Deep Cleaning Tips for a Healthy Learning Environment
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.