White or light coloured desks get dirty much quicker than darker coloured desks.
Some offices and businesses avoid using white desks because of how quickly they can become dirty and this can give an unprofessional look to an office environment. The colour choice doesn’t attract more dirt, it’s the fact that you can clearly see it. A darker coloured desk would still have the same amount of dust and dirt but it’s less visible to the eye and therefore you would probably clean it less often.
Some say because you can see the dirt, it’s easier to clean therefore white desks are actually more hygienic.
What are the most common causes of dirty white desks?
Dust is the main culprit for dirty white desks, especially if you regularly leave windows and doors open. The dust alone isn’t that obvious but it’s the handprints and finger marks that are.
Ink stains are another common problem for white desks. If you have a white meeting table in an office that is used for morning meetings on a daily basis, expect to see some ink stains on there. People leave their pens laying around and occasionally, the ink leaks out causing a stain that is remarkably difficult to remove.
If you work from home and often eat and drink at your desk you will be surprised how much this can affect the cleanliness of the worktop. Coffee mug stains and bread crumbs are just a few of the things you might begin to notice on your white desk.
How to clean and maintain your white desk
Cleaning equipment and methods depend on what material the desk is made out of.
A white wood desk first needs dusting to remove those crumbs and dust particles. After that, you can put together a mixture of white wine vinegar with double the amount of warm water.
This can be used as a cleaning agent to remove nearly any stain on white wood. Always use a microfiber cloth so that you don’t damage the wood and rub it in the direction of the grain.
Ensure the cloth is just damp and not wet. If you wet a wood grain too much, the wood will absorb the water and cause cracking in the table.
Coffee or ink stains can be quite difficult to remove from wood because this worktop material is pretty delicate. You can add some petroleum jelly to the stain and let it sit overnight and wipe it off in the morning, the stain should come out.
If you have a white laminate table then first dust it and then make a bowl of warm soapy water partnered with any sort of cloth. Wipe over the table a few times and let it dry.
If you have a difficult coffee or ink stain, you can use some all-purpose cleaning spray or laundry detergent with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Gently scrub in circular motions until the stain is removed.
