Not to stereotype, but it is probably fair to say that warehouses and stockrooms tend to be the quickest places in any store to become both untidy and dirty. Not only do warehousing duties have a tendency to cause chaos in their own right, but the fact that this is an area of the property most customers will never see also often leads to something of a ‘relaxed’ attitude to housekeeping. Not that this generally goes down well with those in charge, but still…it tends to be the way it goes.

The thing is though, it’s no secret that a tidy, clean and orderly warehouse inevitably contributes to more efficient performance. So with this in mind, what follows is a quick rundown of just a few tips and guidelines from the experts on how to keep your own warehouse clean and tidy at all times:

1. First and foremost, it simply makes sense to group all of your most popular products together in one location. This way, you are less likely to find your employees rummaging through the entire warehouse on a day to day basis and making a mess of the place.

2. Your approach to shelving and storage in general will always make an enormous difference with regard to control and cleanliness. If there is insufficient space, it is inevitable that things will become cluttered in no time. Likewise, if your shelving and storage systems are inefficient, everything will feel cluttered and chaotic even if it isn’t!

3. Take the time to create an effective and workable cleaning plan and schedule that to some extent or another involves every single person working within the warehouse. It is of crucial importance to ensure that each employee understands that they play an equally important role in keeping the place in order, as opposed to simply assigning one or two unfortunate individuals to the job.

4. Given the fact that warehouses usually generate an extraordinary amount of waste, it is important to ensure that there are plenty of waste bins provided. If you are trying to encourage your employees to recycle responsibly, it’s your responsibility to provide the necessary receptacles.

5. And on that note, it is also important to get the workforce into positive habits when it comes to regularly emptying all waste bins.

6. One of the easiest ways of encouraging and motivating employees to keep any workspace clean and tidy is to provide plenty of tools and supplies and keep them within easy reach at all times. The more effort your employees have to make to clean up, the less likely they are to do so.

7. If you haven’t already done so, it is always worth speaking to a professional cleaning contractor with regard to the possibility of a periodic or regular cleaning service. Even brought in just once or twice a week to give the whole place a polish, the difference can be quite extraordinary.

8. Last but not least, be sure to get yourself into the habit (or assign a responsible supervisor) of carrying out regular inspections of warehouse cleanliness and safety standards. Technically speaking, this is something you should already be doing and probably are, but it never hurts to step things up a little!