7 Simple Ways To Keep Your Workplace Clean

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Keeping your workplace clean doesn’t have to be difficult. Below are a few simple ways to keep your workplace clean and presentable. 

Keep your workplace clutter-free

The more clutter there is in your workplace, the more you have to clean around. Window sills and desks are less likely to get cleaned regularly if they’re covered in ornaments and unused equipment. Take the time to get rid of any excess clutter so that you can easily wipe surfaces clean.

Clean up as you go

It’s worth getting into the habit of cleaning as you go. This includes putting away equipment after you’ve finished using it and cleaning machines after using them. If you have employees, consider integrating cleaning into training or using incentives for cleaning such as a bonus for the person who has maintained the cleanest desk all year. 

Place bins everywhere

Trash is more likely to be left on desks or on the floor if there is a shortage of bins. Place bins everywhere so that they’re no excuse to not dispose of trash. Some offices even place bins under every desk. 

Choose easy-to-clean flooring

Certain flooring options are harder to clean than others. Carpet is typically the hardest flooring to clean and should be avoided in areas where spillages are common. Laminate wood and polished stone is great for office spaces and lobbies, while polished concrete is great for factory floors. If you need a soft surface that’s easy to clean (such as in a gym or school), rubber mats could be another option to consider. 

Purify the air

Your workplace will get dirtier more quickly if the air is dirty. Consider whether you need to improve your workplace air circulation system to help reduce build-ups of dust or mold. Many modern HVAC systems have in-built purification systems to help filter out dust and harmful spores. Workshops typically need heavy duty extractor fans to help get rid of dust. Adding a few plants to your office could even help the air quality. 

Know when to outsource cleaners

A simple way to keep on top of cleaning is to hire other people to do it for you. In fact, there are times when it’s recommended that you outsource professional cleaners - certain cleaning tasks like exhaust hood system cleaning and lab equipment cleaning require specialist expertise. Of course, you can also outsource cleaners for general cleaning, simply to reduce the cleaning work for you and your employees. 

Invest in decent cleaning equipment

It’s easier to keep your workplace clean when you have all the right equipment. Make sure that you’ve got a decent vacuum cleaner and all the right cleaning chemical liquids. It’s also important to stock up on items like cloths and mop heads and to regularly change these so that you’re not cleaning your workplace with a dirty cloth or dirty mop head. A cleaning company may be able to provide equipment, however in some cases you may be expected to supply equipment yourself. 

How to Easily Spring Clean Your Home

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Thinking about spring cleaning your home but don't know where to start? Spring cleaning can be a wonderful activity because it allows you to make your home clean. 

However, spring cleaning can be a daunting task especially if there is a lot of clutter that you need to deal with. If you have been thinking about spring cleaning but haven't gotten started because you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, here are some tips that will help you make your spring cleaning project go a lot more smoothly.

Room by Room

Taking it one room at a time is the best way to ensure that your spring cleaning project goes off without a hitch. This will make the task seem less overwhelming. This is especially true if you have a very big house. 

Deep cleaning one room at a time will ensure that you will stay focused on a particular task until you get it done. If you need help with cleaning carpets and furniture, consider hiring a service such as Champion Chem-Dry to help.

Create To-Do Lists

Creating a to-do list for your spring cleaning project is one of the best ways to ensure that you don't miss any of the most important steps in your project. You can make a to-do-list for each room and decide what you need to declutter in every room. 

By having a systematic plan for how you are going to get everything clean and organized you are more likely to succeed in a shorter period of time. 

Declutter

Decluttering your home in an organized way is a good way to spring clean your home. You can get four boxes, and label them according to the items that will be going in them. 

You can have one box for the items you will keep, have another box for the items you plan to give away, place items that you want to put in storage in one box, and then put the other items in a donation box. 

Organizing all the clutter in the rooms in this way will help you to organize the things that are most important to you. When you know exactly what you want to keep, you can start making a plan about where in the room you will be putting these keepsakes.

Spring Cleaning Made Easy

Spring cleaning your home is something that you should try to do at least once a year. Giving your home a good cleaning will help your whole house look brand new. Being organized is the key to spring cleaning your home with minimum hassle. 

You want to make sure that at the end of the cleaning you're satisfied with the outcome. The only way to do this is to decide which rooms in your house are most important and tackle those first. 

After that, you can start working on lower priority areas. Successfully dealing with the most important areas first will motivate you to continue until you are finished.

Proper Ways to Store Meat, Seafood and Produce

Food wastage is something we do not want to do especially during these uncertain times. Just think of those people in other parts of the world that are going hungry and here we are, improperly storing our food and making it spoil. 

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To avoid this, here are some tips on proper food storage:

Meat, Poultry and Seafood

Raw meat must be thoroughly washed in clean, running water and drained. Place meat, poultry and seafood in resealable plastic bags, like zip lock bags and store them in the bottom shelf of your freezer. You can also have an option to prep a meal by cutting the meat into desired chunk sizes and putting in the marinade. Label the bags and again, store them in the freezer. This would make meal prep a whole lot easier. Don't forget to label them with the date of purchase. Practice the "First In, First Out" rule when deciding what to cook for dinner.

Vegetables

Vegetables can also be stored in zipper bags and kept in the crisper section of your refrigerator. Carrots, cabbage, potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower are examples of such. Some vegetables need to be wrapped in paper towels to absorb excess moisture before storing. Other vegetables can be pre-cooked or blanched and stored in the freezer for use later.

Fruits

The best way to preserve fruits is my making them into jam or preserves, especially if you want to keep seasonal fruits available for the family anytime of the year. However, others would prefer to freeze them. Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries can be frozen and stored for later consumption. 

Resealable plastic bags or zip lock bags do really help a lot is food storage and organizing the contents of your refrigerator. It keeps the food fresh, so wastage is minimal. You can also use it to store left over chips and nuts or trail mix. But its use is not solely for food. You can also use those plastic resealable bags to keep your office drawer organized. Keep pens, paper clips and other small items in them and your drawer will look tidy!

Reorganize Your Closet

 

The start of a new season is a great time to clean out and reorganize your closet. It’s a big project, so set aside a chunk of time and then dive right in. If possible, take everything out of your closet and don’t put it back unless you’re sure it has a place in your life.

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Declutter

Paring down your wardrobe is a daunting task especially if you’re between sizes or between jobs. The best way to accomplish decluttering is to give yourself permission to keep items you’re unsure about; however, you can’t keep them in your closet! Pack up every item you’re on the fence about into a box. Seal and date the box and move it to the garage or attic. Set a reminder on your phone for three months and six months in the future. When you get the first notification, ask yourself two questions: Have I missed anything in that box? Do I even remember what’s in the box? When your answer is “no” to both questions, donate the box without opening it up again.

Upgrade

Take care of the items that you do keep by upgrading how you store them. Clothing that can easily get stretched out should be folded or put on padded hangers. Jewelry should be kept in drawers on velvet liners. Shoes and handbags should be stuffed with paper to hold their shape and stored upright.

Add Space

There is often plenty of unused space in a closet up high and down low. Consider adding a pull-down rack for extra storage. Hang belts, scarves and pants on slim line vertical hangers rather than spread out across the bar. Labeled, stacked boxes can go under shorter clothing. If you have space inside the door, install hooks to hang purses.

The biggest hurdle in closet organization is your mindset that you can’t get rid of things. Once you pare down your clothes and shoes to what you really like and really wear, you’ll discover a neater, simpler closet.

Tips on Choosing the Right Storage Unit Provider

 

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A recent study found that removing clutter from a home can reduce the amount of housework a person has to do by over 40 percent. If you are tired of kicking items out of your way to get around your home, now is the time to do something about the clutter. As you start to clean out your home, you will need a place to put items you don’t want to get rid of.

Renting a storage unit is the best way to get the room needed to store your items. With all of the different storage unit providers on the market, finding the right one can be difficult. Here are some things to consider when trying to choose a storage unit provider.

The Security Factor

Before you select a storage unit to rent, you need to take the time to visit the various options in your area. By visiting the storage unit establishments in your area, you can get an idea of what each one has to offer. When assessing personal storage units Canon City CO, be sure to look at the security measures in place.

Ideally, you want to choose a facility that has secured gates and cameras in place. With these security systems in place, you can rest assured your possessions will be safe. Paying a bit more for a highly-secured facility will be worth it.

Getting a Good Deal

Another factor you need to consider before renting a particular storage unit is the price. Finding a mix of both value and size will not be easy. Calling around and getting quotes from the storage unit suppliers in your area is helpful. With this information, choosing the right storage unit will be a breeze.

By weighing all of the storage unit options in your area, you should be able to find a great deal on the space you need.

Safely Tossing Bulky, Unwanted Appliances, Cars and More

We have definitely all been there - there’s some non-working appliance, electronic item or even something larger, like a car or pool, that’s just been collecting dust, rust or mold in our homes and yards for months or even years. And why? It isn’t because we enjoy those expensive home ornaments taking up space and making us look like Fred Sanford’s younger cousin. It’s because we don’t know what to do with them! 

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So many of us have no idea how to dispose of non-working items like this properly. We know we won’t want to just throw them away, because they’ll be tossed in a landfill and that’s terrible for the environment. But how do we dispose of them? 

Below are a few ideas of disposing of appliances and other items safely and responsibly. 

Appliances

So you’ve got a washer or dryer that finally bit the dust, sitting there turning into a rust heap in your basement. Or your dishwasher is camping out in the garage, an expensive pile of non-working metal. You don’t want to just throw them away but you aren’t sure if they can be recycled, either. So what to do? 

For certain appliances, you may be able to strip them for parts which you can then sell, donate or give away. Wiring may be valuable, so check with your local recycling center. They may be willing to pay you for some of the parts and wires. 

When all else fails, you can call a commercial junk hauler to take away your unwanted items. This takes away all the hassle of having to find a way to get rid of the items yourself and they will recycle them and dispose of them safely for you. 

Electronics

Pretty much all of us have a junk drawer with at least two non-working cell phones that we have no idea what to do with. They’re so expensive, you don’t want to just give them away, but you can’t ever use them again. 

Luckily, there are a number of companies that buy used cell phones. You can even find the kiosks in the foyer of your favorite retail store, or if that isn’t your bag, pop online to review a few of the companies that do this. It’s usually as simple as filling out a form, snapping a picture or two and the company will send you a mailer and a label, then pay you for your phone(s)! These companies will pay good money for smart phones especially, as they recycle, repair and repurpose them. 

This same practice can work for other electronics, too, such as TVs, video game consoles, and more. Why let something sit around collecting dust, or throw it away where it won’t ever break down in a landfill, when you can sell it for some quick cash? 

Cars

There’s nothing worse than having a broken down car sitting in your yard, driving down your property value and turning into a rust heap. 

If you find yourself with a car that you can’t sell, isn’t worth anything for parts, and you have no idea how to get rid of it, luckily there are options for you. You could call a salvage yard, and while they will come tow your vehicle and give you cash for it, beware that they often don’t pay very much. 

Another option is to contact a reputable company like Sell the Car USA, who buys junked, wrecked, damaged and non-running cars for reasonable fees. You can sell your car to them, get it towed off your property and never have to worry about it again! These companies usually pay you before they even take your car off the property, ensuring that you’re paid fairly and quickly. You can start a quote and fill out a little information to find out if your car is a good candidate for this service!

And there you have it. In most cases, whether you’re looking at an electronic item, appliance or something larger like a vehicle, you can find a reputable company who will take it off your hands. You might even make some money for it! 

Old Shoes And Old Thoughts: The Benefits Of Physical And Mental Decluttering

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Are you forever trying to keep on top of numerous tasks in life? When there are so many different things to do, trying to be a better you can slip down the priority list. When we start to look at improving our lives, tackling certain tasks may provide a sense of achievement, but those duties will start to pile up again come next week. Decluttering your life is something that can work wonders in this respect, physically and emotionally. But what can you do to ensure that you are decluttering your mind, as well as your life?

Establish A Baseline Of Organization

Being organized has numerous health benefits. You may think that it's something that needs doing but if you are forever trying to keep on top of numerous house duties, you may want to look at putting a proper plan in place. After all, prevention is better than cure. And this is something we can apply to so many aspects of our life. When we look at decluttering in terms of our home, figuring out a place for everything will automatically keep things organized. This means that as soon as you declutter your home, you'll immediately start to relax. There are numerous guides online to help you towards putting everything in its right place, What Type of Custom Storage System Should You Start With? is one. Once you establish this baseline of being organized, you've got far better control over the situation. This means that you will start to relax, and rather than having to keep on top of various house issues, you are being proactive by preparing.

Learning How To Throw Things Away

Metaphorically and literally, throwing things away can be one of the toughest parts of decluttering. Sometimes we struggle to throw something away because we feel guilty for wasting money or something we’ve held onto for so long represents an aspect of our past that we like to reminisce about. And whether you are decluttering your home, or decluttering your mind, remembering that throwing things away gives you that opportunity to start all over again. It gives us clarity on the things that we don't want. And as soon as we start to realize the things that we don't need in our lives, this frees up space in our mind (and our home)! This gives us the opportunity to do something new with our home or look for new experiences. 

Decluttering your mind or your living space can free up so many different things in your life. And when we start to declutter and look at the things that we think twice about throwing away, whether it's an old pair of shoes or an old thought, the important thing is to connect with that memory briefly and look at if it's benefitting you right now. Decluttering your living space will help to reorganize things in your mind. And at the same time, decluttering your mind will give you an overwhelmingly positive sense of clarity. We have so many distractions these days that we need to get into that habit of decluttering. The great thing is that now, learning to declutter our minds is something that many people talk about. Meditation is one of those practices that provide a key to decluttering to help you get rid of old thoughts.