How to Keep your Desk Clean

How to Keep your Desk Clean

A lot of us are at home quarantining, working on a computer.

Personally, I have noticed that both mine and my family’s desks have not been staying quite as clean. So, here are some easy steps to clean your desk and keep it tidy.

1. The first step to cleaning your desk is to clear everything from it.

Take everything off of it (excluding bigger items like your computer). Make sure you empty any desk drawers or cabinets if you have them!

2. Now sort through everything you removed from your desk. Old papers, files, notes, everything. Decluttering is an important step in cleaning any space. Throw any unnecessary items away, and keep only what you need. (Remember to recycle any paper, cardboard, plastic, and any other recyclable items!)

3. Completely wipe down your desk. You can simply use a damp cloth, or a cleaning solution. Your desk may seem clean, but dust can accumulate all over. Every once in a while, wiping down your keyboard, lamp, drawers and other things is also important.

4. Create organizational systems. You might already have systems in place, but if you don’t, they can be very helpful. You might want to install shelves or get an organizer to put on your desk. If you use boxes, or if the items you’re organizing aren’t readily visible, labels can be very beneficial. It may seem obvious, but labels tell you what is in each area, so nothing will go missing. While you are organizing, important or frequently used items are easily accessible.

5. Try not to keep too many decorations or distractions on your desk.

Your desk is a place of work, so keeping it distraction free is important. Having small decorations is ok, (especially if you hang decorations like picture frames-they are up and off your desk) but having less is better.

6. Finally, try new things. If you find that you’ve cleaned your desk several times, but it still gets messy, try different organization systems. The systems you had in place probably weren’t successful, so change it up and see what works for you.

Now, you’ve officially cleaned your desk. How can you KEEP it clean?

1. Don’t bring dishes to your desk. From personal experience, having dishes pile up on your desk makes clutter fast. Having a water bottle or a coffee cup is ok, but remember to pick it up and put it away when you are done. But, it’s better to eliminate dishes from your desk, so it’s best to not eat at your desk.

2. Another way you can keep your desk clean is to clean it once a week. It doesn’t have to be a set day, but if you just re-organize or take a cloth and wipe it down, it will stay pretty tidy.

3. Having pens, pencils and other supplies on your desk can actually be helpful. If you put them in a container that is easily accessible, you’ll probably be less likely to leave them lying around on your desk. If you keep them in a drawer, it’s OK, but having them accessible can help you from forgetting to put them away.

4. As I mentioned briefly before, hanging things or having them on the wall is a great way to stay organized. You can install shelves, a cork board, a white board, or even hanging organizers. It can be even more helpful for things you use very often. For example, you can hang your headphones on the wall, that way you don’t leave them on your desk. Using a cork board or a magnetic white board can keep extra papers off your desk.

5. Something to further clean your desk is using online tools. You can use an online calendar (instead of a physical copy) to help manage your events. There are several ways you can make notes online instead of having sticky notes or notebooks on your desk. Using

online resources will also reduce the amount of supplies like pens and pencils on your desk.

6. I also mentioned not having too many distractions or decorations on your desk. This is important as well for the overall cleanliness of your desk. Having pictures or small decor on your desk is perfectly fine, but things like plants might be hard to manage on your desk. From my own experience, the succulent I kept on my desk ended up wilting and dying, but do what you can do! For the distractions aspect, I would recommend not keeping your hobbies near your desk. For instance, if you like knitting, try not to keep your supplies near your desk so you don’t get distracted. (As for online distractions, there are different apps and websites you can use to restrict yourself if needed!)

Hopefully these tips help you clean your desk and keep it clean!

Speaking of clean, if you need help with organizing your home or getting it deep housecleaned by a professional, call Weekend Maids at 877-586-4800 or schedule a service online at weekendmaids.net.