Does Your School Make the Grade When It Comes to Cleaning Up?

DOES YOUR SCHOOL MAKE THE GRADE WHEN IT COMES TO CLEANING UP?

As a new school year starts, we know that bringing students back to a clean and safe environment is a top priority. Now is the time to ensure you’ve covered everything on your campus, and we’re here to help.

Here’s a checklist to make sure your school stays ahead of the cleaning curve:

• Clean and disinfect high-touch items and focus on common areas. Objects that experience frequent contacts, such as desks, chairs, tabletops, doorknobs, whiteboards, computers, light switches, and drinking fountains, warrant additional attention and care from your custodial team before the commencement of the school day.
  
  A study by Charles Gerba, a microbiology and environmental sciences professor at the University of Arizona, found that absenteeism at one school was cut by 50 percent when the desks were disinfected daily. In addition, focus your disinfecting efforts on restrooms, gyms, locker rooms, and cafeterias. Areas such as these in a school are breeding grounds for bacteria, germs, and mold.
   
• Test your air quality. Is your HVAC system in good shape? Now is a good time to have your system serviced, clean the air ducts, and install air cleaners or filters. Clean air eliminates odors and helps reduce trips to the doctor, allergy flare-ups, and asthma attacks.

• Choose safe cleaning products. Choosing safe cleaning products for schools is crucial to creating a healthy and conducive learning environment and protecting students and staff from harmful chemicals. Be sure to choose safe products for people of all ages, especially those sensitive to strong chemicals. You’ll contribute to better air quality and reduce the risk of allergies and respiratory issues. 4M Pro Tip: The effectiveness of any cleaning product is closely tied to its application method. Before usage, it’s important that your cleaning staff read and comprehend all instructional labels and safety guidelines and receive additional training where necessary.  

• Clean floors. Lots of feet bring in lots of germs. Make sure you start off on the right foot, by properly vacuuming and mopping floors. Carpets can retain moisture, which will lead to mold and the growth of viruses. Vacuuming regularly will help reduce dust and dust mites, improving air quality. Focus on entrance and exit mats, too, and any other high-traffic areas.

• Make sure custodians have routine checklists. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), regular cleaning and disinfecting can help prevent infectious diseases like the flu from spreading throughout the school. If you use your own in-school custodians, August is a perfect time to outline a cleaning schedule for your crew to follow. If you outsource your cleaning, a detailed plan is most likely already in place, but reviewing and making any necessary updates is always good. At 4M, our local market Team Members conduct regularly scheduled site inspections and ongoing service audits to proactively identify areas for improvement and achieve optimal results.

An immaculate school presents well and is important in keeping students and staff engaged in the classroom rather than falling ill and staying home. It also promotes academic success, makes for happier and more productive teachers, and increases the overall sense of school pride. Looking to outsource? At 4M, we can help, from back-to-school to keeping it in tip-top shape all year round. We pride ourselves in delivering your facility's best, innovative, safe, and sustainable cleaning and service solutions.  CLICK HERE to contact us.