How to Clean Your Home Office

Working at home brings us extra happiness since we can work easily in the comfort of our homes. But sometimes, work becomes too overwhelming, making our workspace as messy as our notes. If you’re looking for a guide on how to clean your home office, this article is for you.

The trick to home office organization includes cleaning, make that part easier with today’s Home Cleaning Tips.

how to clean your home office

Many folks are still working from home, which can be tricky, especially when trying to keep home and work boundaries separated.

I, for one, enjoy working from home. Just being able to set up a space that is organized and inviting helps me to stay super productive all day long.

But there are even more perks to having your office at home. Things like enjoying breakfast, not worrying about being late, and spending extra time with your family.  

Aside from the fact that working in our home office has a lot of perks, it may give us some inconveniences too.

For example, have you experienced looking everywhere in your home office just for a pen? But you can’t seem to find one because your desk has stacks of paper, notebooks, and other clutters. So you tried looking at your drawers — only to find more piles of paper. 

Like the other areas in our homes, our home office requires as much attention and cleaning as possible. 

Cleaning your home office may seem like an overwhelming task to do, but the good news is it is not. Today we will break things down so you can get in and out in no time.

Just imagine the joy, satisfaction, and excitement you may feel after seeing your newly cleaned home office. 

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To keep that comfortable feeling and improve productivity while working at home, it is important to do what we can to keep a clean home office. 

Here are the three deep cleaning steps you can use to clean your home office and make that workspace the coziest home office ever!

Step 1. Declutter Your Home Office 

That’s right, you will start off with the stuff that is lying out. Cleaning a cluttered space can be very frustrating, so you always want to start with a quick declutter before cleaning any area in your home.

Grab a trash bag and work your way through all the stuff you see that is lying out. Begin with any trash and recyclables, then look for items that belong in another space. Finally, you can tackle what is left.

If you need to, take some time to sort any piles of papers and items lying on your desk or other open surfaces.

Use this 3-step approach when decluttering your home office:

  1. Keep any items you routinely use while working.
  2. Donate any items you do not use or no longer need.
  3. Toss any items that are damaged, used up, or broken.

To streamline a working space that helps you be productive and efficient, keep only the items you need and remove the rest so you can free up space.

messy desk side view

As you are sorting, you may find you are running low on a few essential items, if so, add them to your shopping list.

Common Office Supplies to Have on Hand

Step 2. Clean the Areas and Equipment

Now that you have finished decluttering your home office and know what you are keeping, take the time to deep clean your room.

This will help remove dust, crumbs, spills or stains, and other dirt. Your goal is to do a deep clean now, so you can maintain your office more quickly afterward. This will keep your space free of germs and odors so you can work more productively.

Young woman cleaning office table, closeup

How do I deep clean my home office?

Let’s break the cleaning down into steps. To make things easy, just focus on one step at a time before moving on. Work your way through your space cleaning as you go. Remember, if you find any trash or items to get rid of that you missed while decluttering, remove them while you work.

Clean the Desk

  • Clear everything off your desk.
  • Use a rag and cleaner to disinfect the surface and any handles.
  • Dust the desk’s top, front, and sides working to ensure you get every area.
  • Finish with a rag and polish.

Clean the Fixtures

  • Start by wiping everything down using a rag and surface cleaner.
  • This will include any light fixtures, ceiling fans, shelves, and wall art.
  • For safety reasons, you will want to unplug any electronics before cleaning.
  • Finish with a rag to dust and polish.

Clean Remaining Furniture

  • Wipe down any additional pieces you have in your office.
  • Start with a cleaner that is safe for the piece you are working on.
  • Finish with a rag to dust and polish.

Clean the Windows

  • Clean your windows and the frames around them.
  • Start by wiping down the frames with a damp cloth.
  • Dust any trim that is on the windows as well.
  • To clean the glass, use a cleaner and newspaper for a streak-free shine.
  • Vacuum any curtains to remove dust.
  • Use a hand glove to quickly dust blinds.

Clean the Electronics

  • Work to clean the electronics in your home office.
  • That includes your computer, printer, mouse, keyboard, speakers, monitor, and smartphone.
woman in green jumpsuit and gloves wiping keyboard
  • Use a damp microfiber cloth to clean your computer or laptop’s LCD screen.
  • To clean the keyboard, shake it to get rid of the debris around and under the keys, then finish by wiping the keyboard with alcohol and water.
  • You can invest in a keyboard vacuum to help keep this item cleaner.
  • Be sure to do things in a way that will not damage the items you are cleaning.

Clean the Chair

  • Use a small vacuum to remove dust from your office chair or cloth and a cleaner to spot-treat spills or stains.
  • Wipe the chair’s legs, arms, and wheels, so dirt doesn’t get pressed into the floor. If the cloth doesn’t clean the wheels, use a toothbrush and wipe them dry.
  • Disinfect the arms of the chair with wipes or a spray cleaner.

Clean the Floors

  • Using the correct tool for the floor that you have, clean the entire area.
  • If you are able move the desk, cabinets, and furniture so you can vacuum, mop, and sweep under them.
woman vacuuming home office floor

Clean What is Left

  • Since each office is different you will want to clean whatever you have not tackled up until this point.
  • Use a vacuum to remove any crumbs or dirt.
  • Wipe each item down first and disinfect if needed.
  • Finish with a rag to dust and polish.

Step 3. Organize Your Workspace 

Now you are down to the final step– Organizing. This part, for me, is the most straightforward task in terms of cleaning.

Remember the stuff you set aside in the first step? This is where you organize them and put them in their proper places. Our goal is to make it easy for you to not only find your things while working but to put those items away, all the way away, after you are done using them.

all the way away quote copy 3

The more you can put your things away, the less clutter you will have lying out, giving your office a neat and clean look.

Organizing Papers

Sort through the papers you gathered up and put them into four piles.

  • Toss – Junk mail or misc non-personal papers.
  • Shred – Personal papers you no longer need.
  • File – Papers that are current that you need to keep close by.
  • Take action – Papers that need to be dealt with.
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Office Supplies

The things you use routinely while working in your office should be neat and close by so you can get to those things quickly.

I like to have a selection of supplies that I use routinely nearby, so I can get to those items quickly. You can use a desk organizer to hold those items, keeping them close while maintaining a desk that is still neat and free of clutter.

Favorite Organizers for a Home Desk and Office:

Another bonus of having a stash of supplies nearby is it will also help you avoid interruptions to your workflow and save time. 

The biggest productivity killer is unexpected interruptions and your goal is to streamline things the best way you can to eliminate as many of them as possible.

Stylish workplace with laptop at home

Organizing Your Schedule

One of the most essential steps on this list is creating a daily schedule for working from home that will keep you focused and streamlined. So many times, we can get distracted by tasks that need to be done in our homes. And it’s those tasks that can cause us to fall behind on work commitments.

By creating a daily schedule, you will find it easier to stay focused and productive every day.

How to Setup a Daily Work Schedule

  • Choose a start time for each weekday.
  • Be sure you get up early to do your morning routine before you begin working.
  • Determine when you will eat lunch and take any daily breaks.
  • Set an end to your workday and do your best to stick to it.
  • List your top three tasks for each day and put your focus on them first. This will ensure you are making progress where it matters most.
  • Have some buffer time schedule into each week to catch up. This will help you to relax, knowing you have a bit of breathing room if you get behind.

Weekly Upkeep

Finally, don’t forget to make cleaning your home office a regular habit. This will help to keep this important area in your home clean and clutter-free.

  • Set aside time each week to do a light cleaning of your office. Focus on the main areas such as the desk, floor, and other surfaces.
  • Each day do a quick declutter before you leave the room. This will help you to always start in a more organized space each morning.
  • Do your best to put your things all the way away. The more that you do this step the less clutter you will need to deal with later on.
a clean desk in a home office with no clutter or chaos

Remember that having a clean and clutter-free workspace will increase productivity and help you accomplish more. Set aside time to clean your home office so you can always have a room that is easy to work in.

More Office Cleaning Resources: 

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