How to keep your home office clean and foster relationships from home. Go for that virtual coffee break invitation!

We are back working from home, at least most of us. Working from home can be challenging,  hence why it is even more important to keep our home office space and office utensils clean.

Here a few things to clean regularly :

Keyboard: If you are using a separate keyboard, start by turning it upside down so any loose particles can fall out. Use a toothpick to get the small bits out of the keyboard. Wipe it with a damp cloth soaked in water and natural dish soap. 

Mouse: Wipe, maybe even scrub it with a damp cloth soaked in water and dish soap or use kitchen cleaner.

Headphones and earbuds: Easily forgotten but used frequently—clean them as often as necessary. Dampen a soft cloth with the water and dish soap, and wipe over the speaker and the exterior of the headphones. Dampen a cotton swab and use it to clean out some of the small, harder-to-reach places.

Monitor: Wipe with a moist cloth, spray some kitchen cleaner on the cloth, not directly onto the monitor.

Coffee/Tea mug: don't just rinse it at the end of the day, put it in the dishwasher or wash it with ecological dishsoap. 

Handle of the coffee machine/kettle:  we tend to forget this one, but we use it everyday, multiple times a day; it's a real magnet for bacteria and dirt. Just wipe it with a damp cloth and some kitchen cleaner. 

Last but not least, don't forget your desk! Spray it with kitchen cleaner and give it a good wipe with a damp cloth.

In the office we have them randomly, and most of the time random coffee break encounters are real inspirational and bonding, and they foster new relationships. 

How schedule some virtual coffee breaks, here how I do it:

During a meeting when I think : I want to know more from this person, she is inspirational, I'd like some air-time. At the end of the meeting before everyone leaves, I ask:" NAME, could you stay on for a minute. " Then I ask plain and simple: " Hey, I really liked what you had to say. Are you free for a virtual coffee this week, I would love to hear more."

When I am stuck in a project and I would love some feedback or consulting from a colleague that I don't know so much, I would would call, or if calling is a out of my comfort-zone then send a chat via Teams/Slack and say: Hi there, how are you? I am currently working on project x and I would like to pick your brain on some challenges I am encountering. I could really need your input. Would you be free for a virtual coffee on DAY at HOUR? 

Enjoy those virtual coffees! 

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