Think Clean Signs for Focus, Health, and Safety

Ritika Sherry | March 30, 2017

A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research involved participants solving a puzzle in a clean and a cluttered room. The participants who were sitting in a clean environment persisted with the task in hand longer than those in the cluttered room where the participants gave up quickly.

The researchers concluded that the mess threatened participants’ sense of control. Managing that threat depleted their mental resources, resulting in self-regulatory failure.

In another study on impact of workplace hand hygiene on employee health insurance claims and absenteeism, researchers found highest rate of bacteria and viruses in unsuspecting objects like door handles and computer keyboards.

Viruses and bacteria can survive for hours and months on these inanimate objects. Contact with such objects can spread diseases among workers resulting in sickness and absenteeism. Such health-related work losses cost US employers over $260 billion each year.

There’s no question that messes—whether you can see them or not—can adversely affect productivity and health. It can also often endanger lives. Unclean equipment is hazardous equipment.

It’s easier to tackle the clutter at home where you’re in charge; in an office setup however, it takes a cultural change. Employees do not assume cleaning as their priority.
Our Think Clean signs help employers reinforce the connection between cleanliness and safety. Signs placed at different locations in the office remind workers to do simple things like put wash dishes, put things where they belong, and throw out their trash.