I vacuum every second week and the room is mopped once a month.
A tidy workplace is, in my opinion, a better place to work. No frustration due long searching for parts or tools. A lot of space on the desk helps for a clean test setup.
The Equipment is in a better condition, even after years of use.
The other positiv effect is: A customer/buyer/client shows up and you can demonstrate or show something. A representative room and workbench, clean and tidy, shows a structured and proper work style. They trust you, if you say you take especially care for something or you do something precise and accurate for them. They see the room and workbench and believe your words.
Normal people don't like such untidy and cluttered workbenchs. They can only build their impression based on what they see. Your skills are not visible for them. Only the lack of your skill to keep your workbench clean is obviously visible.
If someone gets a bad first impression it is way harder to convince them.
But this is all a different story if you only tinker on your own for hobby or you don't need to show someone your work area. Or you run a mail-order shop.
I'm only able to be creative and effective in a workplace I feel comfortable.
![Confused :-//](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/confused0024.gif.pagespeed.ce.5xOqKkq0Co.gif)
BTW a tidy workplace does not look like there is no work at all. It does not mean there is no DMM lying around or some leads are on the table, or even a piece of work is at the moment under test.
If I go into a hospital and look into a surgery room it has to be clean and tidy. It does not look like there are no surgeries at all. It just looks clean and tidy. And with my lab it is the same: If there is no "surgery" going on, it is clean and tidy. This does not mean I'm not going to produce a lot of chaos during development and testing. BUT afterwards I clean it up.
I don't trust a doctor whose surgery room is spilled with blood and he tells me he is the best in his job!