To avoid tracking dirt into the house, people take off their shoes, without exception, before entering.

Efforts are made to prevent dirt from the outside from entering the home. Periodic checks are made to find and remove unclean things. Unclean things should not be introduced to clean areas. It is an attitude of cleanliness and consistent habits for keeping things clean. The second character 潔 when used on its own is pronounced “ isagiyoi” and means “undefiled, clean, gracious and courageous.” The two characters together mean “clean and sanitary.” Seiketsu is not simply a momentary state of cleanliness. The first character, 清 means “purify” or “cleanse.” It is the same character as the first character in 5S step 3 seiso (cleaning, shining). The word has been translated and interpreted as both “sanitary” and as “standardizing.” How does that work? Let’s take a closer look. In the past articles in this series, we explored the Japanese roots of seiri, seiton and seiso. Yet it has at its heart the values and practices of traditional Japanese culture.

It has truly become a world productivity system. Later companies all over the world adopted its methodology and techniques. It was first developed in Japan and perfected by companies such as Toyota, who implemented it their production facilities overseas. The 5S practices– Seiri (sorting), Seiton (organizing), Seiso (cleaning, shining), Seiketsu (sanitizing, standardizing) and Shitsuke (sustaining), is a system for reducing waste and increasing productivity by maintaining an orderly work environment.

5s workspace