03 Aug School Cleaning Checklist

In a few weeks, pupils, students, teachers and lecturers from schools and other educational institutes will be returning to the educational environment. Therefore, it is important to assure that that all environments have been effectively cleaned and sanitised ready for the safe return.

School cleaning advice from the professionals

ECS Commercial Cleaning are right by your side when it comes to school cleaning, college cleaning and university cleaning. However, if you handle your own cleaning duties internally, then the following checklist will prove beneficial to you.

Dust all surfaces

Dust particles residing on surfaces will quickly become airborne, particularly when the footfall of returning students is expected. Dust particles can lead to a variety of health hazards, including breathing problems, eye irritation, sneezing and coughing. Dust particles can be particularly problematic for people who have existing respiratory conditions. In more serious circumstances, it dust will also affect people who suffer from asthma to varying degrees. Aside from typical surfaces such as desks and shelves, it is important to ensure that electrical items for example are kept dust-free, as items such as keyboards are prone to collect dust and debris.

Scrub and mop the floors

The summer period provides the perfect time to focus on cleaning floors, including hard floors and carpeted areas. The reason for this is that traffic throughout the school will be kept to an absolute minimum. Before undertaking the tasks, it is important to divide the floor cleaning duties into areas as they will ultimately require different equipment, tools and products to be used. For example, hard floors will require scrubbing and mopping, while carpeted areas will require carpet cleaning expertise. Consideration to external areas, such as paving and tarmacked, should also be taken into consideration.

Clean all internal and external doors

Something that is commonly overlooked throughout any type of premises is the cleaning of internal and external doors. The surfaces of doors, including door handles, are likely to have been touched by hundreds of children and adults, thousands of times over the course of just a month, let alone an entire school year. High-traffic areas such as corridors and entrances are likely to harbour extremely high quantities of germs and bacteria on the doors. This is why it is important to ensure that all doors, both internal and external, are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected ready for the new school term. This is particularly important on this day and age given the threat of another covid-19 outbreak. Coronavirus cleaning must continue to remain a consideration for the foreseeable future.

Clean and disinfect electrical equipment

Electrical equipment is another area of any premises that is often overlooked during a commercial cleaning routine. Electrical items, particularly items that are touched frequently such as keyboards, can harbour an alarming number of germs and bacteria. The same can also be said for phone handsets, although this is mainly a concern for teaching staff in the age of the smartphone.

So how does one effectively clean and disinfect a keyboard? To begin, turn off the computer and unplug the keyboard. After this, we recommend using a tin of compressed air between each if the keys to remove any dust and debris that may be lurking between the keys. Following this, use a sanitation spray that has been approved for use on electricals (very important). Lastly, use a lint cloth the wipe down the keyboard. In relation to cleaning phone handsets, use much the same procedure and pay particular attention to the mouthpiece area.

Bathroom deep cleaning

School bathrooms are areas that are likely to accumulate and vast quantity of germs and bacteria if they are not cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis. Toilet cleaning and sink cleaning and sterilising should remain high on your agenda. Floors and walls should also be mopped and wiped-down on a regular basis. Ensure that any residue of harmful products (such as bleach) is fully removed from any areas that have been cleaned as this could prove harmful to any student or adult.

School kitchen and canteen cleaning

School kitchen cleaning should also remain a priority in any educational environment, to ensure that food or drink does not become contaminated before being passed onto students. This is also important as it will aid in controlling/preventing allergies that students may have. Seated areas, including tables, floors and walls must also be fully cleaned and sanitised.

ECS commercial cleaning recommend that a strict school cleaning schedule is established. You can download an example checklist from this link: https://traded.enfield.gov.uk/public-assets/attach/2898/COVID-Cleaning-Schedule-and-information-Garfield-Final.pdf

For more information on the school cleaning and education centre cleaning services that ECS can provide, please click on the following link: https://ecscommercialcleaning.co.uk/school-cleaning-services/