How to Have a Successful Spring Clean Purge in the Office
Your office or other such commercial facility may do well to have a good cleanout once per year, if not more often. This can help you and your staff purge unnecessary files and documents as well as other items around the office, catch up on inventory of any items that may need counting and give the space a thorough cleaning. Note a few tips for how to conduct a successful spring clean purge in your office and ensure that your cleanout gets done properly.
Get some bins
Start with skip bins rather than thinking you'll just bag up all the trash you'll produce, as renting bins can ensure that trash will stay secure until it can be collected by the skip bin company. This is better than having bags of trash sitting on the curb or behind the building, where it can become an unsightly hazard. Opt for bins for trash as well as recyclable items, to keep items out of landfills as much as possible.
Know the lifespan of paperwork
Look up the lifespan of paperwork and records and note what needs to be kept, and for how long. You may be surprised to learn that you don't need to keep tax returns or old records of any sort indefinitely; an accountant or lawyer can tell you how many years those records should be kept, and anything older than that can be discarded.
For paperwork that has exceeded its lifespan, shred those records and dispose of them. To make it easy on your staff, have a bin set aside where they can toss the papers and then put one or two staffers in charge of manning the paper shredder. If you're still hesitant about getting rid of some paperwork, scan the sheets and store them electronically so you can still shred the actual paper and open up space in the office.
Get rid of electronics and furniture
Old electronics that are in need of repair can usually be recycled; if you haven't used them in the last year, ask yourself why you're keeping them on hand. Printers, computers, fax machines and the like usually become outdated in that time anyway, so recycle them rather than wasting valuable storage space. The same is true of old desks, file cabinets and other furniture pieces that are no longer used in the office; if you've downsized your staff or store paperwork electronically, you may not ever again need those pieces, so toss them in the bin and get them out from underfoot!