More of us are working from home than ever before, with 37% of UK adults homeworking at some point in 2020 and a huge 85% of homeworking adults supporting ‘hybrid’ working in the future, combining going to the office with working remotely.
Looking for the best way to clean your home office?
Whether you’ve dedicated a spare corner of your home to desk space, repurposed your dining table or set up a complete home office, spending time in your new workspace means sooner or later it will need cleaning.
Don’t miss these essential office cleaning tasks:
- How to clean your keyboard:
Computer keyboards quickly accumulate dirt – from debris, dust and fingerprints to crumbs from that 3pm biscuit break. Here’s how best to clean a standalone or laptop keyboard:
- First, tip your keyboard upside down onto a clean towel and lightly tap the back to remove loose debris.
- Next, use a soft-bristled brush to sweep away stubborn debris from around the keys – you can buy a special keyboard brush or can of compressed air, but you could also use a new toothbrush, handheld dusting brush or your vacuum cleaner with a mini detailing kit attachment.
- Finally, carefully wipe non-conductive parts with a damp cloth – take care to avoid getting any liquid into the electronics. Allow it to dry fully before the next use.
- How to clean your desktop monitor or laptop screen:
Screens tend to accumulate static dust and smudges, but remember they are delicate and require a light touch.
- Turn off your screen before cleaning. Start by running a clean, soft microfibre cloth across the surface to collect dust – be careful not to press on the screen as this can damage it.
- You should never spray water or cleaning liquid directly onto a screen. Specialist screen cleaning wipes are a good choice because they are soft and infused with enough cleaning solution to shift dirt without saturating your appliance.
- You can also dampen a microfibre cloth with a small amount of distilled water and carefully wipe it over the screen, being careful to avoid excess liquid. Allow it to dry fully before the next use.
- How to clean your desk:
It hosts your computer equipment, stationery and many cups of coffee, but do you pay your work surface back?
- Start by taking everything off your desk and hoovering up any dust, crumbs, hair or other debris that may have been hiding behind your possessions – a dusting brush vacuum cleaner attachment is great for this task.
- Next, gently wipe over the desk’s surface using an antibacterial surface cleaner of your choice and a soft cloth. Pay particular attention to spills and stains.
- Tea and coffee spills are best dealt with as soon as they occur, but if you need to remove a stubborn stain from a wooden or laminate desk, try making a paste with bicarbonate of soda and a few drops of water and use a soft cloth to gently rub over the surface.
- Clean each item as you replace it on the desk – it’s surprising how much dust can accumulate in pen pots, paper trays and other desk stationery, which could aggravate allergies.
