11 Dust Hiding Spots You Forget to Clean in the Office

Many office cleaners, even some commercial cleaning companies, don’t know how to properly clean an office. There are hidden places in the office that accumulate a lot of dust and grime and you often forget to clean them.

In this article, we’ll talk about 11 forgotten dusty spots in the office and how to clean them and prevent dust from building up.

Spots That Dust Lurks in The Office

There are places around the office that always remain dusty. These spots are often neglected when cleaning. While you might forget to clean or don’t know about them, commercial cleaning staff have them in their daily office cleaning checklist.

#1 Office Furniture

The first place dust lurks is in the office furniture. Therefore, check and clean the dust under the desk surface, behind the desk, in gaps or on ledges on desks or chairs, under chairs and in the gaps between the seat cushion and arms.

Gaps on office furniture and office chair where dust hide - marked areas should be cleaned — RED: areas where dust may hide on office furniture and chair

Also, dust can accumulate under and behind the objects on the desk. Behind the display screen or under the filing trays are good examples of hidden places for dust we are not aware of.

How to Clean?
Surfaces like behind or under the desk, under the chair and behind objects on the desk are easy to clean. Just use a damp microfibre cloth to get rid of the dust. Between the gaps, however, is harder to reach. But there are special brushes designed for cleaning between upholstery gaps. You can spray some water on the brush to make it more effective when cleaning.

Cleaning brush for dusting the gaps on upholstery and office furniture — Brush for dusting and cleaning tight gaps

#2 Computers & Electronics

It is a known fact that electronics collect dust faster than other items in the office. This turns them into a very well-hidden dust spot that requires special equipment and experience to clean. Computers, server racks and keyboards are the best examples. Especially computers that accumulate so much dust inside that it is hard to see and clean.

Dust hiding inside computer case and other electronics in office

How to Clean Computers?
To clean the outside of the computer or server rack, you can use a mildly damp lint-free cleaning cloth. However, cleaning the inside is a challenge. Cleaning the inside of a computer case requires blowing machines and technical skills to make sure the circuits inside won’t be damaged. Also, it should be done outside to prevent the dust that comes out of the case from getting on other surfaces.

How to Clean Keyboards?
Cleaning the keyboard is easier and you can manage it. Dust is mostly between the keys. To clean it, first, unplug the keyboard and use special keyboard-cleaning brushes or universal cleaning putty gels.

Cleaning gel for cleaning keyboards and between keys — Universal cleaning get and keyboard cleaning putty

#3 Kitchen Appliances

Similar to electronics, kitchen appliances also collect dust faster. They are also more prone to collect grime. This includes refrigerators, coffee machines, microwaves and cooking hoods.

How to Clean?
Use a damp cloth or a microfibre cloth and kitchen cleaning spray to clean the surfaces of appliances. Also, dusting the wall area behind the refrigerator, microwave and coffee machine is effective in reducing the dust in the office kitchen. Use a feather duster gently.

#4 Carpets

Carpets, rugs and other soft and fabric surfaces are some of the worst dust-hiding places in any office environment. Dust accumulates both on the surface and under the carpet. If not cleaned, the dust will go up in the air and sit on other objects or areas in the office whenever someone is stepping on them.

How to Clean?
The only way to clean a carpet and remove the hidden dust is daily vacuuming. Also, based on how much foot traffic the carpet receives, regular deep cleaning can help reduce the dust and extend the carpet’s lifespan.

Read More: Common Office Cleaning Mistakes

#5 Ledges

Ledges are everywhere. They are at the bottom of the wall, on doors and windows, on top of the fixtures and even on door handles. These relatively small areas always go unnoticed when staff are cleaning the office and over time, they accumulate a lot of dust.

Cleaning ledges on wall, door and window frames to reduce dust - marked areas should be cleaned — RED: neglected ledges on wall and window where dust hide

How to Clean?
You can use a feather duster or a microfibre cloth to easily clean all ledges. Depending on the surface material, you can use a cleaning spray. To clean door handles, make sure to use proper cleaning and sanitising spray to stop the spread of disease and prevent bacteria and germ build-ups.

#6 Shelves & Wardrobe

Shelves can be home to a lot of dust that you can’t see. The top row is usually neglected. Behind and under the objects stored on the shelf are also dusty and should be cleaned. It is similar to wardrobe, filing cabinets and kitchen cupboards. Since doors are closed most of the time, we assume they remain clean, but dust can find a way inside.

How to Clean?
Use a feather duster or damp cloth to clean the shelf rows, behind objects on the shelf and inside the hollow cabinets and cupboards.

#7 Books

Books gather dust a lot and can change the look of the bookcase relatively fast. Regardless of where they are being kept, they should be cleaned regularly.

How to Clean?
Use a dust cloth or a dry microfibre cloth and clean all the sides as well as the surface where the book was. Also, make sure to clean the bookcase as well.

#8 Wall Frames & Fixtures

What even we hand from the wall should be cleaned regularly. Behind picture frames and the ledges on the frame are places where the dust hides. Also, wall fixtures and lighting gather dust fast. If you check the wall fixtures around your office, there is definitely dust on it.

Cleaning ledges on picture frame to reduce dust - marked areas should be cleaned — RED: places where dust hides on wall frames

How to Clean?
Remove the picture frame from the wall and clean it thoroughly with a wet cloth or a cleaning spray. To clean wall fixtures, the safest method is to use a feather duster with a long handle that can reach it.

#9 Lampshades

Inside and the surface of the lampshades is another hidden dust spot in office areas and coworking spaces. Cleaning them not only eliminates dust but also can increase the light brightness a little especially if a thick layer of dust is covering the shade.

Cleaning and dusting lampshades to reduce dust in office

How to Clean?
Turn off the light and let the bulb get cold. Use a microfibre duster with a long handle or use a ladder to reach the lampshade and clean it with a mildly damp cloth. Cleaning sprays used for windows can be useful for cleaning lampshades as well.

#10 Window Treatments

Dust mostly originates from outside and one of the ways it gets in is through the window. Therefore, window treatments like curtains, blinds and shades act as the first line of defence by catching dust particles when they get in. As a result, they are among the top sources of dust in office spaces that usually go unnoticed.

Cleaning window treatments and blind slats to reduce dust in office

How to Clean?
Cleaning the window and its covering blinds and shades is fairly straightforward. You can use a microfibre duster, damp cleaning cloth or special tools for cleaning blind slats. Cleaning window curtains is harder and requires commercial laundry services experience in cleaning curtains. Having curtains removed for washing two or three times a year is a good way to prevent dust build-up.

Cleaning brush tool for cleaning window blind slats — Brush for cleaning window blind slats

Read More: Tips for Cleaning Windows

#11 Air Ducts & Radiators

Air ducts are one of the main sources of dust and a reason why your office furniture and equipment are covered with dust even after cleaning. Also, radiators have a lot of hidden places for dust to build up and no one pays attention to them.

How to Clean Air Ducts?
Air ducts and central HVAC systems require constant maintenance by professional technicians. To prevent dust build-up, first, the ducts should be cleaned using special equipment and then air filters should be changed on time to maintain the ducts and the office space free from dust. Maintaining regular HVAC systems involves changing and cleaning the air filter and cleaning the surface of the HVAC with a damp cloth.

How to Clean Radiators?
You can clean radiators with relative ease. Dust tends to build up between fins and under and behind the radiator. You can use special brushes to clean the gaps between the radiator fins and a thin duster to clean behind the radiator.

Brush for cleaning between radiator fins and gaps inside radiators — Special brush for cleaning inside the radiator and between the radiator fins

How to Reduce Dust in Office?

There are a lot of benefits to daily office cleaning. It helps eliminate dust around the workspace and makes the environment a healthier and hygienic one. Make sure to pay attention to ways to reduce dust in your office space so the air quality is always perfect and employees and clients are happy being in your office.

Regular Dusting: daily dusting is recommended for places like offices and coworking spaces.
Daily Vacuuming: daily office cleaning involves daily vacuuming which reduces the dust build-up in soft surfaces like carpets and rugs.
Changing Air Filters: if you change HVAC system filters on time, you can eliminate dust accumulation inside air ducts.
Using Air Purifiers: air purifier machines are an effective way to combat dust in the office and improve the air quality.
Regular Deep Cleaning: deep cleaning services have a lot of benefits for office spaces or other busy environments. Hire deep cleaning experts once a month to effectively reduce the amount of dust in the office.

Conclusion

There are a lot of hidden spots throughout the office where dust lurks waiting for a gust of wind to airborne and sit on other stuff or reduce the office air quality. We explore the most common dust-hiding places in office spaces as well as how to clean them effectively.

This article not only helps you identify all hidden dust spots in your office but also allows you to effectively clean the office every day using the methods explained for each hidden place.

11 Dusty Spots You Forget to Clean in Your Office