Keep Your Offices Merry and Bright with our MCS Christmas Cleaning Checklist

Step into the Christmas season with a clean and festive office atmosphere. Alongside your regular cleaning, with our MCS office cleaning checklist, you can ensure that your workplace is properly cleaned, decluttered, and freshened up ready for the holidays. From disinfecting high-touch surfaces to tidying up communal spaces, our checklist covers all the essential tasks, for a positive and productive atmosphere this festive season, and into new year. So, don't let the holiday season sneak up on you and your team - follow our step-by-step Christmas cleaning checklist for a spotless and festive workplace that will leave everyone in the Christmas spirit.

Maintaining a Clean and Organised Office During the Festive Season

A clean and organised office is important year-round, but it becomes even more crucial during the holiday season. With the increased foot traffic from holiday parties and events, and the increased clutter from personal items such as holiday decorations, gifts, and food, an office can fast become a disorganised and stressful work environment during this time. With Christmas fast approaching, it's essential to start planning your office cleaning now to avoid leaving it until the last minute and risking it eating into the time allocated for end of year celebrations or setting up new projects ready for the return to work.

By having your office completely cleaned and reorganised ahead of the Christmas break, you can maintain your team's focus and productivity, as well as maintaining a clean and welcoming environment for both employees and guests. Similarly, regular cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surfaces can help reduce the risk of winter colds and illness and minimise the spread of germs to keep your team healthy and motivated throughout the holiday season.

Preparing for Christmas

Before diving into the more specific cleaning tasks, it's important to declutter and organise your office space. This is particularly important if your employees have decorated the office, as these excess decorations and gifts can quickly clutter up your workspace. Taking the time to declutter and organise your office before decorations are put up, and during the run up to Christmas to prevent the clutter from spreading, will not only create a more organised and productive environment but also make the cleaning process more efficient when it comes to large-scale cleaning. 

Start by focusing on communal areas such as break rooms, conference rooms, and reception areas, and make sure all surfaces are free from excess clutter and superfluous supplies. Remove any old or expired items from the refrigerator and pantry and organise common areas by providing designated storage for shared items such as dishes, utensils, and cleaning supplies, for an efficient system that encourages employees to clean up after themselves and can be immediately continued once the team returns to work in the new year. 

After this, encourage employees to go through their desk and work area and remove any unnecessary items, including papers, reports, and files that are no longer needed, and any excess rubbish or clutter that has accumulated over the year. Once this is done, consider implementing a clear-desk policy to ensure that surfaces are kept clean and clutter-free and providing storage solutions for employees to keep their belongings neatly stored. This will make it much easier for cleaning teams to quickly clean and refresh the workspaces throughout the run up to Christmas and once the holiday begins for a tidy and clutter-free space that is ready for the return to work in January. 

Sanitising and Disinfecting

Once your office has been decluttered, it's time to deep clean and sanitise the space for a fresh start to the new year and a safe and healthy environment throughout the winter. 

Deep cleaning goes beyond the regular day-to-day cleaning and focuses on areas that may be neglected throughout the year, so start by disinfecting high-touch surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches, printer buttons, and elevator buttons. These frequently touched surfaces can harbour germs and bacteria and should be regularly cleaned and disinfected with the right equipment and disinfectant chemicals to prevent the spread of illness. 

Next, focus on areas that are often overlooked during regular cleaning, such as air vents, blinds, and on the top of cupboards and other tall pieces of furniture. Dust and debris can accumulate in these areas across the year, affecting indoor air quality and contributing to allergies and respiratory issues, which can heighten during the winter months. Use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to remove dust from these hard-to-reach areas and wipe down surfaces with a damp cloth to remove any excess dirt or grime.

Finally, don't forget to deep clean and sanitise shared equipment such as printers, copiers, and telephones, as these items are frequently touched by multiple people and can harbour germs and bacteria. Use disinfectant wipes to clean the surfaces of these devices, paying extra attention to buttons and touchscreens, and repeat this disinfection process as many times as needed throughout the festive period, as well as once the holidays have begun, for a clean and sanitised office environment for the new year. 

Areas to Focus On 

When cleaning your office for the holidays, there are specific areas that require extra attention to ensure a clean and festive environment, including an increased focus on having clean and sanitised washroom facilities. These high-traffic spaces are not only essential for the health and well-being of your employees but also create a clean and welcoming space for guests and visitors alike to freshen up and have some privacy, so start by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces in the washrooms, including sinks, countertops, toilets, and urinals, with a disinfectant cleaner to remove any dirt, grime, and germs. 

Pay extra attention to high-touch areas such as door handles, taps, and soap dispensers, and restock this equipment with essential supplies such as toilet paper, hand soap, and paper towels. Ensure that all dispensers are in working order and easily accessible to employees and guests, and once this space is thoroughly disinfected, consider adding festive touches such as holiday-themed hand soaps or seasonal air fresheners to create a festive atmosphere.

In addition to the washrooms, focus on other high-traffic areas such as reception areas and conference rooms. Start by routinely vacuuming or mopping the floors to remove dirt and debris, and regularly wipe down surfaces with a disinfectant cleaner to eliminate germs and bacteria, improve the overall appearance of these spaces, and ensure a clean and safe environment. Finally, don't forget to focus on windows and glass surfaces, ensuring they are streak-free and sparkling, as these areas can become matt and dull if not properly cleaned, and create a more professional, positive impression when thoroughly cleaned until clear. 

Holiday-Specific Tasks

The Christmas season brings with it a unique set of cleaning tasks that are specific to this time of year. One of the most exciting aspects of the holidays is decorating the office space to create a festive atmosphere, but these decorations can also contribute to a cluttered and messy environment if not properly managed.

Start by establishing guidelines for holiday decorations in the office by encouraging employees to decorate their personal workspaces rather than obstructing walkways or creating safety hazards, and provide designated areas for large-scale decorations such as Christmas trees or wreaths. Once the decorations are up, it's important to regularly clean and maintain them, as dust and dirt can accumulate on decorations, making them look dull and unappealing and negatively impacting the air quality of the space. Wipe down decorations with a damp cloth or use a handheld vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to remove dust and debris, and if you have a Christmas tree in your office, make sure to regularly water it and vacuum any fallen needles. 

In addition to decorations, it's important to clean up after holiday parties and events and to remind employees of the importance of removing leftover food, empty bottles, and rubbish from communal areas, as well as encouraging them to wipe down tables and countertops with a disinfectant cleaner to ensure a clean and hygienic space after events.

Hiring a Professional Cleaning Service 

While regular cleaning and maintenance are important throughout the year, Christmas requires additional, specialist attention to ensure a clean and festive office environment. As the end of the work year approaches, offices tend to get busier with parties, decorations, and increased foot traffic, leading to more mess, clutter, and potential hygiene issues, so hiring dedicated cleaning teams during the run-up to Christmas is of utmost importance. 

Professional cleaners ensure that the office remains clean, organised, and presentable throughout this festive period, creating a safer and healthier environment by thoroughly cleaning and sanitising all areas with the specialist equipment and commercial-grade cleaning supplies needed to ensure an exceptional standard. They have the expertise and training required to handle extensive cleans and have quality control measures in place to ensure a consistent level of cleanliness throughout your office, keeping workspaces tidy and disinfected and reducing the risk of germs and allergens.

This not only creates a pleasant and welcoming environment for employees and visitors, but also allows employees to focus on their work and ensures productivity during this busy time of the year. The run-up to Christmas can be hectic, and finding time to deep clean and maintain your office may be challenging and by entrusting the cleaning to experts, the task of maintaining a clutter-free environment does not fall to employees or routine cleaners, freeing up their valuable time and allowing them to work through a stress-free and enjoyable Christmas season. 

Achieving a merry and bright office space with the MCS Christmas Cleaning Checklist

From decluttering and organising to deep cleaning and sanitisation, by incorporating holiday-specific cleaning tasks and following our top tips, you can ensure that your office remains festive and productive this Christmas.

If your team is struggling to maintain your workplace's high standard of cleanliness and tidiness, then get in touch with our team today for a customised Christmas cleaning plan that tailors our pre-Christmas clean services to your specific needs, schedule, and budget.