Know More About Which Overlooked Office Areas Need to Be Cleaned

Many facility managers and janitorial staff focus on cleaning the obvious areas: floors, carpets, dust-collecting surfaces, bathrooms and trash receptacles. Now that we as a society are more germ conscious, you may add doorknobs to that list. But thorough cleaning requires paying attention to the often overlooked areas that need cleaning.

We’ve compiled a list of these overlooked areas in the office that need cleaning:

• Desk Chairs

Desk chairs often go unchecked as they frequently incorporate dark colored fabric and a variety of crevices that don’t show off dirt as much. Even when cleaning office chairs, you may only clean the surfaces you touch regularly.

The bottoms of office chairs usually have greased components that accumulate dust and grime. The mechanisms that control chair height can get pretty gross, and all those parts easily get dust stuck in them. Since employees spend many hours sitting in these chairs, they need to be cleaned regularly, top to bottom.

• Air Vents and Ducts

Vents are usually located in inconspicuous places. Unless you spend a lot of time facing them, you’re not likely to notice how dirty they get. 

Climate control systems suck in and push out air constantly, and all those dust particles get stuck on vents before they come into contact with the air filters. Someone is probably replacing those filters, but the vents need to be cleaned, too. The more dust that accumulates on them, the more likely that dust is going to get pushed back into the air.

• Light Fixtures

Light fixtures are difficult to get to in order to clean, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make the effort to clean them. Dust is especially attracted to fixtures like lights, so they can get grimy quickly. Too much dust could also become a fire hazard.

It is important to clean lights regularly, whether they’re fixtures or fluorescent lights. In fact, fluorescent lights are particularly important to clean. If you’ve ever stared at the ceiling in a building with fluorescent lights, you’ve probably noticed how many of them seem to collect dead insects.

In addition to the lights themselves, you should also be disinfecting light switches frequently to prevent germ growth.

• Phones

Most offices have a phone system. Phones are something we touch multiple times every day, and often hold up against our faces. While employees might be cleaning their mobile phones frequently, or not, it’s important to clean desk phones just as frequently.

Desk phones need to be wiped down for grime as well as disinfected. Most phones have vents somewhere on them that will collect dust, too, so make sure to clean them thoroughly.

• Computers and Accessories

You might be disinfecting keyboards and mice, but computers collect a lot of dust and dirt in addition to germs. While it’s not something you have to do every day, it is important to clean all the nooks and crannies of a computer and its accessories regularly.

Blowing out the keyboard and cleaning out any dust in the computer tower is normal maintenance for both of these objects. Buildup of gunk in either can cause problems for their function, so it’s important to clean them. The bottoms of mice also collect dirt, which can interfere with movement and use.

Monitors also collect dust, and their screens are frequent targets for sneezes, coughs and saliva splashes. Cleaning and disinfecting monitors, keyboard keys and mice should be a daily occurrence to prevent the spread of germs.

• The Office Kitchen

Just like our kitchens at home, office kitchens are breeding grounds for bacteria, germs and dirt. You may already be disinfecting counters and knobs, but kitchens need to be thoroughly cleaned regularly.

Spaces behind appliances like microwaves, coffeemakers and refrigerators collect a lot of dust and crumbs, and also happen to be great spots for rodents and insects to hide. The handles on all of these objects can also accumulate grime and germs. Cabinet, drawer and refrigerator fronts can all get splashes, fingerprints and other grime on them as well.

It is also important to clean the insides of everything regularly. The inside of the refrigerator and microwave can accumulate food particles that can mold, and spills are common. The insides of trash cans also collect things as people throw away things before someone has replaced the bag or when there are holes in the bag.

Kitchen sinks often harbor bacteria like E. coli and salmonella. The sink itself as well as anything used to clean dishes or that touches the sink needs to be disinfected or replaced regularly.

• Window Coverings

Fabric window coverings like curtains are one of the top places that dust collects in a room. This is because we don’t clean them often enough. The dust collecting on curtains can exacerbate allergies and feed dust mites.

Similarly, blinds get a thick layer of dust on a regular basis. They can be difficult to clean, but it is important to do so frequently. 

• Toilets

This may seem like an odd one for this list, but most people only clean the inside of toilet bowls. While toilets may not harbor as many germs as phones, light switches and door knobs, they get grimy easily. Cleaning under and on top of the seat as well as on the sides of the toilet and the flush button or handle regularly will prevent dust and dirt buildup.

• Office Furniture

In addition to desks and related furniture, offices often have decorative furniture or places for visitors to wait. People commonly neglect these surfaces when cleaning, and they can collect a lot of dust.

To avoid triggering allergies, any fabric-covered furniture must be cleaned regularly, as well as the undersides and backs of furniture. You should be dusting decorations such as paintings and fake plants as well. Whoever maintains live indoor plants should also check them for mold, insects and mildew.

With so many objects and spaces that need regular cleaning, it can get overwhelming quickly. That’s why you need an experienced, dependable and thorough cleaning team on your side. At Allied Facility Care, that’s exactly the service we provide.

Contact us today and get a free quote.