Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Deep Cleaning Tips for a Healthy Learning Environment

  • By John Engel
  • 01/01/17

Cold winter months keep students and faculty indoors for longer hours, causing more dirt to accumulate throughout a facility and germs to spread easily. To combat the spread of infections and accumulation of debris tracked in during the winter, consider these tips to help promote student and faculty health, safety and productivity.

Deep clean carpets and floors.
Many schools have carpeted surfaces, which in addition to providing insulation and noise reduction, also acts as an air filter by trapping airborne pollutants. Periodically removing these pollutants through a deep cleaning process reduces heavy buildup that can affect allergy and asthma sufferers. Deep cleaning tile and grout can also improve safety by improving slip resistance.

HVAC cleaning.
Coil cleaning within heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units kills bacteria, mold and mildew, leading to improved indoor air quality, airflow and temperature accuracy, while removing potential odors.

Maintain mats.
Mats trap dirt and moisture from tracked in snow and rain, protecting school floors from damage and limiting slips and falls — as long as they are properly maintained. Caring for mats extends their lifespan and ensures they capture contaminants. Schools can also customize mats with a mascot or logo to promote school spirit.

Sanitize high-touch surfaces.
To limit the spread of germs throughout a school, regularly disinfect high-touch surfaces within classrooms, libraries, cafeterias, gymnasiums and other frequently used areas such as railings and door handles.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

John Engel is director of Marketing for Cintas' Facility Services division. For more information about Cintas’ clean offerings for facilities, visit www.cintas.com/facilityservices.

Featured

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.