Whether you manage a coworking space or work in a hot desking office, it’s important to carefully consider Houston office cleaning strategies. These work spaces offer many benefits, but may require more frequent cleaning and disinfection. In many cases, it makes the most sense to outsource cleaning services for hot desking and coworking spaces.
Coworking & Hot Desking Spaces Need More Frequent Houston Office Cleaning
Due to the pandemic, many companies now have a workforce that increasingly works from home. Many companies have switched to hybrid work, which involves some time in an office and some work from home. Therefore, coworking and hot desking offices are becoming more popular. Remote workers often find it can be difficult to maintain productivity when household chores or family members may draw their attention away from work. Sometimes they just need to work from an office. Work from home staff may also face significant challenges on collaborative projects without a space to congregate with their colleagues. Hot desking and coworking spaces can help provide this space. However, for these work spaces, it’s critical to have strict Houston office cleaning protocols. This can help create a professional environment, keep people healthy, and also help workers feel more comfortable being in an office environment.
What is Hot Desking? What is Coworking?
Not familiar with the terms “coworking” and “hot desking?” These are essentially office setups where multiple people share desks. No one has their “own” desk. There are several advantages to these types of spaces, but there are a few things to keep in mind about cleanliness. First, here’s a quick overview of what coworking and hot desking is.
Coworking spaces are often separate entities that have a business model of providing office space for short-term rental. This might look like a day pass or a month pass where you can reserve a space to work from the office. You share the rest of the office with other professionals who likely aren’t employed by the same employer. Coworking spaces are gaining popularity for remote-only employees and self-employed professionals.
Hot desking, also known as hoteling by some, is desk sharing in an office building typically owned or rented by an employer. Employees can come in and use desks as needed. In some cases, you may need to reserve space in advance. Others use a first come first serve method. Generally in hot desking offices, all the people working around you are your coworkers. Hot desking is becoming more popular as many companies switch to a hybrid working model where employees can work at home or in the office. Hot desking allows companies to cut down on real estate and base space on need, rather than number of employees.
There are many benefits of shared work spaces like coworking and hot desking offices. Nevertheless, there are a few distinct disadvantages when it comes to keeping things clean and sanitary.
The Risk of Germs
One of the potential drawbacks of hot desking and coworking spaces is that they can be a hotspot for germs. With multiple people using each desk or workspace, this opens up added opportunities for germs to spread to others in your office. We’ve heard a lot about the dangers of high touch points for the last couple of years with concerns about COVID-19. Well, hot desking and coworking essentially makes every work area a high touch area. You can see how this situation can quickly spread germs and contagious illnesses like COVID, the flu, stomach bugs, pink eye, and more. Regular cleaning and disinfecting for coworking and hot desking workplaces is crucial for keeping germs at bay.
People are Less Likely to Clean Shared Spaces vs. Personal Work Spaces
Compounding the issue is that many people are less likely to clean up spaces that aren’t “theirs.” Of course, this isn’t necessarily everyone, but surveys and anecdotal evidence does suggest that people are more likely to ignore messes in shared areas. Maybe it’s confusion over who is responsible for cleaning up shared areas, or it might be that there’s less of a chance other people can judge them for the mess. In any case, there’s a potential for this kind of behavior when you have shared desks. Since people may be less inclined to clean up after themselves in coworking and hot desking spaces, you may need more frequent Houston janitorial services.
How Often Do Shared Work Spaces Need Houston Office Cleaning?
Frequent cleaning is important in any office, but it’s particularly important for coworking and hot desking environments. How often really depends on how many people use each desk in a day. In most offices with shared desks like this, one person typically uses the space for the whole work day. So, we’ll base our recommendations here on this model. Of course, our team can also help customize a cleaning schedule based on your office’s situation.
In general, we recommend cleaning each desk (and any shared accessories like computers or phones) at least once a day. You may also want to opt for daily disinfection to help kill germs. In addition, many offices with this setup also provide easy access to cleaning wipes and hand sanitizer. This can help make it easy for people to reduce germs on their hands and on the desk. Many people may wipe down the desk before and after use if cleaning supplies are easy to find.
Also, with more and more people concerned about health and cleanliness at work, it’s important to share cleaning policies with those who may use your workspaces. Knowing how often each desk gets sanitized can go a long way in making people feel more comfortable with shared desks.
Why Outsource Houston Office Cleaning for Shared Desk Offices
Of course, more frequent Houston commercial cleaning and disinfecting means more time and energy spent on cleaning. In manty cases, outsourcing your cleaning needs is much more cost-effective than hiring cleaning employees. Choose an expert cleaning crew to help provide high quality services. In many cases, choosing an outside cleaning company means you save time, money, and hassle.
Superior Houston Janitorial Services from Accredited Building Services
When you need high quality cleaning services, choose our team at Accredited Building Services. We’ve been helping keep offices clean and sanitary since 1980 and offer the skills and experience you need for consistent, effective cleaning services. Each person on our crew goes through extensive training to ensure you can trust us to provide you with excellent service. Call us now at (281) 578-2296 to learn more and get a quote for your office cleaning needs.
