A clean desk in 7 steps

Do you also sometimes step into your office in the morning thinking “what hurricane has hit here?”…. Sheets of paper are lying around everywhere, you find stray pens, markers, post-it’s, etc. So time to tidy up? Then don’t let your courage get the better of you. Discover here the advantages of a clean desk and the 7 tips you can use to quickly put things in order.

The benefits of a clean desk

Mental peace of mind: clutter demands much more of our working memory, which makes us tired. Research shows that a tidy desk gives us more peace of mind and therefore increases productivity.
Hygiene: a tidy desk makes things a lot easier for your cleaning crew. A clean desk is cleaned faster and more thoroughly.
Flexibility: in the future, there will always be fewer workstations than staff. A clean desk policy then makes it easier to work flexibly.¹
Confidentiality: in a tidy desk, you run less risk of sensitive and official documents lying around and therefore would end up in the wrong hands.

Seven tips for a clean desk

► Tip 1: Dare to throw away

What do you need? ⇒ Trash cans, paper bins and paper shredders

“Clean up your desk regularly” is the message here. So make sure you always have a dustbin or paper bin near your desk. With confidential documents it is best not to take any risks: a paper shredder is then the safest solution. A paper shredder has also become an indispensable tool in the context of GDPR legislation. For documents and stuff you shouldn’t throw away, you can go on to tips 2 and 3.

► Tip 2: Archive your unused stuff and paper

What do you need? ⇒ Archive boxes and storage boxes

Outdated promotional materials, outdated documents or unused promotional gifts: stop leaving them lying around on your desk and tidy them up. Stuff and documents you no longer use create unnecessary clutter and take up a lot of workspace. Less is more – so store everything in archive boxes or storage boxes.

► Tip 3: Organise your workflow

What do you need? ⇒ Sorting trays and drawers

Although work is becoming increasingly digital, a lot of documents and mail still end up on your desk in paper form. Those paper documents are best organised immediately in sorting trays or drawer units. Organise your workflow by assigning each task to a different sorting bin: to do, in progress, done, to be filed, etc.

► Tip 4: Plan and organise your tasks

What do you need? ⇒ Whiteboards, flip charts and post-it’s

If you want a clean desk, it’s best to avoid a paper pad on your desk. Your notes are then always in view and keep screaming for your attention. Make sure you centralise notes, tasks and schedules in one place in your office. A whiteboard and/or flipchart, for example, is a good solution. By using post-it’s, by the way, you can organise and track each task even easier.

► Tip 5: Bind and stitch together loose items

What do you need? ⇒ Elastics, staplers and binding machines

Make sure your desk contains only the essentials. Everything else is best stored away. This is easier to do by tying unused pens and markers together with an elastic band; or by stapling a stack of loose papers together with a stapler. Larger files (up to 120 sheets of paper) can be bound together with a binding machine. This will immediately give you a neat and professional result.

► Tip 6: Organise your files

What do you need? ⇒ Folders, binders, tabs and bookmarks

Are you doing plenty of tidying up? Then bring the important documents you come across together in 1 folder or binder. With coloured folders, bookmarks and tabs you can organise all your documents according to theme, author, publication date and so on. This way you can quickly find everything again afterwards.

► Tip 7: Keep your desk clean

What do you need? ⇒ Cleaning materials for desk

After you have put so much effort into achieving a tidy desk, you obviously want to keep it that way. So make a habit of regularly cleaning your desk equipment with the appropriate polishes. For example, there are spray cans for your keyboard or wet wipes for your computer screen, tablet and mouse. Again, this will bring some much-needed peace to your mind.