The 10 Most Important Aspects In School Cleaning

Keeping your school clean has many benefits. Yet, kids are going to be kids. They get dirty and sometimes they can leave a mess.

School cleaning can be a full-time job or several full-time jobs. Your school has to be clean, otherwise, your district can lose money and be a direct threat to students.

Each year, students and teachers are absent due to illness. Teacher absences cost $25 billion each year. Plus, students who are absent from school are more likely to drop out.

Do you want to know the most important aspects to keep your school clean and your students and staff healthy? Keep reading to learn the top ten tips.

1. Keep Cleaning and Disinfecting on Schedule

The most important thing you can do is to create a school cleaning schedule and stick to it. That requires that you have a calendar to do daily cleanings and thorough weekly cleanings.

2. Properly Dispose of Waste

Does your school have a waste disposal policy? If not, then it should. You want to have your gloves on when you’re handling waste and avoid touching tissues and waste products when you’re emptying trash cans.

3. Know Where Bacteria is Lurking

School cleaning means that you need to be aware of where bacteria and germs love to hide. Common areas and high-traffic areas are a great start.

Think of where people usually touch objects. Doorknobs, water fountains, tables, restrooms, and computer workstations are all common places for people at your school. You should pay close attention to these places and clean them well every day.

4. Is Your School Clean or Sanitized?

Do you know those cleaning product commercials that say that they clean, disinfect, kill bacteria, and sanitize? What does all that mean?

Here’s a quick breakdown so you know what you’re doing when you’re cleaning your school. Cleaning is simply wiping down objects and removing dirt with soap and water. It doesn’t kill germs but will remove them from surfaces.

Sanitizing (think hand sanitizer) will reduce the amount of germs. This can be done through cleaning or disinfecting.

Disinfecting uses chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. It doesn’t remove dirt from surfaces, but when you kill germs, you lower the risk of bacteria spreading and making people sick.

5. Pay Attention to Cleaning Product Labels

You may think that using cleaning products is a pretty straightforward process, but some cleaners have harsh chemicals that can cause difficulty breathing, skin irritation or burns.

You want to take the time to read the labels on all cleaning products before you use them. You need to put your safety first when you’re cleaning.

You can also explore the benefits of using natural products in schools. They’re as effective and are safe for everyone at the school.

6. Get the Kids Involved

Consider your students as part of your cleaning team, too. After all, it can teach them a big lesson in taking responsibility for their environment by cleaning.

Depending on the age of the students, you could treat it like a game. For example, with younger kids, you can make a game of cleaning the chalkboards, put chairs and tables away, and picking up items off of the floor.

With teenagers, you might get a reaction similar to asking them to clean their room. It may be a challenge to get them on board, but you can use a little creativity like a reward system to get them involved.

7. Bring in the Professionals

School cleaning is a big job and there’s a lot to be responsible for. You may decide that it is a job for professional cleaners to handle.

You want to make sure that you hire a professional services company with a wealth of experience cleaning education facilities.

8. Schedule Deep Cleaning During Breaks

School breaks like during the summer and spring break are great times to do the heavy duty cleanings. For example, you’ll want to clean the HVAC units to keep them running properly and to prevent bacteria from blowing throughout the school.

Other areas that can use deep cleaning during breaks include restrooms, carpets, the cafeteria, food equipment, gyms, and locker rooms.

Even though you may clean these areas on a regular basis, they do need to have a deep cleaning before the kids return from break.

9. Clean Areas That Don’t Look Dirty

School cleaning is such a huge job that you may look at a counter and skip it because it looks clean. Remember that bacteria and viruses can live on surfaces between 24 hours and seven days.

You don’t want to take that kind of chance. You’re better off taking a moment to wipe down the counter with a sanitary towel or rag.

10. Don’t Forget About the Windows

Natural light plays an important role in mood and productivity. You want to make sure that the natural light can get through the windows throughout the school year.

Cleaning the windows of the school regularly may seem like a big task, but it is worth it in the long run. Your school can have a light, bright feel to it, even if your school is in an older building.

School Cleaning Has Big Consequences

The consequences of having your school facilities not cleaned properly have big consequences. There are germs and bacteria that can get students and teachers sick. Students that have chronic absenteeism are more likely to drop out of school.

A simple solution to a big problem like that is to make sure that your school is thoroughly cleaned every day. A good school cleaning can lower absenteeism and boost morale, creating happier staff and students.

We’ve celebrated more than 30 years of cleaning school facilities. Contact us today to find out how we can assist at your school.