10 Ways to Clean up Your Business

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A messy office leaves your business disorganized and with a poor public image. It is important to keep clean for you and your employees.

  1. Throw Away Trash – Keeping your office space open and free can be as simple as throwing away unnecessary clutter. If you have trouble getting rid of certain items try to separate every single item in your office into these four categories: keep in office, hideaway, potential trash, and throw away. Once you have narrowed it down, you are left with the items you must absolutely throw away and the items you may potentially throw away. For the items you still possibly want to keep, place a number on each item based on its importance and throw away the items that have a low number.
  2. Separate Your Office Into Zones – When you begin to separate your office space into work zones you will completely understand your goals. For example, having a zone specifically for computer usage, library research, and a spot for specific tasks such as (brainstorming, employee meet space, etc) will better organize your work day.
  3. Sticky Notes – This seems like an overused cliché tactic, but in reality, it works! Your office can get pretty dirty and at times it is hard to keep yourself updated on a specific task. Having a wall where you can place sticky notes for you to remember what you need to do is extremely helpful. Dedicating most of the notes to having a cleaning segment to give you a quick reminder to clean the desk or remove dust on the computer screen will ensure your office space is at it’s prime for your optimal work experience.
  4. Food – It is easy to get caught up in the chaos of the day and decide to eat lunch at your desk; let’s not forget the countless snacks. A great rule of thumb is: if you aren’t at your desk, it should look that way. The smell and dirtiness it leaves not only builds a messy workspace, but probably grosses out your office mates. Make sure to throw away anything you haven’t touched or thought about in the last 5 minutes. Plates, bowls and silverware are just building layers of bacteria. Staying on top of your food mess will also help you limit your snacking by tracking the amount of trash!
  5. Disinfect – After you have cleaned the food and paper clutter and random accessories you have collected throughout the year, it is important to take the next step. Disinfect. Keep disinfectant wipes close by for a quick and easy way to clean off your desk, computer, keyboard, phone and chair arms.
  6. Conquer the Internal Mess – Start with your computer desktop and move everything into properly labeled folders. After you can sense some direction in your organizing it is time to go deeper. That’s right, open up that e-mail inbox and begin to sort things into folders. You can either sort by subject or possibly folders of importance. Remember that all the unimportant items are deleted they go into a trash bin that needs to be cleaned out, also.
  7. Make Time – It is no doubt that if you make the time to clean all of these components of your work life that your days will run smoothly. Schedule the time in your work calendar so that everyone in the office knows not to cause interruptions. Creating a to-do-list is key when the piles of mess are overwhelming. Most importantly, have a positive attitude!
  8. Maintain – Once the initial cleaning is done, the future tidy will not take you nearly as long. Here are some simple steps to maintaining that pristine workspace you just made for yourself:
  • On a day to day basis, make sure to leave your desk de-cluttered. Allow yourself 5 minutes before leaving for the day to make sure everything is put in a designated place.
  • At the end of every week make sure to check supplies and wipe down your desk. Everyone knows there is nothing worse than coming in on Monday to a messy desk.
  • Every month go through the random paperwork that slipped through the cracks and find them a forever home in your filing cabinet.

Remember that all this hard work pays off in the end! You will now have extra time to make that extra cup of coffee around the afternoon lull, or possibly take a quick 10 minute walk outside during your break! At Service Uniform, maintaining a clean workplace for your services is important to us.

A History of the The Transportation Uniform

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The transportation and trucking industries have been prominent in America since the creation of the automobile and use some of the most recognized uniforms out there…UPS anyone? Let’s take a look back on how this industry has evolved over the years.

1920’s – As new roads were being built, truck and trailer-sized automobiles became standardized to maintain the quality of these new ways of transportation. Power assisted steering and brakes were enforced, making the trucks much easier to operate. As the “Roaring Twenties” thrived, the trucking industry was largely driven by economic and technological advances. Trucking uniforms, at the time, were not distinguishable amongst a crowd of factory, manufacturing, and labor unions.

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1930’s – The trucking industry took a hit after the Great Depression but still managed to make progress. The governmental reforms of the decade helped truckers get back on their feet and continue to help truckers today.

1940’s – In 1935, The Motor Carrier Act was passed. As a result, the trucking industry was regulated by the Interstate Commerce Commission. This organization pushed for regulations regarding the working hours of truck drivers, which were often too long and strenuous during the 1930’s. The cultural changes that took place in response to World War II were monumental for truck drivers, even though the Interstate Commerce Commission is no longer in effect today. Uniforms evolved to a more casual and optimal performance outlook.

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1950’s – 1960’s – Construction of the interstate highway system began in the 1950’s and continued into the 1960’s. Trucking, and the lives of truckers, became a popular topic of discussion during this era. To help raise awareness about this industry and its importance, regulations concerning trucks were also refined during the 1960’s.

1970’s and on – Technological changes in trucks up to this time helped popularize the truck driving experience further. Air conditioning, rear suspension, individual front suspension and power steering helped make trucks safer and more comfortable to drive. These improvements increased interest in trucks and trucking, causing more people to go into the profession. By the year 1970, there were over 18 million trucks operating in the United States.

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Today, the trucking industry is successful and pursued by hardworking, ambitious workers. With continuously improving trucks and roadway systems, it is no doubt uniforms will be continuous to be upgraded for optimal performance and appearance. At Service Uniform, we understand the importance of your time when you are not on the road and want to take care of the quality and cleanliness of your trucking uniform.

3 Outrageous Things We Found in the Laundry!

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We understand how easy it is to forget things in your pockets before sending them to the wash. However, there are some odd items that have left behind for us to find! What are you guilty of losing in the laundry?

  1. The Incomplete Business Transaction –We were driving back to the office after a typical pick-up, when we received an atypical phone call. A customer frantically called us about an envelope he had left in his uniform pocket. An envelope filled with $3,000! Our driver quickly pulled over, went through the customer’s dirty clothes and found the envelope filled with cash. The customer was ecstatic to have all the money returned, he called the local radio station and shared his story.
  1. The Missing Wedding Band – This has happened on more than one occasion – with the culprits both the husband and wife. Inside shirt pockets, work pants, overalls or aprons. Most people take their wedding band off to wash their hands, in hopes to not lose it down the drain or overflowing trash bin. Unfortunately, the busy day continues and they forget to put the ring back on. Don’t worry, we hold all rings until the rightful owner is identified.
  1. The Collector – It is easy to grab a handful of mints at a restaurant as you leave and stuff them in your pocket without much thought, but it is not so easy to fill your pockets with lighters. Between pants, a jacket, and a coat, a customer managed to have 27 lighters. This situation was comical for all involved, including the customer who seemed surprised himself!

Try to keep yourself out of these sticky situations and thoroughly check your pockets before sending your uniforms back to us.