Dust is one of the most significant culprits out there when it comes to inhibiting productivity around the office by preventing a copier's proper functioning. Once dust penetrates to a copier's interior, it can create clogs and coat mechanical parts so that they become less efficient or even cease to function properly.

Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to control dust both on your copier itself and all around your office. The following are six ways to reduce dust and prevent copy machine malfunctions at your office:

Vacuum trays regularly

You should occasionally remove the paper from paper trays and vacuum them out. The paper trays of a copier machine are an ideal place for dust to accumulate. 

If you don't have a vacuum attachment that will fit in your trays, you can alternatively use compressed air to blow away the dust. However, this will let the dust loose in the air so that it might again accumulate in your trays over time. 

Wipe the glass with an ammonia-free glass cleaner

The scanner or glass platform of your copier can accumulate dust. You can quickly and easily remove this dust by wiping down the glass screen with a cleaner and a soft cloth. 

Wipe the exterior of the copier with a dampened cloth

Likewise, dust can accumulate on your unit's exterior. A typical copier unit exterior has many crevices, control buttons, and compartments where dust can easily accumulate. 

On a weekly or daily basis, you should briefly wipe down your machine with a moistened cloth to collect and clear away dust. 

Store information electronically rather than on hard copy documents

Over time, paper can degrade and produce dust. This means that having filing cabinets around your office that are full of papers can drastically increase the amount of dust you have to deal with.

Rather than using paper hard copies to store information, you should try to store documents electronically to cut down on dust production.

Keep the floors and countertops clean

If you have carpeting in your office, you should be aware of the fact that carpets are often havens for dust. A carpet needs to be regularly vacuumed. Otherwise, carpeting can begin accumulating dust and eventually release dust into the air that can compromise air quality and get into the interiors of electronics like copiers. 

Get an air purifier for your office

An air purifier is a great way to constantly and passively filter dust out of the air. An air purifier can not only help prevent dust from reaching your copier's interior, but it can also improve the overall health of your office.