You may be surprised to learn that your desk probably harbours more germs than a toilet seat! It’s true! In fact, the average desk is home to 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat. A study at the University of Arizona in the U.S. found that phones, water fountain handles, microwave door handles and keyboards are the top five most germ-contaminated spots in the office. And even more astonishing is the fact that the area where you rest your hand on the desk has around 10,000,000 bacteria. Yuck!

If you value your well-being, it’s high time you got into the habit of giving your workstation a regular clean. Here are ten top tips for keeping the germs at bay.

1. Regularly clean your keyboard

Shut down your computer and unplug your keyboard (if it is wired). Carefully turn your keyboard upside down and gently shake it over a bin. This should get rid of any crumbs and debris. To clean away dust, use compressed air. You can buy cans of compressed air from most office supply shops. Then use cotton swabs and cotton buds to clean the keys with isopropyl alcohol. Be careful not to use too much alcohol.

2. Clean your screen

Over time, your monitor will get dusty. With everything switched off and shut down, move your monitor and wipe the surface it stands on. Use a microfibre cleaning cloth and a little water to make the cloth damp. Do not spray water directly onto the monitor, but apply a small amount of water on the corner of the microfiber cloth. Never use cleaning fluids, wax, or chemicals.

3. Maintain your mouse

If you’ve noticed your mouse has been a bit erratic or unresponsive, it could be simply that it needs a good clean. Disconnect your mouse. Remove the mouse ball cover and clean with a dry lint-free cloth. Use specialist cleaning fluid to clean the rollers, before replacing the mouse ball and cover. For an optical mouse, disconnect and clean with a lightly dampened cotton ball. Pat dry and reconnect.

4. Dust your desk

You’ll keep dust away from your desk by regularly hoovering carpets under your desk, or mopping hard floors. Regularly use a dry lint-free cleaning cloth to wipe your desk to pick up dust.

5. De-grime your telephone

Your phone is a hotspot for bacteria and needs regular cleaning. Wipe your phone with anti-bacterial wipes. The ear, mouth piece and the keypad require special attention as they have the most concentration of bacteria. Wipe the whole unit and any wires and cables.

6. Disinfect your bin

Even if your under-the-desk bin has a plastic liner, take the time to regularly clean your bin with disinfectant in a little warm water. Dry completely with a cloth before adding a new bin liner.

7. Reduce clutter

You are probably all too aware that clutter builds on your desk depressingly easily. Clutter attracts dust and makes regular cleaning more difficult. Try to keep your desk minimalist.

8. Invest in desk cleaning products

Keep on top of your desk cleaning by investing in the products you need to give your desk a regular clean. With everything you need tucked into your stationery cupboard, keeping your workstation free of dust and germs will be easy.

9. Get a deep clean by a professional cleaner

If you really don’t have the time for a regular desk cleaning routine, ask your professional cleaner to build in some regular deep cleans for your work stations. Professional cleaners know all of the hotspots for germs and have the expertise and the cleaning materials to get your workstation hygienic and looking ship shape in minimal time.

10. Eat food away from your desk

If you really want to minimise the mess on your desk, eat snacks and lunch elsewhere. Food crumbs and spills can easily build up without you noticing. Taking a lunch-break away from your workstation is actually good for your productivity.

If you need help getting your office spick and span and free from dust and germs, our professional team of cleaners are on hand to help with regular contract cleaning and commercial deep cleans. Give our friendly efficient team a call on 01322 384500 (Kent), 0203 092 4777 (London) or 07774 606171 (mobile).

Commercial kitchens get a lot of wear and tear, and grime can build up in the blink of an eye. Whilst all commercial kitchens have their own daily cleaning regimes for obvious health and safety reasons, hard-to-reach and out-of-sight areas can easily get less than their fair share of proper care. In any commercial kitchen grime builds up naturally over time. This presents health risks and fire safety risks. That’s why deep cleans are essential in the commercial kitchen.

Poor cleaning methods will inevitably lead to a failure in meeting health and safety standards, and that could hurt your business more than you think. Here are some tips to help you keep your commercial kitchen gleaming all year round. With our deep-clean insights you’ll have those easy-to-miss places in tip top condition in a flash.

Common areas often forgotten in daily and weekly cleaning routines

It’s easy to forget areas that are out of reach and out of sight. Be sure to include these areas in weekly or monthly routines.

• High shelves
• Walls
• Drains and gulleys
• Underneath appliances (fridges, freezers, cookers)
• Seals, shelves and doors of fridges and other appliances
• The spaces between walls and equipment
• Ventilation systems and fans
• Lighting fixtures
• Outdoor rubbish bins

Sink cleaning tips

Without regular cleaning, sinks can become clogged with kitchen waste, and grime can build up very quickly. Regular cleaning with a dual purpose cleaner and disinfectant should be employed, as sinks are a hotbed for dirt and germs that aren’t visible to the naked eye.

Heavy grease and oil are common in the commercial kitchen and catering companies are required by law to keep these under control, with an effective means of grease removal on site. Keeping your drains and piping hygienically clean and smelling neutral is an important aspect of commercial kitchen cleaning. Ensure your grease trap is correctly installed, serviced and maintained.

Dishwasher cleaning tips

It may seem like an irony, but dishwashers also need regular cleaning and care. Another irony is that it is always a good idea to pre-rinse items going into the dishwasher to remove baked on food deposits. Leftover food can clog your filter and will affect your dishwasher’s performance. To keep your dishwasher clean and in good condition, follow these tips:

• For hard water areas, use water softening salts. This will help your dishwasher to run more effectively for longer.
• Regularly clean the inside of your dishwasher and the seals with a non-abrasive cloth and a multipurpose cleaner.
• When your dishwasher finishes its load, leave the door open for 15 minutes to reduce humidity. This will help keep the inside clean.

Hard surface cleaning tips

Hard surfaces in the kitchen are common areas for bacteria to accumulate and so require regular cleaning. Cracks, crumbs and excess water provide the perfect environment for bacteria. All surfaces should be cleaned and properly dried off before use.

• Clear surfaces of all debris and kitchen items before cleaning.
• Wear gloves and wash hands prior to and after cleaning.
• Don’t overuse cleaning spray – hold at least 8 inches above the surface and spray lightly.
• Allow the spray to work on the surface for 5-10 minutes for a deeper clean.
• Use non-abrasive cleaning cloths to prevent surface damage.
• Always clean spills and food stains at the time to prevent staining.
• Place cleaning cloths in warm water and disinfectant between uses, and always launder cloths at appropriate high temperatures.

Colour coded cleaning

Colour coded cleaning ensures there is no cross-contamination in your kitchen area. Just as raw and cooked food should be separated, cleaning materials for different areas of the kitchen should also be kept separate to minimise the likelihood of cross-contamination of germs. The idea is to designate a particular colour to a particular area or specific surface. Colour coding should be in recognisable colours that you can easily buy equipment for and should include:

• Mops
• Mop Buckets
• Cleaning buckets
• Cloths
• Dustpans and brushes
• Rubber gloves

Using a colour system in your workplace can make cleaning easy, efficient and increase general hygiene and cleanliness.

A deep clean in your commercial kitchen will ensure floors, walls, ceilings, lights and all kitchen fittings and equipment are thoroughly cleaned. If you need a helping hand, our specialist cleaning team are just a phone call away.

Hardwood floors look beautiful when new. The glossy finish of a new hardwood floor shines and sparkles, and really lifts any room in the home, or in the office. But, without regular cleaning and proper care any hardwood floor can easily become marked and scratched and will naturally begin to fade.

In a lot of cases faded hardwood floors are in the state they are purely because of a build up of dust and debris. The wood hasn’t actually lost its colour. The shine is simply being inhibited by a build-up of dirt. Introduce a proper cleaning regime for your wood floors and you’ll keep them in tip top condition for much longer.

Basic care regime for hardwood floors

Regularly use a floor duster to pick up dust, dirt and pet hair. Hoover weekly with a floor brush attachment. Don’t use a beater bar attachment as this can scratch the wood floor. Damp mop the floor regularly too.

How to deep clean your hardwood floor

Regular deep cleaning of your hardwood floor should help to preserve its colour and shine. Use a wood-cleaning product diluted according to instructions. Lightly mop the floor using the diluted wood floor cleaner. Make sure you wring the mop thoroughly to avoid swishing too much water on the floor. Mop again with clear water if instructed to do so on wood-cleaning product. Dry floor immediately after washing with a microfibre cloth.

Regular cleaning should keep your floor in good condition, free from a build-up of dust and grime. If your floor has gone beyond this stage, then it may require a bit more work. It’s quite a DIY job to sand and refinish hardwood floors, so unless you are confident that you know what you are doing, we’d recommend you hire an expert to do the job for you.

Tips for preventing wear and tear

There are quite a few things you can do to prevent general wear and tear of your hardwood floors.

• Position mats both inside and outside of exteriors doors to lessen the amount of dirt that is tracked into the home.
• Use floor protectors or rugs under furniture.
• Use gliders for furniture that gets moved around a lot. The thick, peel and stick, glides work best. Avoid using plastic glides and casters as they can scratch wooden floor surfaces.
• Use rugs in children’s play areas to prevent toys from scratching the floor.
• Wipe up spills as soon as possible.
• Keep high heel shoes in good repair. Damaged heels can easily mark wood floors.
• Do not use wax, abrasive cleaners or oil-based cleaners on hardwood floors.

When to get your hardwood floor refinished

When your floor begins to look lacklustre, and cleaning no longer restores the shine, it could be time you considered having your wood floor sanded, resealed and polished. In areas where there’s a lot of footfall, you’ll likely need to consider doing this every 2-3 years. For those areas where footfall isn’t so high, adopt a care and cleaning regime and you could have a beautifully kept hardwood floor for many years.

Home renovations are a costly and stressful process, but are usually worth it and will add value to your property. So now the builders have gone, is your renovation project finally over? After all the upheaval you can’t wait to enjoy your new-look home and get back to a normal routine. But, don’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet. Here are 3 hoops you’ll still need to jump through after the builders clear out.

1 – The clean-up

Once the builders have left and the dust has settled, many underestimate the enormity of the post-renovation clean-up. It’s a huge job! Here are some tips, but if you can’t face the enormity of the big clean-up, hire a professional cleaning company to clear up for you. It’s a cost worth budgeting for.

• You will need plenty of rags and hoover bags if applicable
• Remove any stickers left by the workmen
• Remove any remaining trash and debris
• Sweep and vacuum all surfaces, including ceilings and walls
• Vacuum and mop all floors, or vacuum carpets several times
• Wipe down doors, woodwork, door knobs, handles and insides and outsides of closets and cupboards, plus clean any shelving
• Dust, vacuum and clean windows and window frames and sills
• Clean all ducts, vents, blinds and light fittings
• Vacuum and clean any upholstery that has been covered during the renovation

2 – The finishing touches

The finishing touches can make all the difference to your renovation project. With your eyes held firmly on the enormity of the building work, it’s easy to overlook the last-minute details. Losing your will at the end of the renovation and passing responsibility of the fine details to the hired workmen will invariably disappoint. Make sure you get all of the small details spot on as the renovation draws to a close, then you won’t be left with any loose ends.

3 – Resolve problems with any work

Hardly a renovation goes by without there being one small snag or another. Small problems will inevitably crop up in the months following the renovation. If you used a main contractor for all the work, hold on to a small percentage (usually 2-5 per cent) of the payment until the dust has settled and you’ve had time to properly inspect all of the work.

If you discover any problems, call the relevant contractor back straight away. Be aware that if the problem wasn’t as a result of anything the contractor has done wrong, you may have to pay to get a problem fixed (i.e cracked plaster). If the problem caused is a direct result of their workmanship, they should do the work at no cost. You may want to seek the advice of a legal professional if you find yourself in a building dispute.

The annual spring clean shouldn’t just be confined to the home. There’s no reason why spring can’t also signal the perfect time to get your office in order and brush away the cobwebs in all of those hard-to-reach places. It may not be high on the business list of priorities, but ignore the deep clean and you could be hurting your business more than you think. An orderly, clean and tidy workspace has been proven to increase productivity, boost morale and reduce absenteeism. In fact, there are many hidden advantages to having a clean and tidy office. Here are some of them:

Reduces stress

A clean office increases happiness and satisfaction. Clutter creates stress. Stress leads to a number of health problems including depression and fatigue. It’s draining working in an untidy and dirty working environment.

Improves health

Cleanliness impacts on employees’ health, and it should be no surprise to learn that a clean environment promotes better health. Dirt and dust can be a trigger for allergies and dirty desks and keyboards harbour germs. The average office keyboard has around 7,500 bacteria on it! Keeping the office clean has a beneficial effect on staff absenteeism.

Increases focus

Dirt and mess is a continual distraction. A clean office increases employee focus and hence productivity. Research shows that a lot of worktime is lost when employees search for things not in reach. Organisation is key and that’s much more achievable in a clean environment. With a clean and organised office space employees can focus on business matters.

Boosts office morale

A clean and tidy environment boosts office morale and has a positive impact on productivity. A clean office makes you feel good about where you work and that rubs off.

Protects building assets

Taking care of the office environment with regular cleaning and an annual or 6-monthly deep clean is a great way to prevent excessive wear and tear.

Impresses clients

A sparkling office creates a great first impression when clients are visiting, and is imperative if you are thinking of selling or part-leasing your building. A welcoming environment that looks clean and organised will definitely impress.

The office spring clean may not be the most pressing issue for business owners, but keeping staff focused and productive, and happy about where they work, will ultimately be good for business. Don’t overlook the annual spring clean. It’s a chance to get maintenance jobs up to date, carpets cleaned and all those hard-to-reach places properly taken care of.