8 Ways to Keep Your Warehouse Clean & Tidy

A clean and tidy warehouse is paramount to its smooth running and to the safety of your employees. If your warehouse is dirty and cluttered, then it can lead to accidents, a reduction in efficiency and lower morale of your employees. It also means that forklift operators, and the operators of other pieces of material handling equipment, will take risks to avoid obstacles, puddles, spillages and more. As such, you need to do everything you can to ensure your warehouse is clean and tidy, ready for everyone to use, and here are a few ways in which you can keep your warehouse in top condition at all times:

1. Maximise storage space wherever possible

Storage in the warehouse is absolutely essential. It makes sure that stock is readily available, easy to find and simple to pick. As well as this, it also helps to make your warehouse bigger in size. It’s a straightforward solution if you’re struggling for space, but it also helps to ensure your warehouse is tidy and organised.

Something you can use when it comes to acquiring more storage in the warehouse is warehouse racking and even mezzanine flooring, both of which are available from us here at Multy Lift. In addition to that, VNA forklifts also allow for more compact spaces to be navigated perfectly and safely every single time, provided your forklift operators have been given the right training. VNA forklifts are also available from Multy Lift, along with multi-directional forklifts, that also allow for efficient operation in even the tighests of areas.

2. Clean as you go along

As soon as an operation has been carried out, you need to make sure that your employees are clearing up after themselves, and after every job. Whether it’s picking cardboard up off the floor and recycling it accordingly or putting warehouse equipment back that was previously used, making sure you’re cleaning and tidying up as you go along is the key to ensuring a clean and organised warehouse at all times.

You will also find that it’s a time-saving solution. You won’t have to spend hours of a day cleaning your warehouse, taking that time away from other jobs and projects in the process. Clean up as you go along for a clean and tidy warehouse at all times.

3. Assign employees to different cleaning zones

If you’re struggling for time and if you have a warehouse that has a considerable amount of space, then assigning different employees different cleaning tasks and zones is the best way of making sure your warehouse stays clean and organised all the time.

Not only can you make the tidying and cleaning of the warehouse part of their job role, but it also helps in ensuring the safety of your employees. They will have their part to play in preventing workers from coming to any harm, as will you. Give your employees different zones to clean for quick and efficient maintenance of any warehouse, regardless of its size and no matter the industry you work in.

4. Use ergonomic equipment

Using equipment that has been ergonomically-designed is a great way of ensuring a tidy and clean warehouse for all. This is because operators will be able to spend considerable amounts of time in any one go using a piece of material handling equipment. In turn, this allows for more efficient and productive operations in the warehouse, regardless of the industry you work in or the nature of the stock you’re handling. If your workers are using ergonomic equipment, completely uninterrupted, then they’re paying attention to obstructions around them, moving things out of the way and putting items back so as to allow for safe navigation.

5. Supply plenty of bins

Bins need to be dotted around the warehouse, ensuring that there is always somewhere for people to put their waste, aside from on the floor or in boxes or other places where rubbish isn’t meant to go. Provide bins so as to prevent littering and also to mitigate the chances of items being strewn around the floor.

This is especially important when it comes to the safety of your colleagues and the integrity of your equipment. Essentially, it prevents trips, slips and falls, but it also prevents equipment accidents and mitigates damage to machinery as a result of rubbish getting caught in wheels and other moving parts.

6. Create a cleaning plan & schedule

A cleaning schedule is essential when it comes to ensuring a clean and tidy workplace in general, not just in the warehouse. This is something that can be easily drawn up, but it can also be passed onto a professional cleaning crew as opposed to adding cleaning responsibilities to your workers’ overall and existing responsibilities. Creating a cleaning plan and schedule that works for all and that doesn’t disrupt everyday workings, projects and general operations.

7. Encourage employees to recycle

Recycling is an important thing to consider when it comes to workplace organisation and cleaning. Recycling is a minimum requirement if you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, so making sure that recycling bins are available is a great way of showing your employees and your customers that you hold the planet as a priority which, in this day and age, is a huge benefit and is considered to be an important USP, giving you the edge over your competitors.

8. Make cleaning supplies & equipment readily-available

Cleaning chemicals and industrial cleaning equipment need to be readily available to your workers. They should be easy to find and use so as to encourage people to use them regularly. Multy Lift are pleased to offer industrial cleaning equipment to our customers, including scrubber dryers and sweepers, both pedestrian and ride-on.

Multy Lift has over three decades of experience in the material handling industry, supplying customers throughout the UK with high-quality, high-calibre warehouse equipment that will stand the test of time. With a complete range of equipment, from different manufacturers, we will have a material handling solution for you. If you would like further information, get in touch with a member of our friendly team – we’re always pleased to hear from you.