA, call (559) 206-1059is
In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253