Imagine arriving at work on a Monday morning to a dusty desk. Or walking into an office that just doesn’t smell right. Before the first email is opened, your mood has already dipped.
It’s worth taking seriously, because employees spend a large part of their week at work, five days a week, year after year. The condition of that space shapes how people feel and how well they get things done.
What the research says
A study of office workers at five organisations in the Netherlands compared how clean each workplace actually was, using dust particle counts in the air and surface cleanliness, with how productive employees felt. Offices measured as cleaner were significantly linked to higher perceived productivity and higher job satisfaction, and employees who were more satisfied with their work also rated their own productivity higher (Horrevorts et al., 2018).
The researchers were clear about the limits. The sample was small, the productivity ratings were self-reported, and the study shows a link rather than proof of cause and effect. Even so, the authors concluded that regular cleaning in the workplace is worthwhile (Horrevorts et al., 2018).
Why cleanliness may help
Research on how the brain handles vision shows that multiple competing visual stimuli compete for neural representation, which reflects the limited processing capacity of our visual system (McMains & Kastner, 2011). It is reasonable to think that a tidy, clean space leaves fewer distractions competing for attention, though that study looked at visual processing in general, not offices.
There is also a simple human factor. A clean workplace signals that people and their environment are cared for, and that can support morale and satisfaction, the very thing the Dutch study linked to better perceived productivity.
Where to focus
Cleaning that makes the biggest difference day to day includes:
- High-touch surfaces: desks, keyboards, door handles, kitchen and meeting-room surfaces
- Floors and carpets: regular vacuuming, floor care and carpet cleaning to control dust
- Washrooms and kitchens: the spaces where cleanliness is most noticed
- Consistent schedules: a regular routine, so the office is never allowed to slide
Talk to Ikon
Ikon has more than 15 years of experience in Auckland commercial cleaning, with weekly supervisor inspections to keep quality consistent. Get in touch to talk about a cleaning programme for your workplace.
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