Spring Cleaning at the Office

Let's face it, the winter can be dark and dreary, and most people cannot wait until it's over. During this time, it's inevitable for people to let their routines slip a bit. Employees may order in lunch instead of heading out so that they don't have to go outside. Others may be working from home most days because of the brutal weather. Another effect of winter you may have noticed? The lack of tidying up.

An organized workplace is pretty essential for people's productivity levels. And while your office may have a cleaning crew come in every night, there are some things that the workers must take upon themselves. Here's a great way to improve employee camaraderie and make the office more comfortable for everyone: spring cleaning.

Make It a Team Effort
If you're looking to do an office spring cleaning, it's important to do it as a group. Send out an email to everyone marking the time and date of the spring cleaning. In addition, make a list for people to sign up for what supplies to bring. (Hint: You can never have too many paper towels). Getting everyone involved makes it seem more like a project than a tedious task.

Assign Jobs
It doesn't matter if your office has 15 employees or 100. If you're going to have a spring cleaning day, you're going to want to assign jobs so that there is some sort of schedule. Without tasks, everyone will be running around, and certain surfaces and rooms can be cleaned several times, which is counterproductive. Instead, make a list and have people sign up to clean an assigned room. That way, there will be structure to the day.

Do Some Prep Work
Before the day arrives, you're going to want to make sure the little jobs are out of the way. Have everyone throw out their uneaten and expired food from the fridge and organize their desks. Throw away useless paper to make room for more helpful things. Employees should only keep items on their desks that are essential, according to Forbes. Once the small tasks are out of the way, everyone can focus on getting the main duties done – which are the ones that truly matter.

Make It Fun
Not many people actually like to clean. In fact, most people despise it. But the trick to getting your employees excited about the day is making it fun. Send out an email asking for music requests, and create a playlist based off those songs. Bring in some speakers, and blast the tunes while everyone works. You'd be surprised how quickly tasks can go by when there's an element of fun incorporated into the mix.

Have a Reward
Sometimes motivation comes down to a reward. When it comes to office spring cleaning, make it worthwhile for your employees. For example, offer catering for lunch once the job is complete or have everyone leave early for drinks. The truth of the matter is that food and drinks can be a great incentive, and your workers can get the opportunity to bond after the job is done.