6 Ways to Deal With a Messy Office Kitchen

There’s nothing worse than a messy office kitchen — except maybe a messy office kitchen that spoils the food you’re eating. A clean and organized kitchen at work will keep everyone happy (not to mention healthier) in the long run. So, here are some tips to help you and your team deal with a messy office kitchen and keep it as tidy as possible.

1. Organize a Kitchen Team

Sometimes, you’ll need more than one person to help you organize your office kitchen. In this situation, it’s important that everyone on the team is on board and understands their role in upkeeping the office kitchen hygiene rules. Here are some tips for organizing a kitchen team:

• Use a whiteboard or other visual tool for tracking cleaning schedules and tasks. This can be incredibly helpful in making sure everyone knows what needs to be done and when it needs to be done by, along with highlighting kitchen hygiene best practices so that everyone is aware.
  
• Have a meeting with all members of your team! Make sure everyone understands what they’re expected to do and how much time they have left before they rotate duties again (if there is such an event). If possible, make sure someone takes notes during this meeting so that they can share them with every member of the organization so there’s no confusion later on down the line.

2. Use Sticky Notes

You’ll probably find it helpful to make use of sticky notes to communicate with your coworkers. Sticky notes are great tools not only because they can be used in this way but also because they’re so versatile; they can be used for any purpose! For example, if there’s something that needs to be done right away, like taking out the trash or giving someone a message about an important meeting, then stickies are ideal for communicating those needs quickly and efficiently. If nothing else is happening at work but there’s still plenty left on your plate (which can happen when dealing with messy kitchens), then sticky notes are perfect reminders of what else needs doing.

3. Make Cleaning Up After Yourself A Habit

In order to have a clean office kitchen, you have to make the effort. You can’t expect someone else to do it for you. In fact, if your coworkers see that you don’t clean up after yourself and they’re not going to take care of it either, then they’ll let the mess continue and soon, there will be no room left in the refrigerator.

It’s important that everyone cleans up after themselves in the office kitchen so that it remains usable by all employees. If one person leaves food out on their desk or does not put away their dishes at night when they leave for home then other people will begin doing this as well because it becomes acceptable behavior.

4. Leave A Thoughtful Note

If you find a mess, the best way to deal with it is to leave a note for the person who made it. If you don’t know who did it, then leave them a generic “someone” note and be sure that your words make it clear that you’re not blaming anyone in particular. It’s very important that they understand that you appreciate their efforts—but also let them know how frustrating it was to come into work on Monday morning only to discover that someone else hasn’t cleaned up after themselves.

5. Take Out The Trash

Taking out the trash is one of the most pivotal tasks you can do when it comes to maintaining hygiene in the kitchen. And not just putting your used paper plates and pizza boxes in a bag before you leave for the night, but actually taking them out of their hiding spots and getting rid of them. This can be as simple as tossing all those empty chip bags into the garbage bin or throwing away that old soda you’ve been meaning to get rid of—just make sure it’s not still full.

6. Talk To Your Boss And Establish A Policy

Talk to your boss and establish a policy that all employees must keep their work area clean or else face disciplinary action. This strategy has proven effective in multiple workplaces, but it’s not perfect: You may need some help enforcing this policy or the people around you will feel frustrated by having to be responsible for cleaning up after themselves.

We hope you find these tips helpful in establishing hygiene rules in the office kitchen to create a healthier space for everyone. We also want to remind you that cleaning up is not just your responsibility—it’s everyone’s. So, if you don’t feel like cleaning up after yourself or someone else has left a mess behind.