5S and Mieruka: How Cleanliness and Visuals Build Culture

5S and Mieruka: How Cleanliness and Visuals Build Culture

In this blog, I want to share two powerful Lean Construction concepts that have completely changed the way I see and run projects, 5S and Mieruka, or visual systems. These aren’t just about keeping things tidy; they’re about building culture, creating flow, and helping people truly see what’s happening on the job.

Discovering the Power of 5S

Let me start with 5S. This simple framework blew my mind when I first learned it because it’s so effective, and yet, so often overlooked.

Here’s how I practice it:

• Sort: I get rid of everything that isn’t needed.
• Straighten: I organize what’s left so it’s easy to find.
• Sweep (or Shine): I clean and inspect my space so I can actually see what’s going on.
• Standardize: I make those systems consistent so anyone can understand them.
• Sustain: I make it a daily habit, not a one-time cleanup.

Paul Akers, who teaches 5S better than anyone I’ve ever seen, helped me understand that this isn’t just about cleanliness, it’s about visibility. When my workspace is sorted, straightened, and shining, I can instantly see problems. A messy job site hides issues, while a clean one reveals them.

When I started truly living this out, I realized something powerful: cleaning isn’t maintenance, it’s management.

Seeing Through the Clutter

Even without labels or signs, a clean, organized environment is a visual system. When my office, truck, or job site is in order, I notice everything that’s out of place.

I remember one day my office was perfectly organized using Lean Foam. Everything had a spot. Then one morning, my stapler was missing, and it stood out immediately. I even messaged my family asking, “Who stole my stapler?” Turns out, my daughter had borrowed it. The point is, when things are in their place, missing items scream for attention. Cleanliness makes things visible.

That’s what Mieruka is all about, creating visual systems that show the current state of work, problems, and flow without anyone having to ask.

How We Brought It to Life on a Project

On a Hensel Phelps project at a cancer center, we applied these principles in a way I’ll never forget.

We wanted our workers to have clean, functional restrooms on-site, not the usual temporary setups that fall apart after a week. So we installed temporary toilets, stalls, sinks, and clear visual instructions for everything: how to change the toilet paper, when to empty the trash, how to replace soap, even what to do if something got clogged.

We added humor too, Chuck Norris jokes in English and Spanish, just to make it fun. The result? The bathrooms stayed spotless. People respected the space because we made it easy to do so.

That’s the magic of visual systems. When people can see what’s expected, they take ownership naturally.

Making Everything Visible

I’ve learned that nothing should stay hidden in the superintendent’s or project manager’s head. Everything needs to be visual, posted, shared, and easy to understand.

We put everything on the walls: delivery schedules, inspection checklists, zone maps, logistics plans, takt plans, look-ahead plans, and weekly work plans.

When the environment is visual, everyone participates. You can’t expect total participation without total visibility.

The Lesson That Changed Everything

Years ago, a great leader named Blake Christensen walked me out onto a job site and said something that stuck with me forever, “Jason, cleanliness is the top of everything.”

At first, I brushed it off. But over time, I realized he was absolutely right. The cleaner my sites became, the easier everything else got. Coordination improved, communication improved, morale improved. It was like removing gravity from the system.

If you’re halfway clean, you’re still fighting drag. But once you reach that top level, perfect cleanliness, you’re free. Work flows effortlessly.

My Challenge to You

Here’s what I’ve challenged myself, and my teams, to do:

• 5S or 3S something every day. Even one small area.
• Create one visual instruction. Teach someone how to do something with pictures, not words.
• Clean with purpose. Not to impress, but to see.

These little steps compound. When you start small, the visual culture spreads like wildfire.

What I Learned from Japan

When I visited Japan, I was amazed. Everything is clean, organized, and visual. Every vending machine, every train station, every restaurant, it’s all laid out so you can understand it instantly.

That’s when I finally understood what Mieruka really means, making the invisible visible. They don’t hide information, they show it. They trust people to act on what they see.

Wrapping It Up

Cleanliness builds culture. Visual systems build participation. Together, they make projects flow.

So, I’ll leave you with the same question I ask myself every day:

What can I 5S or make visual tomorrow?

Because once everything is visible, everything becomes possible.