Winter Break Deep Cleaning in Schools

Winter months tend to keep students and faculty cooped up indoors, causing germs to spread more easily and for dirt to accumulate. With students spending an average 14,000 hours in school from first grade until they graduate high school, ensuring a clean learning environment helps promote health, safety, and productivity, while reducing long-term maintenance costs that affect tight school budgets. In fact, studies show a correlation between the cleanliness of a school’s facilities and student’s academic achievement. According to a joint study between APPA and the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA), 88 percent of students polled found a lack of cleanliness in school as a distraction, and cleanliness ranked fourth as the most important building element to impact student learning. To maintain a healthy learning environment, performing regular deep cleaning is important. Deep cleaning over the winter break can help schools create a healthy and safe learning environment by improving facility appearance and air quality.

THE BENEFITS OF A+ CLEANING

Deep cleaning within schools has a positive impact on the following:

• Facility appearance:?School floors have to withstand almost constant foot traffic from students, staff and visitors during in-session months. But during winter months, shoes track in even more unwanted dirt and liquids throughout schools, from mud to snow to gravel to salt to sand. Cafeteria floors also have to stand up to spilled food and beverages. Shoes and the contaminants that they carry are responsible for dirtying and scratching floors and can dull finish over time. Deep cleaning floors can help restore both their appearance and traction.
• Indoor air quality (IAQ):?According the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air levels of many pollutants may be two to five times, and occasionally more than 100 times, higher than outdoor levels. This is especially concerning because most people spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors. Research suggests that poor IAQ can negatively affect student performance and attendance because it can trigger issues like asthma and allergies. There are several ways schools can improve IAQ through deep cleaning. Many schools have carpeted surfaces, which in addition to providing insulation and noise reduction, also act as an air filter by trapping airborne pollutants. Periodically removing these pollutants through a deep cleaning process reduces heavy build up that can affect allergy and asthma sufferers. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems also impact IAQ. Environmentally friendly deep cleaning services of these units will remove pollutants, dust and even mildew that can end up in the air. Clean units also run more efficiently, providing greater comfort to indoor occupants.
• Budget:?Facilities that ignore or delay deep cleaning tasks during extended school breaks may think they’re reducing costs, but this only provides short-term savings. Investing in deep cleaning keeps floors looking their best and HVAC units working efficiently, which reduces the likelihood of future repair and replacement. Efficient HVAC units also consume less energy, leading to lower bills for schools.

REGULAR CLEANING HOMEWORK

To keep your school in top shape between regularly scheduled deep cleanings, consider installing matting. Ideal for building lobbies and hallways, mats trap dirt and moisture from snow and rain. By providing hurried students and busy teachers with a place to wipe their shoes, you can reduce the formation of slippery and unsightly puddles. Mats also help protect floors from damage, prolonging your investment. You can also customize your mats with a school mascot or logo allowing your school to celebrate team pride as soon as they enter.

Properly caring for mats extends their lifespan and ensures they continue to capture contaminants. When it comes to the removal and replacement of soiled or damaged mats, leave it to a qualified service professional.

Another important detail to everyday cleanliness is the sanitary state of surfaces in restrooms. To limit odors and reduce the buildup of dirt in grout and other areas, regularly disinfect high-touch surfaces within classrooms, libraries, cafeterias, gymnasiums and other frequently used rooms. Window washing and the replacement of light fixtures will ensure appropriate lighting, including natural daylight. It’s important to also switch out HVAC filters and check for leaks and unusual noises to catch issues before they become larger problems.

SMARTER CLEAN, SMARTER SCHOOL

Extended student breaks provide schools an opportunity to perform deep cleaning activities. When combined with routine cleaning while school is in session, deep cleaning can help schools maintain sparkling surfaces, improve health and safety and reduce long-term repair and replacement costs. Make sure your cleaning program makes the grade by incorporating deep cleaning processes during your school’s winter break.

Winter Break Deep Cleaning Checklist for Schools

1. Use a carpet extractor in high-traffic areas

Carpets near entryways, in hallways, and in well-traveled areas of classrooms can take a beating! Deep cleaning with a carpet extractor can help keep your carpets in great condition for years to come by removing the dirt and grime that can become bonded to the carpet fiber.

2. Refinish hard floors

Over time, hard floors in areas like gyms and cafeterias will lose their shine. Not only does this make them look dingy, but it exposes them to damage that can necessitate early replacement. Refinishing floors will keep them both looking and performing their best.

3. High-pressure wash restrooms

You’re probably already deep cleaning restroom fixtures on a regular basis, but what about the floors and walls? If you’re still using a mop for daily cleaning, your tiles and grout will start to look shabby and also harbor bacteria. Use this opportunity to deep clean floors, walls, and fixtures with a high-pressure restroom cleaning machine.

4. Deep clean refrigerators

Refrigerators can be the location of all kinds of unintentional science experiments. Remove all shelves and drawers so you can clean and sanitize each component individually.

5. Wash windows inside and out

If you don’t regularly wash your windows from top to bottom, inside and out, dirt could be blocking light from getting into the classrooms. Clean windows thoroughly to boost student learning?and?save on your electric bill.

6. Clean the light fixtures

When light fixtures get dirty, they give off less light. They’re also excellent bug collectors. Remove the covers to give them a complete clean.

7. Change the filters in your vacuum cleaners

Finally, this isn’t a deep cleaning task, but winter break is the perfect time for your annual vacuum filter change.