Pro CleanWhen it comes to office cleaning, it’s always best to use the services of a full-service cleaning company — particularly one that offers green cleaning services. However, we frequently receive inquiries from prospective customers about how companies can keep their workplaces clean between services. They’re essentially looking for “cleaning hacks” that help make their lives easier — yet are also cost-effective and don’t take a lot of time.
In light of these questions, as an environmentally-conscious green cleaning company, we’ve decided to put together a list of “cleaning hacks” that can be implemented that are also environmentally friendly. These tips are easy to do, inexpensive, and have surprisingly good results — all while minimizing harm to the environment and the people working in it:
15 Cleaning Hacks to Use in Your Office or Facility Today
1. Steam Can Be Used to Clean & Sanitize Carpets and Tile Flooring
Steam is a great way to help disinfect surfaces, such as tile and carpet. According to HAAN, a world leader and innovator in steam technology, steam cleaning “kills 99.9 percent of bacteria, germs and dust mites. This includes E. coli, Staph bacteria, Salmonella and other microorganisms, surface molds, bacteria, viruses and other dirty things.” Some consumer steam cleaners can reach temperatures beyond 360° Fahrenheit (F), which makes this cleaning hack ideal for cleaning an office considering that water heated to 175° F can effectively sanitize.
2. Water and Lemon Cleaning Makes the Microwave Beautiful Again
No one likes the job of cleaning the microwave at the office. This is particularly true when you find yourself hit with the odor of a leftover fish dinner or are left scrubbing baked on tomato sauce off the microwave ceiling or walls.
For this cleaning hack, take a small bowl of water and squeeze out some of the juice from half of a lemon. Drop the half of the fruit into the water/lemon juice mixture and microwave the bowl’s contents for three minutes. Without opening the door, let the mix sit and steam in the microwave for another full minute. After that time, remove the bowl from the microwave (along with the microwave’s glass spinning tray, if it has one) and wipe the walls, ceiling, and bottom of the compartment.
3. Baking Soda and Lemon Help to Eliminate Odors in the Kitchen
No one likes a smelly kitchen. In the workplace, it’s especially bad because people often don’t want to take responsibility and fix the issue. If unseemly odors are coming from the sink or the garbage can, sprinkle some baking soda into those areas and leave it alone — just let people know to not use the sink for an hour or two. Or, if your office kitchen has a garbage disposal, you can put lemon peels and ice chips in there and turn it on. You also can leave a small box or open container of baking soda in the fridge to absorb odors from there as well.
4. Sticky Notepads Are Useful for Grabbing Food Bits in Keyboards
Many professionals are guilty of eating at their desks while working. However, enjoying your morning bagel and schmear or lunchtime sandwich can be an annoyance when it results in crumbs falling between the keys of your computer keyboard. Relax, this is an easy fix! Simply grab a sticky pad, such as a Post It or a piece of clear tape, and dab it between the keys to pick up dust, dirt, and food particles.
5. Add Greenery to Freshen the Air and Create Oxygen
Does it always smell stale when you arrive at the office in the morning? The circulated air from the central air conditioning system sure can make it feel that way. Office plants are nature’s version of air cleaning hacks. Different species of plants — such as areca palm, mother in law’s tongue, ferns, and money plant — can remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the environment and replace it with oxygen, or even remove formaldehyde and other volatile chemicals. Although this is not “cleaning” in the traditional sense, it is helping to “clean” the environment and promote health and wellness in the employees.
6. Make Water Stains and Cup Rings Disappear with a Hair Dryer
If unsightly water rings from beverages cover your office’s tabletops and desks, a simple hack is to use a hairdryer to make them disappear. The heat will remove the water “stain” and leave your space with a nice looking surface once again.
7. Using Rubbing Alcohol to Clean/Remove Stains from Furniture
Cleaning with isopropyl alcohol is likely not the first idea that comes to mind. However, it does have a surprising benefit: It can be used to remove stains from chairs and couches that have microfiber material. For this cleaning hack, spray a little rubbing alcohol and wipe it with a clean cloth.
8. Use Essential Oils Inside Toilet Paper and Paper Towel Rolls
You can help to combat smells in the restroom or the kitchen by employing this quick cleaning hack: Dab or sprinkle just a few drops of a mild essential oil on the inside of toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls. Every time that they move, they will release a burst of that fresh scent.
9. Use Vinegar to Clean Dirty, Sticky Office Scissors
In environmentally-conscious cleaning, vinegar has many uses — one of which is removing gunk and buildup on scissors, hole punchers, and a variety of other office tools.
10. Vinegar Breaks Through Gunk, Leaving Behind Clean Windows
Windows are frequently one of the feature points of a beautiful office or facility. As such, they should not be neglected. Window cleaning should occur regularly using equal parts vinegar and water that are mixed in a spray bottle. Simply use paper towels or an old newspaper to wipe the window clean for a streak-free look.
11. Dryer Sheets Can Help with Static and Foul Smells
Dryer sheets have multiple useful purposes as cleaning hacks for the office. A sheet can be used to help remove static from your hair and clothing before you run off to a meeting. It also can be placed at the bottom of communal garbage cans to help combat the smells from food or other items placed in them.
12. Old Socks and Pillow Cases Can Clean Blinds and Ceiling Fans
If your office is lucky enough to have ceiling fans and windows, then it’s likely that the blinds and fan arms get covered in a layer of dust if your office is not cleaned regularly. Simply bring in a pair of old socks and put one on each hand. Using a vinegar water solution, get one sock damp with the fluid and use it to clean the blinds. Use the dry sock to wipe away the excess liquid.
For the fan, place the open pillowcase over the fan arms one at a time (so the arm is inside the case) and gently pull back, trapping the dust in the material.
13. When Cleaning, Use Microfiber Cloths and Change Them Out
Hands down, microfiber is one of the best cleaning tools available. According to info from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, “Microfiber cleaning cloths and mops work well for removing organic matter (dirt, oils, grease) as well as germs from surfaces” because they have a split microfiber. Just don’t forget to change them out for new ones while cleaning so as to not spread germs!
Microfiber cloths:
- Can remove large quantities of microbes, including hard-to-kill spores.
- Are positively charged, meaning they attract negatively charged dirt and grease.
- Dry quickly, making it hard for bacteria to grow in them.
- Last longer than cotton; they can be washed a thousand times before losing their effectiveness.
14. Use Vinegar to Remove Pen Marks from Surfaces
Apply a small amount of vinegar to a cloth and use it to blot the pen mark from the table, wall, or other surfaces.
15. Use Lemon Oil and Vinegar to Give New Life to Wood Furniture
If your office or facility has a fair amount of wood furniture or accents, a great way to help give it a nice fresh, shiny look without the use of toxic or smelly chemicals is to use a combination of lemon oil and white vinegar. Simply mix a one-to-one ratio of each liquid and spray it on the surface of your wood. Use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe it clean.
We hope you found these fridge cleaning hacks, carpet cleaning hacks, and overall office cleaning hacks useful. These tasks do take time out of your busy workday, so if you want to save yourself (or your subordinates) time, you can rely on Pro Clean to get the job done right. Pro Clean is a green cleaning service that has been cleaning for health at businesses in the greater Orlando and Tampa Bay areas since 1989.
To learn more about green cleaning and cleaning for health, check out our free, new guide by clicking on the link below.
