A common problem in most businesses is having a messy office kitchen. When some employees fail to finish their part of the office cleaning, leaving a mess for the rest of the team to pick up, it is quite upsetting. Things could grow particularly awful if there are unclean dishes, food spilled all over the benches, and yucky old tuna cans.
For a number of reasons, keeping the kitchen clean is crucial.
- It undervalues the workplace and could have a bad effect on employees’ happiness.
- Customers will have a negative opinion of your business.
- Health and safety hazards may result from accidents like slipping on damp flooring or foodborne illnesses.
- According to a recent Australian study, messy offices are bad for employee morale. Three out of four workers believe that a messy office is a sign that their boss doesn’t care about their welfare.
Due to the high level of bacteria on office equipment at workstations, having lunch at one’s desk is another option that an uncomfortable office kitchen may force employees to consider. Therefore, it is in the best interests of managers and employees to maintain a clean and well-kept kitchen.
If you’ve been having problems with this, it might be time to experiment with some new ideas or think about hiring a cleaning service. The cleaning advice for office kitchens is provided below.
Do Not Be Shy!
If we all chipped in, the office kitchen wouldn’t be so filthy! Watch how you act in the common areas of your office and remedy any mistakes you make! What happened to food heated in a microwave? Utilize a paper towel to absorb it. There are no more paper towels left on the last roll. So that it is ready for the following person, get another one from the supply closet. It’s possible that modest adjustments genuinely result in significant changes.
Buy the Equipment You Need
If the required instruments are not available, you cannot rely on the area being immaculate at all times. Ensure that your personnel has simple access to:
- Paper towels and towels
- Underground vapor
- Soap for washing dishes and brushes
- Bin liners and trash cans
- Recyclable containers
- Refrigerators and dishwashers that are the right size
Request that the office kitchen be restocked from your office manager or support services if your needs as an employee have not been met by management.
Additionally, it could be beneficial to supply some small labels so that employees can mark their food with their names and the date before putting it in the refrigerator.
Utilize the Foundations
Simply put, some individuals care less than others about keeping public areas tidy and maintained. It could be time to plan the office’s cleaning schedule. The basics should be covered, such as washing your own dishes or rinsing them off, clearing up your workspace after yourself, and not storing food that has gone bad in the refrigerator.
Ensure that everyone is aware of the rules. Internally, let everyone know about them by sending out a bulk email to everyone on staff or a regular employee newsletter. To ensure that everyone is aware of what needs to be done, it is crucial to incorporate it in manuals or new employee orientations.
To keep the policy visible and to remind everyone of their duties in the kitchen, make some posters or banners to display on the walls.
Create a Roster
Perhaps the rules and polite reminders are ineffective, and stricter enforcement is needed. Only smaller companies may establish a roster since they are better able to enforce it. The task of cleaning the kitchen can be divided among several staff, or it can be completed by one person on a daily or weekly basis.
A schedule for workplace cleaning could have a number of drawbacks. Despite the fact that they don’t use the kitchen often, if they have to clean it, they could become worried. When someone forgets their cleaning week, which doesn’t happen often, the next week is much more disgusting.
Delegate
It might be more effective to assign a small group of individuals to keep an eye on the office kitchen’s hygiene rather than relying on a roster system. Include these cleaning duties in their daily obligations if your company recruits office interns or support employees. Senior employees or managers wouldn’t be assigned the task because it would be more prudent to use their high salaries on tasks that were more important.
For jobs that aren’t carried out as frequently, like cleaning the refrigerator or washing the microwave, routine tasks should be established. When utilized in public settings, these devices run the risk of becoming contaminated with bacteria, mildew, and stale food. This might be sent to your support staff each week for upkeep in order to keep everything hygienic for everyone.
Remember that this is not enjoyable labor, and your support workers may not be pleased to have to perform it—especially if it wasn’t previously on their list of duties. You might have to put up with some inconvenience or think about substitute benefits to make up for it (coffee screaming!).
Use Professional Services
It’s simply best to occasionally allocate duties to experts! For a small business owner, this additional expense could be challenging, but it is necessary. Your staff is cleaning the kitchen even though they were hired to clean. The money would be better spent on cleaning services.
An office kitchen is substantially improved by commercial cleaners because they take care of anything that is often ignored. The trash and recycling bins will be cleaned, the floors will be vacuumed and mopped, and the benches and tables will be sterilized. Your company’s general cleanliness can be greatly improved by utilizing a regular cleaning service merely once a week.
For your business, commercial cleaning is a fantastic investment. As a result, your personnel will be content and your public spaces will continue to be clean.
