An Educational Facility Manager’s Summer Cleaning Checklist

From the perspective of students and teachers, back-to-school planning typically means buying supplies, reviewing curriculum, and getting organized. For educational facility managers (FMs), the last few weeks of summer are spent preparing a pristine atmosphere for students to come back to.

This year’s back-to-school scenario may look very different for many due to COVID-19, but one thing is certain: For facilities that are welcoming students back, cleaning will be more important than ever. Maintaining a healthy environment has taken on even more importance due to increased worries about the spread of COVID-19, and educational FMs are charged with making sure classrooms, hallways, and common spaces are exceptionally spotless.

Bright, Sanitized Schools: Starting Off the Year on the Right Foot

Clean, healthier spaces offer a host of benefits, particularly amid a global pandemic. For one, clean buildings promote positive working and learning environments. They also showcase the school’s commitment to hygiene and respect for inhabitants, both of which are especially critical considerations at a time when families may be anxious about in-person instruction. Plus, from a long-term financial standpoint, highly maintained educational buildings reduce the need to replace and repair assets constantly.

If you’ve been charged with creating a spotless space for students, the following checklist can help:

1. Focus on indoor air quality.

Part of your cleaning routine should include air duct cleaning and replacing any HVAC filters. But don’t stop there. Take additional steps to increase the overall IAQ of your building. Improved IAQ helps reduce the likelihood of people spreading airborne illnesses. The more you can boost indoor airflow supply and potentially even bring in higher quantities of outdoor air through natural ventilation, the easier everyone will breathe.

2. Frequently clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces.

You know the areas most likely to be touched throughout the school day: chairs, desks, elevator buttons, bathroom stalls. These should all be cleaned and disinfected well before the facility opens its doors.

Before disinfecting a surface, wash it thoroughly with soap and water or detergent. Then, wipe down each surface with an EPA-approved disinfectant of choice. After the first day of school, continue to make surface cleaning and disinfection a priority. For instance, door handles and light switches will require several wipe-downs daily. Figure out a doable sanitization schedule so everyone can keep up with the regimen.

3. Conduct a restorative cleaning of all floors.

Most educational facilities and campuses have several types of floors: Entryways may have walk-off mats, restrooms often feature tile and grout, and libraries tend to be carpeted. Work with a technician who uses advanced methods to sanitize different types of flooring.

For example, MilliCare ’s dry carpet cleaning eliminates the worries of excessive downtime, overuse of water and energy, and development of mold. And all of MilliCare ’s gentle but powerful floor cleaning processes and equipment can lift ground-in dirt, odors, and pollutants from any surface.

With our Enhanced Hygiene Services, we can also provide disinfectant solutions for carpet, textiles, and hard surface flooring.

No one knows for sure what fall 2020 will look like for schools around the country. Nevertheless, teachers and administrative teams are being pragmatic and getting ready for the return of traditional classroom learning. Help ensure the pupils and faculty members you serve can walk into an environment where nothing’s been overlooked or left to chance.