Moving to a new office is exciting as it is sometimes the change we need to be reinvigorated at our jobs. When you feel burned out physically, emotionally, or creatively, it always helps to gain a fresh perspective and break the current monotony of your work. Moving to a new office often helps with this.
But as exciting as it is to have a new office, especially around NYC, it also comes with the huge task of cleaning your new workspace. Upon arriving, you’ll first want to clean, set up your desk, and organize the space so you can start the next working day on time. Hiring an office cleaning company in NYC will be prudent, but if you want to take a shot at it, this article is for you.
In this guide, we’ll talk about the things you’ll need and tips on how to clean a desk effectively.
Materials for Cleaning
- Microfiber Cloth: A cleaning cloth will be your primary cleaning tool for a desk. We recommend a microfiber cloth because it traps dust and dirt very well. It also has soft fibers, which will prevent scratches on your desk. Microfiber clothes, therefore, are a must if your desk is hardwood or has a glass top, lacquer finish, or laminated.
- Small Brush: A duster is necessary to remove dust clinging to tight corners of your desk or drawers. A 4” paintbrush is excellent because the bristles are stiff enough to poke embedded dirt out of corners and tiny crevices but not too tough to scratch your desktop.
- All-purpose Cleaner: Choose an all-purpose cleaner suitable for your desk’s material. Pick a gentle, non-toxic brand that effectively removes grime and stains.
- Paper Towel: Microfiber cloths are fantastic for administering a cleaning product or polish on a desk. However, they don’t absorb water well, so moisture from your all-purpose cleaning solution or spray will remain on your desk. Paper towels will be convenient for wiping your desk dry.
- Rubbing Alcohol: If you have a wood-laminate desk, rubbing alcohol can remove stubborn stains like ink marks and adhesive residues. But if you have a varnished wooden desk, DON’T use rubbing alcohol because it can leave visible white stains.
- Disinfectant Spray: For a germ-free workspace, you’ll need a disinfectant spray to sanitize your desk and other office equipment like your printer, telephone, or speakers.
Now that you have your cleaning materials ready, let’s get to the task of deep cleaning your desk.
How To Clean A Desk: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Clear Your Desk
Whether you’re merely moving to another desk or relocating to a brand-new office location, chances are your desk will be covered with boxes, random office materials, and other clutter. If your desk is already where you want it to be, you need to clear it first so you can start cleaning. Remove pens, paper, electronics, and other personal belongings on your desktop, and empty the drawers. Place everything temporarily on a nearby table or a box.
Step 2: Dust Your Workspace
Using your small brush or dusting tool, begin by dusting the entire surface of your desk. Start at the top and work your way down to avoid redoing an area you already dusted. Pay attention to corners, crevices, and the underside of the desk. You can also use your microfiber cloth to wipe down the surface once you’ve loosened the dust from the corners.
You should also dust your drawers and ensure they’re dust-free before moving to the next steps. Otherwise, you might have to repeat some steps because dust from inside the drawers can cling to your newly cleaned desk surface.
Step 3: Do Some Spot Cleaning
After dusting and wiping off the loose dirt, you should see if there are stains, marks, or sticky residue on your desk left behind by dusty boxes or office equipment previously piled on your desk. If you can’t remove them with your brush or microfiber cloth, you can use rubbing alcohol to spot-clean the stains.
You can also do this to remove ink marks, coffee stains, or any other stubborn spots you didn’t notice before. Use paper towels or moisten a corner of the microfiber cloth for this (again, remember NOT to use rubbing alcohol on desks with a varnish finish).
Step 4: Thoroughly Clean Your Desktop
Spray a small amount of your chosen all-purpose cleaner all over your desk. Next, take a fresh microfiber cloth and wipe the entire surface in circular motions. This allows you to make multiple passes on a large surface area of your desk. At the same time, repeated circular wiping can also polish your desk and give it a bit of shine. Make sure to cover every inch and pay extra attention to the sides where you often write with a pen and paper, eat, or put down a drink.
Also, use just the right amount of liquid cleaner. Don’t let the microfiber cloth become soaking wet; otherwise, you might damage your desk because of excessive moisture.
Step 5: Clean Your Drawers and Wipe Them Dry
Use the all-purpose cleaner on your drawers, too. Take them out so you can clean them more easily, and use the microfiber cloth to clean them thoroughly.
If you leave moisture inside the drawers, dry them with paper towels. Your drawers must be completely dry before you fill them with office supplies and personal effects. If a bit of moisture remains, the inside will smell dank and could even grow a bit of mold.
Step 6: Disinfect Your Computer, Office Equipment and Supplies
Your keyboard and mouse are high-touch objects that need regular sanitization. The same goes for office equipment like telephones, printers, fax machines, photocopiers, etc. Follow the instructions on your chosen disinfectant and sanitize all equipment on your desk before assembling and plugging them in.
You’ll also want to do a quick wipe-down of your other work supplies like pens, paperweights, glass coasters, staples, tape dispensers, heavy-duty pencil sharpeners, etc.
After sanitizing your computer, supplies, and other office equipment, you’re ready to organize your desk and drawers. Ideally, your computer, printer, phone, etc., such that you can be efficient and less cluttered when working. For example, consider putting your fax machine, printer, and photocopier farthest away from your computer or laptop. The immediate area around these pieces of equipment often gets cluttered with reams of bond paper and discarded sheets of erroneous printouts. Conversely, keep everything you use frequently within reach inside your drawer or an organizer on your desk. A legal pad and pen, headset, and calculator are examples.
Follow these tips on how to clean a desk in your new work space. But if you manage or own a business and you’re relocating to a new office or doing a significant office reorganization, call House Specialty Cleaning. Our professional office cleaning team can clean and prepare work desks for you and your employees so you can focus on your work and not have to spend an hour or so cleaning.
Contact Town House Specialty Cleaning today and get a free estimate.