The results from a recent study by the Center for Facilities Research and Co-Sponsored by the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) found that businesses who do not keep their workplace clean, can have a negative effect (such as distraction) which decreases learning and productivity.

The study (Cleanliness and Learning in Higher Education) was conducted by Jeffrey Campbell, Ph.D. who is the chair of the facilities management program at Brigham Young University. Over 1,400 people participated in the study, and 88 percent reported that concentration, productivity and learning become obstructed while there is:

• A noticeable amount of dirt and/or floor finish in corners and along walls
• Base molding has streaks or splashes
• Surfaces blatantly show dust, dirt, scuffs and fingerprints
• Lamps are dirty and/or burned out
• Waste buckets contain old trash and are stained and smelly