Is your home office collecting piles of paperwork and a layer of dust? Then it may be time for a deep clean. Follow our step by step guide to de-clutter and deep clean your workspace:

De-Clutter:

Before you start cleaning, de-clutter the office! The office can be a dumping ground for items that don’t have any other place to live. Plus, mail and paperwork can pile up quickly. Take any items out of the office that don’t belong there. Decide if you want to keep them or get rid of them. If you keep them, designate a specific place for them in your home so they don’t end up in the office.

File Cabinet:

Go through your file cabinet and get rid of any papers you no longer need. If you do need to keep them, but still need to thin out the drawers, consider scanning documents and saving them on your hard drive.

Mail:

Before you toss the junk mail, contact the companies and ask to be removed from the list. Go through your bills and see if you can set them up electronically. Then you’ll have less paper mail to contend with on a regular basis. After making your calls, toss or shred the mail you don’t need to keep and file or scan the stuff you do need.

Office Supplies:

Take stock of your office supplies. Are you overrun with pens and highlighters? Is there a stack of post-its that you never use? De-clutter any supplies you don’t use.

Clean:

Once you de-clutter, it’s time to start cleaning!

Dust:

Start at the top of the room and work down when dusting: Light fixture, corners where walls meeting the ceiling and each other, shelves, pictures, and artwork.

Windows:

Thoroughly clean windows, not just the glass part. Get into all the nooks and crannies!

Electronics:

Electronics attract dust! Take some time to really clean your computer, keyboard, printer, tablets, etc… Be sure to use a cleaner specifically made for electronics so you don’t damage them. Then, if possible, stash a small duster in your office somewhere for quick dusting around the electronics.

Clean Desk:

Take everything off your desk and give it a good wipe down. Remove all items from the drawers and clean the inside of the drawers as well. Consider adding drawer dividers before re-filling your to keep them organized.

Clean Office Chair:

Vacuum your chair and wipe down the arms and legs.

Underneath Desk:

The underneath of a desk can get really messy and dusty. Wipe down the legs of the desk and any dusty cords that live there.

Organize Cords and Chargers:

It’s very possible that there are lots of cords and chargers tangled up in the office. Take some time to straighten them and restrain them using zip ties or even purchasing clips that are made for just this reason!

Baseboards:

While you are under your desk, wipe down the baseboards in your office.

Floors:

Sweep and mop your floor. If you have carpet take the time to steam clean if you have access to a steam cleaner. If not, sprinkle some baking soda on the floor and let sit to absorb odors before you vacuum.

Add Organizational Tools to Your Office:

Once your office is deeply cleaned, take a minute to consider whether you could add some tools or products to help you stay organized. Would a bulletin board help keep papers up off the desk? Would some drawer dividers make finding the stapler a little easier? If so, buy them. But, avoid buying organizing products unless they would really benefit you. Otherwise, they’ll just clutter up your newly cleaned office!

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