10 Ways a Clean Office Improves Productivity

There are a number of responsibilities one must handle when running a business, including advertising, bookkeeping, and taxes, to name just a few. These are considered to be the given responsibilities and are scarcely overlooked by business owners. What often gets overlooked by business owners, however, is workplace cleanliness.

Workplace cleanliness isn't just necessary for sanitation purposes. The truth of the matter is that cleanliness in the workplace has a large effect on the overall productivity of employees and work-related projects.

Curious as to how this is so? Then read on! We're going to discuss 10 ways in which a clean office improves productivity.

1. Cuts Down on Sick Days

Perhaps the biggest way in which workplace cleanliness promotes productivity is by cutting down on the number of sick days that employees take. How does it do this? By keeping said employees healthy and, therefore, keeping them prepared for work.

Regular cleanings keep bacteria at bay. If bacteria are kept at bay, they stand less of a chance of causing sickness. This means that employees stand a better chance of showing up for work with productive states of mind, ready to take on their daily tasks with as much gusto as possible.

2. Allows for Better Concentration

The human brain is complex. While it can hold an exorbitant amount of information, it can also be thrown off by the most discreet of stimuli. This is one of the reasons that workplace cleanliness is so important.

Cleanliness reduces clutter. When clutter is reduced, the brain is able to better concentrate on the task at hand. Therefore, in essence, by cleaning your workplace regularly, you improve the focus of your employees.

It goes without saying that improved focus results in increased productivity. So, in essence, if you want to improve the productivity of your office, you must keep it clean.

3. Reduces "Search" Time

It doesn't take a genius to understand that proper organization improves productivity. After all, if things are kept organized, they won't have to be searched for. When search time is reduced, productivity is improved.

This is true in all circumstances, including within the workplace. If you keep your office clean and organized, you'll always know where to find specific tools and items. The faster you can find those tools and items, the faster you can carry on with the task at hand.

4. Keeps Stress to a Minimum

Some individuals thrive in a dirty and unkempt environment. However, the vast majority of individuals do not. In fact, many human beings become stressed out and anxious when their environment is less-than-clean.

If you want to stop productivity in its tracks, you'll make your employees stressed and anxious. In other words, if you want to maximize workplace productivity, you'll prioritize office cleanliness.

5. Lifts Spirits

What puts you in a better mood? A dirty environment or a clean one? If you're like most individuals, the clean environment wins every time.

Keep your office clean to keep the spirits of your employees high. Keep the spirits of your employees high to ensure that they're working to the best of their abilities.

6. Improves Motivation

A big component of workplace productivity is employee motivation. If employees lose motivation, both the speed and quality of their work will falter.

For this reason, you should do everything in your power to keep your employees motivated. Workplace cleanliness will be key, as a clean workplace subconsciously represents action and responsibility. Conversely, a dirty workplace subconsciously represents inaction and a lack of responsibility.

7. Strengthens Morale

When it comes to workplace productivity, team morale is hugely important. While there's a lot that goes into building morale, workplace cleanliness is at least one piece of the puzzle.

After all, if you can't even provide a sanitary environment for your employees to work in, why would your employees want to stick their necks out for you?

Keeping your workplace clean builds a solid foundation for company morale.

8. Keeps Injury at Bay

Sickness isn't the only damage that can be brought on by a dirty workplace. Injury can be brought on as well. This is true whether the workplace is a low-activity office or a high-activity warehouse.

Want to keep your employees working? Reduce injury risk in your workplace.

Want to reduce injury risk? Cleaning is an important component of doing so. For instance, by regularly removing slick and slippery substances from your floors, you greatly reduce the risk of employee's slipping and falling.

9. Improves Employee Retention

Employees leave their jobs for all sorts of reasons. Some feel unappreciated, some feel unfulfilled . . . and some are just bogged down by a dirty, cluttered work environment.

You don't want to lose employees simply because you can't keep your office clean. Not only will you lose quality workers, but money as well.

10. Keeps Workplace Tools in Working Order

The last way in which workplace cleanliness improves productivity is by keeping workplace tools in working order. How does it do this? By instilling a sense of responsibility in employees, and thereby ensuring that they treat said tools with care and respect.

We'll illustrate this idea with two examples.

In example one, the workplace is a dusty, dirty, and downright depressing place in which to be. Because the workplace isn't respected, employees at said workplace won't expect that anything in the workplace has to be respected either. As a result, they'll treat printers, copiers, and other workplace tools with the same reckless abandon with which you treat your workplace.

In example two, the workplace is impeccable. The dust is wiped clean, the floors are vacuumed, and the walls are spotless. Because the owners of this property treat it with such care, the employees working in this property will expect that they must treat workplace tools with great care as well.

In short, the cleanliness of the workplace informs employees as to how they should behave. It creates an environment of respect and responsibility which ultimately saves money and improves productivity.

Need Help Improving Cleanliness in the Workplace?

Are you looking to reap the benefits of a clean workplace? Not able to handle the cleaning tasks on your own? Interested in improving cleanliness in the workplace with the help of a cleaning company?

If so, OpenWorks has you covered. Offering cleaning services since 1983, we've helped countless companies to improve their productivity.

Contact us now to discuss your needs!