- Many people worked from their homes this past year, making spring cleaning a little more necessary.
- Expert Bailey Carson says to declutter your desktop and sanitize items you touch, like the remote.
- Here's how Carson recommends spring-cleaning the office step-by-step.
If you've been working remotely for the last year, it's time to tidy your office, according to Bailey Carson, a
"If you're instead working from a room that also acts as your kitchen, dining room, bedroom, guest room, or home gym, then you have all the more reason to declutter and sanitize," Carson told Insider.
Here's how Carson recommends spring-cleaning your
Start by dusting surfaces and electronics
Dust your bookshelves, drawers, desks, blinds, computers, and other electronics you may have in your office space, Carson said. Then, sanitize everything you touch frequently, like the keyboard, mouse, remotes, and phone.
Carson previously told Insider that TV remotes are one of the grossest items in the household because they're touched by many and often overlooked when cleaning, causing germs to build up over time.
To combat germ buildup, Carson recommends cleaning your remote once per day or at least once every few days using products that contain either bleach or alcohol. If you're using bleach, mix four tablespoons into a quart of water for your solution; if you go with alcohol, use at least 70% isopropyl alcohol.
Cell phones should be cleaned daily too, Carson said.
"Germs can easily live on the sleek surfaces of cell phones," she said. "And as soon as we bring them to our ear to take a call, or whip them out to send a text, we are exposing ourselves to those germs."
All you'll need is a disinfecting wipe to carefully clean the front and back of your phone.
Next, declutter your physical and digital spaces
After sanitizing everything, Carson recommends going through any loose papers and file, shred, or recycle them.
"If you don't already have a filing system, now is the time to create one," she added.
Visible clutter in a home office can stunt creativity and workflow, therapist Weena Cullins previously told Insider. That's why she recommends giving everything in your workspace a home. When sheets of paper and loose cords accumulate, finding what you need at specific times may become stressful.
Mark Loewen, a therapist and the founder of LaunchPad Counseling, previously told Insider that clutter gives our minds more visual information to process.
"By freeing up space, you are giving your mind a break, too," he said.
To digitally declutter, Carson recommends organizing the documents on your desktop.
Then Carson says to put everything in its place, from pens to paper clips, before vacuuming the floors - including beneath the furniture.
"A clean workspace is key for concentration," Carson said.