Fresh Spaces, Fresh Ideas: The Importance of Spring Cleaning for Businesses

Clean your space, clear your mind

Spring cleaning is a great way to clear some space in your workplace and in your mind. Here’s how it can set your business up for year-round success.

Why spring cleaning matters

Put your best foot forward

Cleanliness plays a major part in your business’s appearance. A clean space show customers that you care and makes them feel more welcome. As a bonus, studies have linked cleaning to lower stress, so cleaning isn’t just good for your business, it’s good for you!

For more ways to spring-clean your business, read our free guide.

Improve your focus

Research shows that our brains can only take in so much information at a time. If you sit down at a desk covered with coffee mugs, receipts and knickknacks, your brain takes it all in and has to spend energy to tune it out. In other words, your brain has to work harder to achieve the same level of focus as it would if your desk was neat and tidy.

Getting unnecessary objects off your desk can not only boost your focus, but it can also speed up your work. If you have to dig through old purchase orders to find your most recent inventory report, you’re wasting precious time.

Swap “good enough” for “perfect”

When you’re running a business, you don’t always have time to find the perfect solution to every problem and over time, those “good enough” solutions can start to slow your business down. Maybe the back room isn’t the best place to keep supplies for the front office, but you’ve got more important things to worry about…right?

Spring is a chance to take stock of how you organize your supplies and execute your work. Take a moment to really think about the best way to arrange your furniture, your staff and even your processes. A simple thing like moving the file cabinets closer to the desks can end up saving a surprising amount of time over the course of a year.

How to spring clean your business

Keep, move or toss

Start by sorting all the tools and supplies in your business into one of three categories: keep, move and toss. Your keep pile should be the things you use regularly—think pens, headphones and chargers. Store them in desk organizers, or on shelves in clearly labeled bins. 

Items in the move category are the ones you use less frequently but still want close to hand. They’re safe to store further from your immediate work area in closets or supply rooms. The toss category is for anything you never use. As a general rule of thumb, if you haven’t touched it for a year, you probably don’t need it (with exceptions for things like financial records or seasonal items). Send that pile to the trash or recycling bin or donate it if you can.

With your things sorted, your floors and desks should be clear for cleaning. Don’t forget to move desks, tables and other large pieces of furniture to get into hard-to-reach areas. Pay extra attention to high-traffic locations like reception or the break room. 

For surfaces such as desks and counters, use a microfiber cloth to wipe away dust and follow up with alcohol-based cleaners and paper towels to clean off any stains. If you have couches or carpets, a powerful vacuum with an upholstery attachment can restore their shine, while steamers can dig in for deeper cleaning.

For more ways to conquer small office clutter, read our guide, How to Keep Small Office Spaces Clean & Uncluttered.

Give your day-to-day a tune up

Employees ignoring standard procedure, work coming in after deadlines and frequent miscommunications are all signs that your day-to-day operations could stand a tune up. Wherever you see these issues, have frank discussions with your team about what’s going on. It may be that your record-keeping software is so slow that employees skip steps to save time, or that repetitive tasks are taking longer than they should. 

Once you understand the issues, you can search for solutions. Brainstorm new processes that respond to your employee feedback. Try out new tools that work faster or automate steps. Consider whether combining or changing the order of tasks might save time. Take the time to think through why you do things the way you do them, and consider if there’s a better way that you simply haven’t had the time to try.

Learn more time-saving tips with Walmart Business

Looking for more ways to boost your productivity? Walmart Business is here to help. Check out the content hub for expert insights to help you make the most of your working hours.

If you want to make the most of your budget, sign up for a free Walmart Business account to shop for an ever-expanding assortment of products at wallet-friendly prices. Already have an account? You can save even more by upgrading to a Walmart Business+ Core plan—up to $500 a year.¹ Click here to learn more.

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