Office file cabinets are staples in any workplace - be it your commercial office, home office, or makeshift office. Important documents are stored in file cabinets, keeping these organized and ready for viewing as needed. However, even your office filing cabinet can get grimy from time to time, so regular cleaning is a must to keep your business operations clean!
What happens if you don't clean your file cabinets? Well, for one, paper documents can attract paper-eating pests like booklice, silverfish, and carpet beetles. Couple that with your humid office environment, and you can have an infestation on your hands that could destroy highly important files! As your documents are important, it is also essential to keep your storage for these materials clean and organized.
Your office filing cabinet can also get dusty, despite being in a relatively clean location. Dust accumulates over time and can speed up the decomposition of your files. Fragile files can break apart easily when handled, which isn't ideal for those vital categories like your business registration, client files, and other important paperwork.
You may not need to deep clean your file cabinets everyday, but schedule your cabinet for a thorough cleaning at least twice a year - more if your office can get particularly humid or dusty. If you don't know how, don't worry! Our complete guide will walk you through the step by step process to clean file cabinet messes:
How to Clean Office File Cabinet and Drawers
Simple Daily Cleaning
For a simple, everyday upkeep of your filing cabinet, dust the entire cabinet with a feather duster or the nozzle attachment of a handheld vacuum cleaner. Remove any trinkets that may be on top of the file cabinets, and dust these items as well.
Wipe down the exterior of the cabinet with a damp cloth, making sure not to get the drawer wet, especially for metal cabinets that may rust. Use a disinfecting solution to wipe down the handles, but avoid getting any solution on any file to prevent these from getting wet. Let each drawer dry completely before closing.
Thorough Weekly Organizing
Just as you organize your office or store weekly, your files and papers should be organized just as well. Start by labelling every file that goes into sorting with the proper account to match its contents. This will make your files easy to find later on. Sort the files by date or alphabetically, and find an organization style that works for your shop or office.
Search through the net for inspiration, and use helpful organizational tools like folders, dividers, and binders to make file organization easy to do. Discard any old, outdated paperwork that you're sure you won't need, and separate financial and money paperwork from other categories.
Sort out the files that you need the most from the ones that you don't. Important files should be easy to search for, while files that aren't used much can be placed at the back, or on a separate drawer.
Monthly Deep Cleaning
For a good, monthly deep cleaning of your filing cabinet, look for a considerably-sized container to temporarily store each file type. Use a large box or clear a space for these, and label them by category. You can now remove each drawer of your filing cabinet.
Clean out each drawer using a solution of soap and water. For metal cabinets, you will need to wipe them dry afterwards, and allow each drawer to completely air dry before placing them back into the cabinet. Clean the body of the cabinet the same way, and allow it to fully air dry as well.
When disinfecting, use a mild, metal-safe disinfectant solution that won't corrode the metal or the varnish of your cabinet. Spray the disinfectant on a piece of cloth before wiping down the cabinets, and you may test the solution on a small, unnoticeable patch first before wiping down the entire unit.
Re-organize your files, and place them back into the dry cabinet for secure storage. Take into account the labels that may have been washed off, and replace these as well to ensure that your files are organized, and properly labelled for future reference. Add some cedar wood or moth balls to keep insects away.
How to Keep Your Office File Cabinet Organized
Purchase Good-sized Filing Cabinets
Shop for a cabinet that has ample space for all your files. You can easily check the product size on any shopping website, or check on the product size on tags in physical stores. Look for the product rating before you buy the items you're interested in, and plan out how to organize your drawer. Check for the material that you're comfortable with as well, which may vary according to brand.
Clear File Cabinet Often
The best way to keep your cabinets organized is to clear it out often. Keep sorting through your papers, hold onto the important items, and keep money separately. Any items that you no longer need should be disposed of or shredded, while items that are important to your business operations should be kept in a convenient area.
Keep insect-repelling items in each drawer to avoid bug infestations on your papers. Go shopping for some organizational dividers to make organizing easy, and label all your files. Keep everything neat and clean with a weekly cleaning, and a daily dusting to keep debris from dirtying up your files.
Keep your Office Clean
Finally, keep your entire office clean, and your files should be clean as well! Sort out through the office clutter, and choose professional office cleaning services that work with your office.
