Our January Cleaning Guide

Get your workplace clean this January

January cleaning is just as important as the pre-Christmas cleaning. For some businesses that were hugely busy over the festive period, it can be even more critical!

We’ve put together some tips for businesses to follow to get their buildings sparkling in January.

Why is it important to clean after Christmas?

Regardless of whether you were open or closed, January cleaning is critical for businesses.

For workplaces that shut down, you’ll likely be looking at a thicker layer of dust than you usually do. You might even have to deal with condensation or mould build-up in the cold weather.

Alternatively, if you were open and it’s your busiest time of the year, your poor workplace definitely needs some TLC!

How cleaner workplaces can benefit employee mental health

Our January cleaning guide to get your business sparkling clean:

1. Dust, dust and more dusting

If you are one of the business owners that closed over Christmas, this should be one of your first priorities with January cleaning.

Cleaning that dust layer that built up while everybody was off is key. Not only do dusty surfaces look off-putting to your staff, but they can also affect allergies.

The secret to effective dusting is using the right equipment. You’ll find many cleaning tools on the market, make sure they’re suitable for dusting.

2. Organise the workplace

Whether you were rushed off your feet or closed, January is a great time to get organised again. If you’ve been fancying an office change around, now is the time. But it’s a good time for organising small things too.

Office desks and production workplaces probably got neglected during the busy Christmas period. So now’s the time to get your staff to take 20 minutes to organise their desks again.

It’s a great way to get staff back into the swing of things. An organised workplace boosts productivity!

Office desk cleaning checklist

3. Take out the rubbish and bins ready for collection

This is one of those tasks in your January cleaning that can either be a small task or a large job. If you cleaned thoroughly pre-Christmas then this will be a small job.

If you thought that this job could wait until January, then you should probably set more time aside to deal with it.

4. Check the fridge for items that have gone off

One of the most important items in our customers’ January cleaning schedules is checking the food for expired food and drink.

There really is nothing worse than opening a fridge to a nasty smell. Even if this was on your pre-Christmas cleaning list, things can easily be missed.

So make sure to give the fridges and cupboards some attention to make sure there aren’t any nasty surprises lurking.

5. Make sure there are no signs of mould!

This is a problem many people in the UK are dealing with, not just businesses. With the temperature dropping, you’ll need to inspect your property for signs of mould.

Make this a priority in your January clean as it can impact health, and the building. It also looks really unsightly to employees!

If you’re using a commercial cleaning service then they’ll be able to advise you further, but if you’re tackling this yourself then make sure you’re using appropriate cleaning products.

The difference between clean and sanitised

6. Include floors on your post-Christmas cleaning schedule

Floors tend to be neglected in cleaning schedules. But they can often take the most damage from heavy foot traffic.

Keeping floors clean and tidy means you’re not only protecting your employees by removing risk, but it also helps improve the longevity of your floor.

Business floor cleaning tips

7. Restock the bathroom and cleaning items!

January is a convenient time to make sure the bathrooms and cleaning cupboards are fully stocked. There’s nothing worse than your team running out of something when they really need it!

8. Schedule January deep cleansing while it’s quiet

For many businesses, January is notoriously quiet. So it’s a great time to get a deep clean scheduled where it’s likely to have less effect on your business.

Why workplace sanitisation is key for food manufacturing?

9. Take down any Christmas decorations that are still outstanding

Hopefully, all of your festive decorations are already away and out of sight. But if you’re only just returning, your first step should be to pack away the tinsel and fairy lights.

This is especially true if your business is customer-facing. Having outdated decorations can make a customer feel that the business has been neglected.

10. Set up cleaning schedules

As the first month of the year, January is the time to get cleaning contracts booked and cleaning schedules set up.

Even if you don’t have a full calendar for the year booked in, it can help you plan big cleans around key moments in the year. For example, the Summer cleaning for schools.

Warehouse cleaning checklist

11. Get a reliable commercial cleaning contract!

This really is our number one tip. Having a professional commercial cleaning contract will make a world of difference to not only you but your customers too.

They will definitely notice the difference between your internal staff cleaning around their duties, and a cleaning professional dedicating their time to maintaining the building.

Why Service Master Swansea is your number 1 local cleaning service