Spring cleaning should start with your office space

Today’s post has little to do with personal finance, but I suppose that’s what makes it so personal. I can write about anything that I find interesting. Today, I stumbled upon a press release from Clorox about the “germiest” desks by profession and it definitely struck a chord with me as I keep hand sanitizer on my desk and Clorox disinfecting wipes stashed in my bottom shelf drawer. I am not a germ freak, but I do appreciate cleanliness and make an effort to stay healthy. As our clocks have sprung ahead, it is the season to start some spring cleaning and we should start with our office space.

The results are in… the “germiest” jobs ranked from the most germy to the least germy are:
1. Teacher
2. Accountant
3. Banker
4. Radio DJ
5. Doctor
6. Television Producer
7. Consultant
8. Publicist
9. Lawyer

I work in marketing so I would say that is likely in between a consultant & a publicist. None the less, I completely disinfected my desk before I left work tonight by giving it a good scrubbing with my tried & true Clorex. I wiped off my telephone, mousse, and pen! Clorex reported that accountants have the germiest desks and pens which makes me even less thrilled about getting some tax-returning advice this year.

I am going to make more of an effort to keep my desk clean, tidy and organized. After all, there are more benefits to staying organized.

• Peace of mind: who wants a messy stack of papers greeting them in the morning? It would be nice to walk into a zen & tidy space that practically greets you with a yoga like "ommmm"....


• Professional image: while too sparce of a desk might suggest to your boss that you have too little to do, an organized one would show how you approach your work diligently and efficiently. Remember, you are your own brand!


• Gain back your time: we may have lost an hour of sleep over the weekend, but why waste even more time searching for papers or folders or products? With an organized space, everything will be within reach.


• Create a germ-free zone: Expedia reports that the average Canadian takes 2.7 days off work a year to fight a sickness. For most of us that's a loss of income and catching up on a marathon of TLC's What Not To Wear is enjoyable, but not necessarily the best use of time. Just think of all those so-called "trooper" colleagues of yours who come to work even when they should be having a Benylin day. With a clean office space, it will be easier to wipe off your desk, telephone, and keyboard and fight those nasty flu bugs.
  

As I tidy my desk at work and at home, I'm putting together all my tax forms so I can file next week. I have not yet decided if I will see an accountant to help me, but either way, I'm taking my own pen.
*Rosie*