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How to declutter your office desk in 10 easy steps

Have you ever had your office desk so cluttered that you can barely see the table top and then proceed to waste time trying to find the things you need? The busier you are, the more cluttered your workspace becomes, and this results in less productivity and more stress.

Working in a cluttered space means more extra time searching for materials you need and this can so often interrupt your train of thought or even a conference call. By decluttering your desk, you will spend less time finding objects and specific documents and more time being productive and focussed at work!

Are you ready to take the steps to declutter your office desk? Here are 10 steps on how to begin decluttering your desk!

Start with a purge

This is the most important first step to take to declutter your desk: purge unnecessary items. We all know over time, things start to pile – old memos, stacked pieces of paper, and I dare say, maybe even the biscuit wrappers you never knew were hiding in the corner of your desk. So the first step is to clear everything off your desk, drawers and cabinets. As you do this, get rid of as much as you can and keep only items that are needed. For paper clutter, toss or shred papers that you no longer need, and create a pile for those you intend to keep. For non-paper clutter, think about how often you use it, is it essential to your office, and do you need it to get your job done. If your answer is no, then toss it. Make sure all the items you decide to keep are all office-essential items.

Wipe it all down

Grab a pack of anti-bacterial wipes and give your office desk a good cleaning. Think of all the bacteria that has been accumulating under all that clutter. You need to give it a good wipe and start to create a healthy workplace environment for yourself.

Create a filing system

Begin by sorting out your stacks of paper. Remember, every piece of paper needs a file. Give a thought for the categories and labels you can create and begin sorting these papers into their respective files. This allows you to find the required documents immediately without sieving through stacks of paper.

An additional step you can consider doing here is going paperless. I am sure there are a lot of printed and handwritten documents but you can consider saving space by scanning these documents to be saved on your computer instead. You will free up space, reduce paper clutter and save trees in the process!

Keep your desktop as empty as possible

Sort out the essential items such as your laptop, your pens, stapler or anything that you deem is essential and only leave those on the desktop. A good rule of thumb is that if you use these items daily, you may leave them on your desk. If not, chuck them into the drawers or cabinets. Having a minimalistic desk helps to keep clutter and bacteria away.

Make sure everything has its own permanent place of storage

When you are placing your items and papers back on your desk, drawers and cabinets, be sure to designate a permanent place of storage for every item. A tip here is that you can use containers to separate space within your drawers and make sure the items are consistently stored there. This means that you know where everything is, you do not need to waste time finding them.

Hide your wires

In today’s day and age, technology basically runs our entire lives. It is so easy for your desk to be cluttered with multiple wires such as your phone charger, your computer charger, your mouse wires, your keyboard wires and the list is endless! So try to take a few minutes here and organise your cables properly and hide them at the back or side of your desk. You can use cable ties to keep them together and make them flow in one direction for a neater outlook.

Have a dustbin next to your desk

When you are in the zone at work, you will not likely get up and walk a few paces just to throw a piece of garbage away. Having a dustbin right next to you allows you to quickly dispose of your rubbish without interrupting your train of thought! Say good-bye to the biscuit wrapper clutters I was talking about. This brings me to my next point.

Do not eat at your desk

I know it is tough to stay away from snacking at your desk but you do not need to work through your lunch! Take a break and have your lunch in the pantry, or even leave the office for it. Eating at your desk just increases the chance of clutter and bacteria if you leave crumbs and cutlery on your desk. Everyone needs a break from work and even if it is a busy day, I am sure you can spare 20 minutes away from your desk to finish your lunch in the pantry and so freeing your desk from food clutter.

Only keep the things you need

Moving forward, only keep the things you need. Just because you have a clean and decluttered desk now, does not mean it will stay that way if you do not put in effort! So take the time weekly or monthly to look at your desk and discard items that you realise you do not need or use. This way you can more effectively keep the essential office supplies whilst having a clean desk.

Clean occasionally

Alongside discarding items you do not use or need, you must remember to clean occasionally. Have anti-bacterial wipes readily available at your desk should you need to do a quick wipedown of everything. Keeping things clean would make for a healthy work environment for you and your fellow colleagues.

Should you need help cleaning and decluttering your office space – be it lack of time, or lack of proper resources – BUTLER offers cleaning services to keep your office a healthy and clutter free environment for your employees. In addition to wiping your desk space, BUTLER offers a full office cleaning service inclusive of cleaning your floors, kitchen and even windows and glass surface wiping.

If you require more than office cleaning, clickhere to look at the other professional services we provide with regards to office management – air con services, landscaping, plumbing and many more!