Office spaces have had several improvements, including new styles and layouts. Communication technology and the inclusion of remote workers are only some of the emerging trends. On this account, most offices are implementing new shifts to embrace flexible working conditions. Hence, the need for hybrid Office spaces.
A hybrid office space integrates remote and in-person workers. So, instead of regular permanent desks, these office spaces typically feature large sharable working areas. Employees in the hybrid work environment can partially work remotely or full-time in the office on specific days. On the other hand, businesses benefit from the low costs incurred in acquiring office furniture and equipment.
Since hybrid spaces require work shifts, effective Cleaning and maintenance policies are essential. This is because these offices can serve as a breeding ground for germs and diseases. Thus, everyone who uses the office is responsible for maintaining and cleaning the spaces.
In this regard, consider the insights below on how to maintain a clean and functional hybrid office space:
1. Hire Professional Cleaning Services
Unlike the standard office, where every employer has their own desk and chair, the hybrid office space allows you to use any available desk. When an employee’s shift ends, they’ll most likely leave the office without attending to the shared space. On this account, you can hire professional cleaners who help keep things in order through regular maintenance.
Professional cleaners can provide the following commercial services:
- Upholstery Cleaning
Furniture such as office chairs or built-in chairs is frequently neglected during daily routine cleaning. You can hire commercial cleaning experts to handle the cleaning on your behalf. One thing to keep in mind about office chairs is that your clients and customers will notice if they're worn out or dirty. That’s not the impression you want to make. If you don’t maintain your office furniture, it will wear out over time. Replacing them can be expensive. If you hire professionals to do upholstery cleaning, they’ll notice wear and tear and advise you on how to repair it. - Vinyl/Hardwood Cleaning
Another neglected area for cleaning is your office floor. Most floor surfaces will differ depending on the architectural design. Thus, expert cleaners are required to maintain their state. Vinyl or hardwood cleaning is necessary since the floor can also harbour dirt. Professional cleaners use different cleaning pads suitable for various surfaces. The cleaning will go on seamlessly, and you don’t have to worry about them damaging your flooring. - Builders Cleaning
If you move into a recently constructed building, you’ll notice that the cleaning isn’t thoroughly done. There’s still some construction debris and remains on the floor or the walls. That’s when you can use the services of commercial cleaners. During construction, dust settles on parts of the rooms, such as drawers and cabinets. You don't want to smear dust all over your official documents. Therefore, they must remove all construction dust before you lay your carpet or settle into the building. - Carpet Steam Cleaning
Carpeted offices look aesthetically appealing. If you want to maintain that look, you must take care of the carpet. It helps you reduce the costs associated with early replacement or maintenance. Ensure that commercial cleaners use advanced methods and equipment for cleaning. It guarantees that your carpets will not be torn during cleaning. Cleaning also depends on how dirty your carpet is. It will need several washes to take all the dirt out if it's too dirty.
Thus, give the cleaning company ample time to ensure it’s well-dried before bringing it back to your office. Otherwise, it'll make your office stuffy with a damp smell.
Maintaining your office's look and cleanliness requires you to hire professional cleaners once in a while to take care of things. You can rely on Cloverdale Cleaning Group and other similar companies to provide excellent commercial cleaning services.
2. Maintain A Daily Cleaning Routine
Even though it might not take care of everything, a daily cleaning routine is necessary. The daily cleaning routine is intended to take care of the common areas such as the washroom and kitchen. It also involves dusting work surfaces and areas with too much interaction.
A good example is your office door knob. If you don’t regularly wipe them, they may harbor germs that can later cause an infection. Note that you can use automatic key fobs to reduce the traffic generated by everyone using the same door handle to enter and exit a room.
If you work in the service industry, you understand how important first impressions are to your customers. Most customers will feel agitated if they come for services and go back with dusty hands or clothes. Unattended places can also cause health complications. For instance, you might have employees who are allergic to dust. If you subject them to such work environments, they fall ill. They’ll have to stay away from work to recuperate.
On this account, establishing a daily cleaning routine is critical. You can hire a cleaner to do light and simple tasks such as mopping the floor and wiping down work surfaces. Alternatively, you can make it mandatory for employees to wipe everything down as their first task after reporting to work.
3. Declutter
Employees' desks are commonly cluttered with paperwork or other personal items. If every employee was required to leave their workspace cluttered, you’d soon have no working space. For this reason, you should ensure your employees leave the office with no paperwork on the working surfaces.
You can have them organize their paperwork according to urgency. You shouldn’t store recent paperwork in a distant area because you could need it for future reference. For older papers, you can have designated storage space for them. Alternatively, you can have files to keep the documents safe. On that note, ensure you label the files correctly for easy retrieval. Otherwise, you'll have difficulty retrieving them if you don’t label them well.
Another way to declutter your office paperwork is by recycling or shredding it. You can organize paperwork for shredding in office bins. Shredding the paperwork is much better than disposing of them in your office bin. You risk disclosing official information if you just dispose of it recklessly.
When working in a hybrid office, it’s essential to keep the surfaces clear of items that you aren’t using at that moment. The best way to go about it is by sorting the paperwork first before disposing of it. This way, you’ll not lose any vital office paperwork.
4. Schedule For A Deep Cleaning
Once in a while, you can schedule a deep cleaning. This cleaning involves cleaning your office windows, floors, and walls. Remember, a regular cleaning routine covers the surface parts or where your cleaners can reach. The truth is that the office's hidden and hard-to-reach parts harbor more dirt.
You can take advantage of weekends and schedule cleaning with the experts. Alternatively, deep cleaning routines can be scheduled after working hours. However, you should notify your employees ahead the time so that they can organize and keep office documents safe. It helps to avoid ruining what could be later used in running office operations.
You can also hire maintenance personnel to work on your office equipment. For instance, updating your software and cleaning your machines' electrical components. This way, the cleaning exercise will be more effective as it won't harbor any office procedures. Furthermore, the cleaners can take time to get the job done well.
5. Provide Antibacterial Wipes And Hand Sanitizers
The employer is responsible for the employees' health. An excellent way to do so is to embrace innovations in commercial cleanings, such as providing hand care products. Since the hybrid office supports an open layout, employees will often interact with each other. Also, the fact that they share office equipment makes it appropriate to sanitize the spaces.
Antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizers come in handy. They contain alcohol, which is excellent in controlling and killing germs. The alcoholic sanitizers contain ethanol, isopropanol, and n- propanol in their active ingredients. The ingredients are essential for killing germs on human skin. Therefore, even when your employees come into contact with each other, they’ll not spread the germs.
The best you can do is prevent infection from spreading around the office. Establish office policies that ensure every employee uses hand sanitizers as they enter and exit the building. You can also ensure you strategically place the hand sanitizers where they can easily access them. You can also have several water points on the premises where your employees can wash their hands.
6. Organize Tools Of Work
If you want to keep your office looking nice, it’s best to have organization techniques that ensure everything is in its proper place. For instance, you can provide every employee with a case to keep their pens. You’ll have reduced the tendency to share or leave stationary lying around. As indicated earlier, files and folders come in handy when organizing your office paperwork.
Organizing your workstation is essential for maximum efficiency. By managing your surface, you can reduce your chances of getting diverted while working. If there’s a lot of clutter on your table, there are high chances you’ll be distracted. You should get rid of all unnecessary clutter. Instead of having seven sticky notes on your computer, have only two.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, hybrid offices are significant for both the employer and his employees. It takes a team effort to maintain a clean and functional working environment. On this note, it’s best to have cleaning policies that keep everyone in check—schedule cleaning also routines to take care of stubborn and hard-to-reach dirt. You can hire cleaning experts when you need deep office space cleaning. This way, you maintain an excellent office appeal and reduce the spread of infections.
