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Keeping your workspace clean doesn’t need to be a big production. If your extra office supplies are getting dusty, dust them off with these DIY office supply hacks.

 

1. Wrap tape around the end of a paper clip to clean headphone jacks and small, hard-to-reach areas.

 
office cleaning hacks
 

2. Fold a sticky note in half to get dust and grime out from between the keys on your keyboard.

 
office cleaning hacks
 

3. Make permanent stains on your dry erase board a thing of the past by wiping it down with hand sanitizer.

 
office cleaning hacks
 

Have your desk clutter work for you with these handy office hacks. Have your own office cleaning tips? Share them in the comments below, and check out our video to learn more!

Furniture Maintenance

More From NBF

Millennials in the Office: How to Adapt to Different Working Methods

Millennials in the Office: How to Adapt to Different Working Methods

Millennials are often said to work differently than the generations before them. If you need evidence of this, you don’t have to go too to find it. 

Consider the San Francisco 49ers. This football team consists almost exclusively of millennials—all talented athletes in their prime. According to an article published in The Wall Street Journal, the traditional ways of coaching were no longer working for the team. After consulting with Stanford University researchers, the 49ers coaching staff implemented a few changes to better suit these millennials' preferred working and learning habits. These changes are all aimed at helping millennials to train and perform better. 

Why is it important to note what this NFL team is doing? Soon, millennials will account for the majority of the workforce, and helping them to work at their best will be in the best interests of all employers. Here are a few strategies you can implement to help those with different preferred working and learning habits:

Make Meetings Shorter

One of the first changes the coaching staff made was to trim their standard 2-hour meetings into 4 30-minute meetings with breaks between each. Chances are, many workplaces could benefit from shorter meetings. In fact, too-long meetings are one of the most common grievances among employees, no matter what industry they work in. 

A good way to judge if meetings are too long or perhaps too frequent is to take stock of your meeting culture. Also, make sure your meetings end with each team member having targeted action items to complete. This ensures meetings will be productive and can also help keep team members on task and organized.

Give the Option for Breaks

Breaks have been proven to help with the productivity of all employees, not just millennials, so this change is bound to help everyone. Whether it’s having a coffee bar area set up for workers to take a break and refuel or encouraging employees to take a quick walk when they feel overwhelmed, having a space where taking a break is tolerated and not looked down on can really help employees feel more refreshed and be more productive. The 49ers saw better focus and performance by instituting more breaks—even if the athletes did not always take said breaks.

Allow Access to Information

The millennial generation has also been dubbed “the iPhone generation” for a reason—they like being connected and feel the need to access instant information. Allowing millennials to access cell phones and the internet can help them feel inspired and motivated. Constant access to information doesn’t have to be distracting when combined with the freedom to take a few short breaks here and there.

 

Now Trending: Mid-Century Modern Office Furniture

Now Trending: Mid-Century Modern Office Furniture

Pushed into the spotlight in recent years by hit shows such as Mad Men, mid-century modern style exudes the uncomplicated aesthetic of postwar United States. One look at the clean lines and sharp angles of this furniture will transport you right back to the 1950s and ‘60s—a time for innovation in design and a look toward a brighter, more modern future. Take a look at how you can get the mid-century modern look in your workplace by following a few basic guidelines.

Clean, Simple Lines

One key element to accomplishing a truly mid-century modern look in your workspace is to look for furniture with clean, simple lines. This is a no-frills style, and your overall aesthetic will better reflect the Mad Men era if you stick with furniture that’s simple and clean yet interesting. Mid-century modern furniture often uses clean lines in the form of angled table and desk legs, geometric patterns, and clean-cut shapes.

Organic Elements

Organic elements like wood and plant life are staples of the mid-century modern aesthetic. Most mid-century furniture has at least some wood element, and much of it is made entirely of wood. When it comes to plant life, you can incorporate some greenery into your space via real or faux plants. Even adding wall art depicting the natural world can bring a decent dose of Mother Nature into the room.

A Touch of Industrial

Although mid-century style is known for incorporating natural elements into its design, it’s also been known to dabble in more industrial influences. Metal accents are usually present via hairpin table legs, brass or steel drawer pulls, and other small touches. So what separates mid-century modern from industrial style? It’s those clean lines we mentioned earlier. Mid-century modern furniture has a clean, sculpted look, while industrial style is often broken in and worn.

Bold Patterns and Colors

When it comes to seating and artwork, bold patterns and colors are the way to go. Bright colors and geometric shapes are staples of mid-century style, and most mid-century artwork boasts an element of symmetry. Those who really embrace this style as a way of life usually incorporate iconic furniture pieces into their office environment.

Statement Pieces

Whether a sunburst wall clock or an iconic lounge chair, every good mid-century modern office should have a statement piece that immediately draws the eye. In the office, the most common statement piece is the desk. Be sure to look for a desk that appears a little top-heavy with a large work surface and metal or wood legs that are straight or slightly angled.

 

7 Tips for Meeting Room Etiquette

Conference rooms are shared spaces meant to be used as collaboration hubs between coworkers and private spaces for employees and employers. As with any shared space, employees need to abide by certain unwritten rules if the space is to be properly maintained and used by all.

1. Don’t Use a Conference Room Without Booking It First

You may think it’s OK to pop into an unoccupied meeting room for a few minutes without booking it. After all, ideas happen on the fly, and you shouldn’t need to wait to share your thoughts with team members. But what will you do when someone else takes the time to book that room only to be rudely turned away by you when you haven’t reserved the space? 

Keep coworkers in the loop by taking a moment to reserve the room before taking over the space. We also recommend adding an open collaborative space near your workstations that does not need to be booked. Provide basic office furniture or a standing height storage island that can be used based on the understanding that it does not need to be reserved and is specifically put there for those on-the-fly interactions.

2. Don’t Double-Book Conference Rooms

Double-booking is usually an accident, but double-check to make sure it isn’t a mistake you’re making. Sometimes when we book conference rooms, we select every conference room in the office to see which is available at the required time. Then we forget to unselect the ones we aren’t actually using—whoops. Suddenly nobody is able to book a conference room because you accidentally reserved rooms you aren’t using. Be considerate and do a quick double-take after you reserve a space.

3. Book and Cancel Your Conference Room Early

As soon as you know you’ll need a meeting room, book it! The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be for you to get the room you want, and you don’t want to be put in a situation where you need to ask coworkers to move their meetings just because you weren’t proactive in planning yours. In addition, if a meeting gets canceled, make sure you cancel your room reservation immediately. This will ensure that others will have time to reserve it for themselves.

4. Leave the Conference Room as Clean as or Cleaner Than You Found It

It’s simple—don’t make a mess. If you came in with a coffee cup, take it with you. If you shredded your notebook paper as a habit, throw it in the garbage. If your large meeting was catered, clean up the mess. You can even go the extra mile by wiping down fingerprints from the conference table or dusting the computer monitor before you leave the room.

5. Leave Promptly When Your Meeting Time Ends

When booking your conference room, take care that you’re allotting enough time for the meeting. Whether you successfully hit all the talking points needed or not, keep an eye on the clock and evacuate the space when your time slot has ended. You take up your coworkers’ time by running your meeting into theirs, and we guarantee they won’t appreciate it. 

6. Accommodate the Needs of Others

You don’t need a conference room built to seat 10 if you only have 2 people in the meeting. If you book a large conference room for a small number of people and a coworker asks you to switch rooms, be accommodating. Issues often arise, and your coworkers may ask to use your conference room in an emergency. Be understanding and help out your peers when you can. 

7. Keep the Door Closed

The people working around you don’t need to hear your entire conversation. Do them all a favor and close the door when your meetings are in session. Similarly, those interrupting a meeting for any reason should knock before entering. A closed door means “give us some privacy” and should be taken as a sign that you need to ask permission before entering.

Whether you’re having a private meeting with your manager or a 20-person training session, following these guidelines will keep your coworkers happy and ensure everyone is able to use your office’s meeting rooms equally. 

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Nicole Groshek

Nicole Groshek is the social media and content coordinator for National Business Furniture. She helps employees discover the true joy in loving what they do, from working in an inspiring office to having a little fun on the job.