Why Professional Cleaning & Facility Services are Essential for a School Safety
Schools are more than just buildings, they nurture the next generation. For students, faculty & visitors to thrive, school environments need to be clean, orderly & well maintained. All parents, students, facilitators & communities at large know school safety is of utmost importance to our society.
According to the APPA, a clean educational environment facilitates successful learning. 88% of students agree & say unclean spaces cause distraction & disruption. More importantly, keeping your school environments clean is crucial to protecting public health.
Disinfecting schools eliminates dangerous viruses, germs & pathogens that could harm everyone within your educational institution.
Here is your guide to learn the common challenges of school cleanliness & why an effective cleaning routine is so essential.
The School Safety Crisis in Facilities
Schools & classrooms are high-traffic environments. They can often struggle when infectious diseases & virus outbreaks emerge. Germs spread quickly & even routine cleaning strategies can only do so much. Since the pandemic, the dangers of pathogens, viruses & infectious diseases in schools have only grown more apparent.
Dirty surfaces around an educational facility contribute to spreading germs. Infectious diseases pose a significant risk to both students & staff. They lead to student absenteeism, staff shortages & interrupted learning. In addition, your institution may be at risk of non-compliance with health & safety regulations.
Many schools struggle with challenges to implement the right cleaning & sanitation protocols. These include:
- Resource limitations: Educational institutions may not have enough expert cleaning staff members to handle disease control & disinfection. These limitations can compromise the safety of staff & students.
- Insufficient training: Janitorial staff in schools are effective with routine cleaning sessions. However, they often lack the training of deep cleaning & sanitization processes. This can lead to germs & bacteria being left to thrive.
- Consistency: Maintaining a uniform cleaning protocol can be difficult when school administrators are working with a wide range of cleaning professionals. This can sometimes mean the right cleaning chemicals & resources are not always used.
Addressing these challenges is crucial to maintaining a healthy & safe environment where faculty & students can feel protected against germs & disease.
The Need for a Proactive Cleaning & Disinfecting Approach
The threat of germs, viruses & bacteria is a constant concern for any educational facility & cannot be overlooked. Past outbreaks show that a simple sanitation process is rarely enough. Nor is a reactive approach to cleaning each classroom.
Instead, school administrators should seek the assistance of a commercial cleaning company. A proactive approach to cleaning educational facilities, educators & students benefit from:
- Improved learning experiences. Reducing the spread of infectious diseases helps to minimize student & staff absenteeism. This results in a more productive, healthier school environment where learning can thrive.
- Healthier learning environments. A disinfection service helps to create a clean space, prioritizing the health & well-being of students & faculty. This ensures schools can comply with health & safety guidelines, expectations & regulations.
- Gaining community trust. Schools that prioritize the health & safety of students benefit from a better reputation, gaining the trust & confidence of their community. Ambassadors, parents & guardians are more likely to trust schools with a proactive cleaning approach.
Proactive cleaning helps you to stay one step ahead of the germs that can disrupt your educational institution & put your people at risk.
Understanding When to Clean, Disinfect, or Sanitize for School Saftey
A comprehensive & proactive approach to school cleaning means knowing when cleaning, disinfection, or sanitization are necessary. There are distinctions between the three practices. For instance:
- Cleaning involves the removal of visible dirt, dust & debris from surfaces. But, it does not always effectively kill germs & pathogens.
- Disinfection is the process of using specific cleaning chemicals to kill germs & reduce their presence on surfaces.
- Sanitization reduces the number of germs on surfaces to a level specified by public health standards. It is common in food preparation areas & when cleaning classroom surfaces.
Knowing which strategies to use starts with learning how to identify high-risk areas & their specific requirements. For instance, communal spaces like school cafeterias may require sanitization, while bathrooms & kitchens require full disinfection.
Additionally, it is important to be aware of the right products, equipment & techniques to use in any situation. Innovative antimicrobial coatings to help prevent the spread of new germs & bacteria in school settings.
Training & the use of personal protective equipment are important too. Cleaning staff in schools need to know when it is safe to use a disinfectant wipe or when other cleaning materials are necessary. Moreover, they need to know which PPE to wear for each cleaning session.
School administrators can ensure staff & students are protected by using the right cleaning processes, resources & materials.
What Can You Do for Your School Safety?
By far, the simplest way to keep your school clean & hygienic is to work with the experts. Facility experts with decades of experience in schools & educational institutions come with specialist sanitation, disinfection & cleaning services. Your facility requires the highest industry standards set by groups like the CDC, EPA & GBAC.
Address the core challenges schools & educational institutions face.
- General cleaning & janitorial services: Comprehensive general cleaning & janitorial services tailor to the unique needs of schools. This can include everything from removing waste from school common areas to eliminating dust & allergens, wiping down surfaces & more. An experienced team ensures your school can offer a clean, welcoming & spotless environment for students.
- Disinfection for high-touch surfaces: Services go beyond the basics of standard cleaning. Disinfection of high-touch surfaces is essential to reduce the risk of infectious disease transmission throughout the school environment. Advanced disinfection techniques, cutting-edge technologies & antimicrobial coatings preserve the safety of everyone on your premises.
- Improving air quality: Clean air is fundamental to any healthy learning environment. HVAC & air conditioner maintenance removs dust & allergens & can help minimize the risk of air problems. Your services should cover everything from proper ventilation, to the use of air purifiers.
- Sustainable disinfection practices: For schools concerned about the negative impact chemicals green cleaning solutions are essential. Eco-friendly & sustainable cleaning solutions minimize germs & bacteria, while you remain in ling with environmental ethics & standards.
Your partner in school saftey cleaning & disinfection will create the perfect environment for your faculty & students. Ensure your space is clean, hygienic & perfectly positioned to support your learners on their path to academic success.
Contact Pritchard today to learn how we can help you create an environment where learning thrives & health takes precedence. Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest updates!
