Tidy Desk, Tidy Mind: National Clean Off Your Desk Day 2026

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January 12, 2026

Scientific research shows that a clean desk boosts productivity.  With that idea in mind and a sense of welcoming in the new year, National Clean Off Your Desk Day is observed on the second Monday in January.  The practice on National Clean Off Your Desk Day is simple – and applies equally to your work or home office: empty the top of your desk and your desk drawers, decide what you really need (i.e., get rid of the clutter, including shredding sensitive stuff and scanning documents that you want to keep but don’t need in hard copy), clean the surfaces, and label and organize what’s left.  Always leave room for some fun objects and revel in your new clean and organized space!

But don’t stop with your physical desktop.  Clean your virtual desktop, too.  Make sure digital files (including emails) are filed away appropriately so that you and your colleagues can search and recover them quickly, when needed.

Here are five benefits of a clean desk:

1. Clean desks create good first impressions.

If you have clients or guests visiting your office, clean desks provide a visual cue that you are organized and that you appreciate information security.

2. Clean desks make collaboration easier.

Just as clients find clean desks appealing, coworkers will find it easier to collaborate in each other’s organized workspaces.  An organized workspace makes it more inviting and makes you more approachable.

3. Clean desks lessen the chance of a security breach.

If you put away sensitive documents at the end of each day, they won’t be in plain view for others to see.

4. Clean desks can reduce sick time.

An organized desktop makes it easier for janitorial staff to clean surfaces.  Keeping work surfaces clean is vital to keeping employees healthy, as research shows that desktops often are dirtier than toilet seats.

5. Clean desktops increase productivity.

Have you ever misplaced an important document or lost your favorite pen on your cluttered desk?  Clutter is stressful and distracting, leading to a decrease in productivity. Organized workspaces promote productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Here at Rubin Fortunato, we strive to promote clean workspaces.  In addition to maintaining a Clean Desk Policy, we provide sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, and tissues, among other things, for employee offices, workspaces, and conference rooms to promote health and cleanliness.  In addition, we maintain a supply of organizational aids for employee use.  And for the 2026 Clean Off Your Desk Day, we’re hosting a challenge to encourage cleaner workspaces.  A gift card will go to an employee who demonstrates – using Before and After pictures – significant improvement in the cleanliness of their workspace!  Email us at news@rubinfortunato.com to subscribe to our newsletter to find out who won.