Office Furniture Buying Guide

How to Clean a Desk

Three steps to a cleaner desk

Is your desk a mountain of old documents and disorganized stationary? You probably already know that messy workstations can sap productivity and kill morale. Luckily, you can kill the clutter in three simple steps – here’s how to how to clean a desk.

Start fresh

Begin by removing everything from the desk and placing it on the floor. Not just the old coffee cups and training manuals from 2005 – everything. Wipe your desk down with a damp cloth so you can visualize the clean space your work station can be. It looks nice, doesn’t it.

Categorize and prioritize

Now to your pile of stuff. Take a good hard look at it and select five things you absolutely need on your desk – for example, the computer (including vital accessories), important documents (stored in an in-tray), pens (stored in a pen holder), a clock and a lamp. Position them neatly on the desk.

Next, sort the remaining items into three categories: things you use daily, weekly and everything else.

Storage is your savior

Store items you use daily in an easy-to-access place, like the desk drawers. Each item should have a specific space so you know where things are, and to ensure they stay there. Common items include exercise books, headphones, calculators, staplers and other stationary.

You should keep your weekly items close but off your desk – inside a filing cabinet, for example. That way the items are out of the way but still accessible.

Finally, take ‘everything else’ and put it someplace else – preferably far, far away. This includes old trinkets and ornaments, but don’t necessarily ditch family. Generally speaking, if you don’t use it regularly, you don’t need it cluttering your workspace. You might find that a lot of it is trash, so you can simply dispose of it.

Admire your clean desk

Just like new. Memorize how your workstation looks without the junk and vow to keep it that way.

If you aren’t happy with the desk itself, consider purchasing a new one that better suits your new commitment to cleanliness. ComputerDesksnMore carries a wide range of desks and office furniture that will help you live a neater, more productive life.