Working From Home? Here’s What You Should Be Cleaning More

If you are working from home, it’s easy to get distracted by a messy kitchen, the clutter in your workspace, or those pesky cleaning tasks you feel like you should be tackling. So to give you a clean slate to start the workday, here are the six places and spaces you should be cleaning more.

Kitchen Duty: Whether you tackle the mess in the kitchen the night before or early in the morning, having a tidy kitchen is a great way to start your work day and minimize distractions when you are working from home. So run the dishwasher, wipe down the counters, and take out the trash before you clock in.

Earbuds and Headphones: If you spend hours wearing your earbuds and headphones, they are bound to get pretty gross. However, you want to keep harsh cleansers and cleaning tools away from your workday ear wear. For earbuds, just a damp cloth will do, and for headphones, a few drops of alcohol on a cleaning cloth will disinfect and clean.

Laptop and Tablet Screen: From regular dust, dirt, and grime, your laptop and your tablet can get pretty dirty during the workweek. So to keep it all clean, you’ll want to add cleaning your devices to your cleaning routine. Again, stay away from harsh cleaners and cleaning tools when it comes to your devices. Instead, use a gentle screen cleaner and microfiber towel to dust and clean screens and keyboards.

Coffee Maker: While you should give your coffee maker a deep clean every three months, your coffee maker is probably working a lot harder these days since you are working from home. So show your source of daily caffeine some extra love by giving it a quick daily clean-- wiping down the surfaces and getting rid of any mess left behind, and giving a deep clean more frequently. Running a cycle of white vinegar and water will do the trick. Just be sure to run a few extra cups or pots to ensure the vinegar is cleaned out. There are also cleansers that will clean out your coffee makers that are easy to use and effective.

Your Desk: Clutter on your desk can distract you from your work and make working from home feel impossible. So make a weekly desk cleanse a part of your cleaning routine. From throwing out papers, removing items that you don’t need, giving the desk a quick dusting, and adding a desk organizer that can hold everything you need during the workday-- your desk will help you feel motivated rather than distracted.

Your “Office Space”: If your bedroom or dining room table is doubling as your office these days, it can be hard to keep your work and regular life separate. However, to make sure you are Zoom ready and not staring at the piles of clothes on the bedroom floor, cleaning your home office space routinely is key. Dusting, cleaning the floors and surfaces and decluttering are ideal but if you only have a few minutes, sometimes just a quick cleanup will do. So if you are in your bedroom, make your bed and toss a load of laundry in the wash. If you are working in another room, move out clutter and wipe down surfaces before you begin working. Need somewhere to hide and organize the clutter? Try decorative baskets for chic and functional organization.