It’s hard to be productive when you’re dealing with a messy office. If you have to fight through piles of paper and junk to find stuff in your office, you’ve got a problem. Don’t feel guilty since it’s all something we have to find a way to deal with.

Fortunately, you can take some measures to ensure your office stays clean. Use the following four tips to get your office in top shape!

1. Start With A Cleansing Purge

If your office is in disarray, the best thing you can do is start with a purge. It may seem backward or counterintuitive, but if you really want to organize your office,
a cleansing purge is necessary.

The goal of the purge is to clear your office of things you don’t need. Come prepared with garbage cans and recycling bins. Get rid of absolutely that everything that isn’t helping you get work done. At the end of the purge, you should have zero clutter in your office.

After the purge, you should only have essential items left. You’ll find it’s much easier to organize your office when you’re dealing with less stuff. Consider adding bins or lockers to help keep clutter under control once you get back to work.

2. Stick To A Regular Cleaning Schedule

One of the best things about starting with a purge is it gives you a new chance at staying organized. However, if the purge is the only time you try to organize your office, you’ll quickly find yourself back in the same position. Consistency is a crucial factor in keeping your office clean and organized.

If your office building has windows or carpets, it’s a good idea to schedule monthly cleanings. Clean carpets and windows make for a healthier environment where it’s easy to build positive team morale. Dirty windows prevent sunlight from coming in and make long days seem even longer.

3. Use Paper Shredding To Your Advantage

Paper shredding is one of the most underrated and underused organization techniques. Shredding is probably the best way to keep paper under control in your office. Shredding documents is quick, and it enforces data security.

Try keeping a shredder in your office. You’ll find yourself shredding documents right away instead of letting them linger on your desks for weeks at a time. Paper shredding is an excellent way to reduce clutter and enforce recycling at the same time.

4. Make It Easy To Recycle And Reuse Paper

If your office doesn’t have a system for scrap paper, you’re going to run into a lot of trouble. Offices in America are responsible for a massive amount of paper waste each year. A little bit of extra effort can help your office do its part for the environment.

One thing you can do to keep paper clutter under control is set up a catch-all space. In the space, you can organize items into keep, recycle, reuse or garbage piles. Creating a dedicated area for junk mail, old physical documents and scrap paper will help keep individual workspaces clear of clutter. Just remember to throw everything in the garbage or recycling at least once a week!

Another technique you can try is using a two-tray system in individual offices. One tray for new documents, the second to discard. As the trays fill up, people will be forced to deal with the documents or discard them in your catch-all space. This is a great way to prevent paper from taking up space on desks.

All in all, using these tips on a regular basis will help keep clutter in your office under control. Remember that you need consistency in order to maintain a clean office. Keep these tips in mind to help create a healthy office environment!