Maintaining A Tidy Workplace: What Makes Offices So Messy And Unorganized?

Do you ever wish you had a tidy office to work out of? It’s a common prayer for many business owners. 

No matter how much they work to crack down on clutter, it just builds up again, until you’re seeing silverfish in the breakroom, paper and files all over work surfaces, and overflowing trash cans in the corner. 

And yes, it really can get this bad – especially if you’re a small operation that only has the time and budget to focus on the work you’re doing. 

However, a messy, unorganized office space can be one of the worst things for productivity. The human mind doesn’t thrive in a cluttered space, in the same way it’s hard to think straight when your thoughts are all over the place. 

So let’s get on top of the mess, and make your office a much neater and more comfortable workspace. Here’s the lowdown you’ve been looking for on why your office is always so messy and unorganized. 

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Not Enough Work Desk Storage

This is a common issue for an open plan office, but it can be a problem for cubicles and set desk spaces as well. 

If your employees don’t have anywhere to store things, despite having a clear and open desk top surface, clutter is inevitable. 

If there are no cabinets, no stationary sets, no cup holders, and no drawers to make use of, things can’t be put away or kept organized within easy reach. 

Great storage options for desks

• Stackable organizers
• Mini shelving units
• Paper trays and file tidies
• Pen and pencil holders
• Under desk drawer units

No Lockers for Personal Items

Do you always find that employee coats, scarves, outside shoes, gloves, hats, etc., end up draped all over the place and falling off the back of chairs? 

Then you’re going to need to set up a few lockers for these personal items that have nowhere else to go. 

Set up a ‘cloak room’

This is an area where employees can store outdoor wear, bags, and anything else they don’t need at their desks. Set up a row of lockers and assign one to each employee. 

They can also close and lock the door behind them, so they don’t have to worry about personal items going missing. 

An Overflowing Supply Closet

Does it often take more than a minute to find anything in your supply closet? Then you’ve likely got overflowing stock, which can even cause cash flow issues in the long run. 

Indeed, if you can’t even close the door to your supply closet, something is seriously wrong with the way you store your office stock.

How to straighten out your supply closet

Start by tracking your inventory, so you know what’s in stock, how many, and what’s running low and needs replacing. 

Then, put together a proper stock alignment system, with labeled shelves and boxes, so people always know where to find the right items – and where to put the restocks. Larger, heavier items should also be stacked on the floor. 

No Cable Management

If you look around the office and all you can see are cables, you’re dealing with a trip hazard just waiting to happen. 

Start using cable tidies

These align cables, store excess length, and prevent cables from becoming tangled. 

A Lack of Waste Disposal

You’ve got a trash can in the office, and a recycling bin for paper, cardboard, and plastic. Surely you’ve got all of your waste disposal needs covered?

But if these bins need changing more than once per day, there’s a chance you’re dealing with a lack of waste disposal that’s leading to more garbage around the office. 

Place more bins

It’s as simple as that. A few more office bins throughout your workplace will do wonders for staying on top of the waste production. 

For one thing, it’ll mean workers won’t just leave empty cups, wrappers, and cutoffs all over their desks or the floor. For another, it means there’s less chance for trash to overflow from the one bin in the corner. 

More bins means lower waste volume, and less need to move away from the working area. 

Deep Cleans are Rare

How often do you arrange a deep clean of the office space? If this is the first time you’ve considered doing so, you’re overdue a clean like this! 

After all, workspaces don’t exist in a vacuum. They’re going to end up covered in dust, hair, skin cells, food crumbs, sneeze and spit particles, etc., and need to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis. 

Hire a deep cleaning team

If you can’t staff a deep clean yourself, find a deep cleaning vendor who can come in to get the work done for you. 

Depending on how busy your office is, you may need them to come in twice a month for the overall workspace – but most businesses only require a monthly deep clean. 

The usual light cleans (which often involve wiping down surfaces and vacuuming or mopping the floor) are good enough in between.

Of course, the bathroom in your office will need to be deep cleaned on a daily basis, but this tends to be a smaller job to manage. 

Make Your Office the Neatest Workspace in the World

If you’re having an issue with office clutter, mess, and genuine dirt and grime, you need to get on top of the causes, rather than just the symptoms. 

Because mess doesn’t just come from nowhere. There are plenty of reasons it builds up, and stamping down on these will prevent the same level of disorganization from occurring in the first place. 

Make sure employees have enough storage, both at their desks and for any personal items. 

Make sure you schedule regular deep cleans at least once a month, within any and all spaces that make up your office. 

And make sure there are plenty of trash cans around the office, so people don’t have to go far to throw their garbage away!