22-Day Spring Cleaning Routine Week 5: Home Office

Deep Clean Your Home Office

The pandemic has changed our day-to-day lives A LOT, especially how and where we all work. The unprecedented workplace situations and scenarios unleashed by the coronavirus pandemic have accelerated remote work and emptied out traditional offices. If you’ve found that your living room, second bedroom, or basement now doubles as your home office, you’re not alone! Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, only 7% of workers in the U.S. had access to a “flexible workplace” benefit, or telework, according to a report by the Pew Research Center based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’. But as of December, about 32 million Americans, or one-fifth, reported telework due to the pandemic! With that said, now is a fine time to give your office a cleanse!

The Home Office Breakdown:

Polish to Perfection:
Clean Desk
Clean Filing Cabinets & Bookshelves
Clean Chair

Deep Cleaning Bonus Points:
Organize Papers, Books and Notes
Organize Desk Surface
Clean Up Cords and Cables

Sneaky Spots You Shouldn’t Forget:
Sanitize Keyboards & Phones
Clean Computer

Day 20: Desks

Between the dust, germs and stacks upon stacks of papers and notes, it’s probably time you give your desk a good cleaning.

To start, remove all the papers, pens, computers, keyboards, phones and any other clutter from the surface. Once your desk is clear, spray it down with Boulder Clean’s Disinfectant Spray. Let the disinfectant sit for 10 minutes, then using a microfiber cloth, wipe it clean. Once you’ve cleaned the surface you can begin to return your large electronics, but first make sure they’re clean.

To clean your computer or laptop, and phone first make sure everything is unplugged and off. Then, use Boulder Clean’s Disinfectant or a mix of equal parts water and vinegar and spray a microfiber cloth (never on the computer or phone itself!) before wiping gently in a circular motion. Be mindful of the edges and making sure moisture doesn’t seep around and under screens and buttons. To disinfect your keyboard and mouse you can use the same method. When cleaning your phone, make sure you pay extra attention to any keypads, handsets, mouth and earpieces. While you’re at it, try to disinfect any other devices or surfaces you touch often, such as the printer, shredder, headphones, chargers, speakers, desk lamp, or pens.

Before you return your notebooks, folders and papers take a few minutes to go through everything to see if there is anything that you no longer need to be holding on to. If you find you have a lot of papers you need to keep for future (but not immediate) reference, consider storing them in a filing cabinet, rather than on your desk. By keeping only what you presently need on your desk, you’ll find it’s easier to keep everything organized and looking clean. We recommend trying to only keep one or two notebooks, and a few writing utensils on your desk to keep the clutter to a minimum.

Note: While you’re cleaning if you notice any loose cables and chords, wipe them down. If you’re using the cords or cables regularly, make sure nothing is tangled, and give them a quick coil to keep them organized. If you are not currently using the cords or cables, neatly coil them, label if necessary and put them into storage.

Day 21: Cabinets and Shelves

We’ll tackle the cabinets and shelves just as we did throughout the rest of the house. First things first, remove everything! Next using Boulder Clean’s All-Purpose Cleaner, gently wipe them down, making sure to hit the corners. If your cabinets and shelves have any high touch hardware, handles or knobs attached, make sure you give them a quick spray and wipe with Boulder Clean’s Disinfectant Spray.

Once your cabinets and shelves are squeaky clean, it’s time to declutter and organize. If you don’t have a filing system in place for your papers, try to come up with a solution that will best help you keep things organized. Get rid of old, torn or damaged papers and notebooks that you no longer need. If you’re unsure if you will need something, or if you’re not quite ready to get rid of it you can file it away or you can take a photo and save it to your computer so you have a digital copy, then toss it—this will significantly help reduce paper clutter. If you have any documents with sensitive or personal information that you no longer need, be sure to send it through the shredder before disposing of it.

If your shelves are home to books and knickknacks, make sure they’re dust free and do a quick inventory to see if there is anything you no longer want or need, or if those items can be re-homed elsewhere (storage, your living room bookshelves, etc.).

Only one day left in our 22-Day Spring Cleaning checklist!

Day 22: Chairs & Floors

The last day on our spring-cleaning checklist is reserved for your office chair and floors!

We sit in our office chairs daily, so over time they’re bound to meet accidental spills and stains and become covered in dirt, crumbs and germs.

Melanie Pinola, a writer for Wire Cutter suggest that, chairs that are leather, vinyl, plastic mesh, or polyurethane-covered can be regularly maintained using these supplies and following the steps below:

A vacuum cleaner: A handheld vacuum or cordless stick vacuum can make vacuuming a chair as hassle-free as possible. Some vacuums also have attachments specifically designed to remove dust and allergens from upholstery.
Boulder Clean Liquid Dish Soap
A spray bottle or a small bowl.
Two or three clean, soft cloths: Microfiber cloths, an old cotton T-shirt, or any rags that don’t leave behind lint will do.
A duster or can of compressed air (optional): A duster, can reach into tight places that your vacuum might not be able to. Alternatively, you can use a can of compressed air to blow out any dirt particles.

Step 1: Vacuum and dust off the entire chair
From the top of the chair to the wheels, thoroughly vacuum up any dust, lint, hair, or other debris. If there are spaces that are hard to reach with your vacuum, use a duster or a can of compressed air to clear out those tight areas.

Step 2: Wipe the chair with a soap-and-water solution
Mix a few drops of Boulder Clean Liquid Dish Soap with lukewarm water in either a small bowl or a spray bottle. Gently wipe all the surfaces of the chair with a cloth dipped in the solution, or lightly spray the chair with the solution and dab it in with a cloth. Use enough to coat the surface of the chair, but not so much that it soaks through to the insert because that could damage the chair’s materials.

Step 3: Rinse and dry
Dampen another cloth with clean water, and wipe away any soap residue. Then use another clean cloth to dry hard surfaces (such as armrests and chair legs) or seat coverings (such as leather and vinyl). Let soft surfaces like fabric seats air-dry—or, if you’re in a hurry to get back to sitting, you can also remove moisture with a hair dryer on the cool setting or a wet/dry vac.

For deep cleaning or stain removal:

Rubbing alcohol, vinegar, or Boulder Clean Laundry Detergent: Stubborn fabric stains require a bit more help. The type of treatment will depend on the type of stain.
A portable carpet and upholstery cleaner: For deep cleaning or to tackle frequent messes on your chair and other upholstered furniture and carpets, consider investing in an upholstery cleaner.

If the dish-soap solution doesn’t get rid of some stains, rubbing alcohol, vinegar or laundry detergent might be able to lift them. First, test a small, inconspicuous area of the chair—like the underside of the seat—to make sure the cleaner won’t harm the fabric. Then gently rub a few drops of the alcohol, vinegar or detergent into the stain, without saturating the fabric. Remove residue with a damp cloth and let the fabric air-dry.

For an extra deep clean or to tackle the most stubborn stains, we recommend breaking out the portable upholstery cleaner, if you have one, or enlisting the services of a professional upholstery cleaner.

Time to tackle the floors! We know you’re a floor cleaning pro, especially after you’ve spent the last few weeks cleaning each room in your house, so we’ll keep this simple! Sweep or vacuum your floors, then give them a good mop using Boulder Clean’s Wood Floor or Multi-Surface Floor Cleaners. 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. Be sure you get under and around your desk, chair, cabinets and shelves.

Now, give yourself a big pat on the back! You’ve successfully completed our 22-Day Spring Cleaning Checklist! From the Bedroom to the Office and everywhere in between, your home should be feeling light, bright, fresh and clean! To keep your home looking and feeling this good all the time, and to make your next deep clean a breeze, we highly recommend you stay on top of messes and try to keep things organized, clean and clutter-free!