For thousands of warehouses up and down the country, spring cleaning means exactly that. Those in charge of them organise extensive and intensive cleaning and maintenance jobs toward the spring months of the year, in order to get things in gear before the busy summer season ahead. The way we see it though, there is in fact a better time of year to get busy with exactly such a cleaning job.  And that time is, right now.

Why exactly? Well, despite the fact that things may have been extremely chaotic and busy over the festive period, things are quite different now. So if you’d really like to set yourself up for the best possible year ahead, _+:

1. A Lull in Activity

First of all, this generally tends to be a time of year when there really isn’t a great deal happening in terms of retail and commerce. The Christmas rush is over, the New Year sales are coming to an end and the vast majority of people are tightening those purse strings, having overspent in a big away over the past few months. As such, if you are in a position where there is something of a lull in activity over the winter, there’s really no better time to get busy with the deep cleaning. This way, you will not only minimise disruption, but also ensure that the labour available to you is put to good use while there isn’t a great deal else to be doing.

2. Consider Your Merchandise

Another great reason to begin implementing a pre-spring clean at this time of year is the way in which it will give you the opportunity to go over the merchandise in your warehouse with a fine tooth comb. Specifically, you should be proactively considering exactly what kind of merchandise is getting the job done and which items you could do with getting rid of. Given the fact that this tends to be a time of year during which retail activity is pretty low-key, it also represents a good time to make efforts to shift old stock with heavy discounts and promotions. Even when the purse strings are as tight as they get, few people can resist a bargain or freebie.

3. Possible Layout Improvements

In addition, you might want to consider the overall layout of your warehouse while going about the pre-spring clean, noting where things are stored and whether improvements could be made to efficiency. This is the kind of thing you really only get a feel for if you go over the entire place from top to bottom, so why not do exactly that?

4. Repair and Replacement

Last but not least, comprehensive cleaning sessions also represent the perfect and often the only opportunity to check each and every area of your warehouse for potential repairs and replacements that may need making. Damaged shelving and related accessories can cause a serious headache, if overlooked until the moment disaster strikes. Instead, it makes much more sense to go over things from end to end on occasion, in order to note any emerging problems before they have a chance to escalate.