Another school year has come and gone. Though some areas within your educational facility will be used throughout the off-season for summer classes, staff meetings, and other events, there will be much more space and time to tackle important renovations over the summer months. Deep cleaning and disinfection are among the most important tasks to accomplish during this time, especially in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Even if your cleaning staff and/or services have done a great job keeping areas sanitary throughout the school year, deep cleaning hits the reset button (so to speak) on your educational facility, preparing it for the upcoming school year and addressing any issues that may have been overlooked.
Deep disinfection refers to intensive measures to eliminate germs from surfaces that go above and beyond daily disinfection protocols. While most of these methods (e.g., antimicrobial barrier technology, misting/electrostatic spraying, etc.) focus on removing contaminants from surfaces, they also help improve indoor air quality (IAQ), reducing the number of pathogens lingering in the air. Moreover, adjustments to air filtration systems can reduce infection rates within facilities by capturing and killing tiny particles (including viruses like SARS-CoV-2) before they gain a foothold.
Here at The Budd Group, we offer all forms of deep disinfection and cleaning to keep your facility safe and sanitary. Of course, just as important as the methods themselves are where they’re deployed. Some parts of your school will present a higher risk of infection than others due to their levels of activity and types of operations. With that in mind, let’s go over the top five places your education facility could use deep disinfection services this summer.
Top 5 Places Your Education Facility Needs Deep Disinfection Services
1. Bathrooms
Most of us know intuitively that restrooms are virtual germ factories. Even if every occupant follows proper hand-washing protocols, the nature of these areas and the number of shared surfaces (doorknobs, faucets, flushers, toilet seats, dispensers, etc.) within them allow many types of pathogens to linger in the air and remain on surfaces. As such, daily restroom cleaning and disinfection are essential for keeping students and faculty safe and healthy throughout the school year. When the school year comes to an end, however, those in charge of cleaning and disinfection operations should take this opportunity to disinfect these rooms on a deeper level, attending to every surface and incorporating the proper methods for lasting results. The aforementioned PRO-Techs® antimicrobial barrier technology is applied via spraying and can effectively kill germs (99.9% effectiveness) that land on sprayed surfaces for 90 days after initial application.
2. Gymnasiums/Locker Rooms
Like bathrooms, gyms, and locker rooms receive regular activity from several people. Perspiration, dirty clothing, shared lockers and showers, and ongoing contact make these areas significant vectors for disease transmission. Commercial deep cleaning services (including deep disinfection) should take the opportunity afforded by summer break to thoroughly clean and disinfect every inch of these facilities. It’s worth noting, however, that many schools see continued use of their gyms, pools, and locker rooms over the summer for intramural sports, off-season practice, public access, and more. Knowing this, it’s important to maintain regular cleaning and disinfection protocols in addition to more comprehensive care as the new school year approaches.
3. Cafeterias
Wherever food is prepared and/or enjoyed, germs are bound to follow. Fortunately, school cafeterias are among those spaces that receive the least amount of use over summer break, giving cleaning and disinfection services free rein. These areas tend to be large, however, so there’s a lot of ground to cover. On top of that, school cafeterias feature plenty of food prep equipment that requires deep cleaning and disinfection before the upcoming school year – cleaning some of this equipment may require specialized knowledge and specific tools/products. You may want to hire a cleaning/disinfection service provider with experience in food production/preparation facilities for the most effective outcomes.
4. Classrooms and Labs
During the school year, most time is spent inside classrooms of all kinds, including smaller spaces, lecture halls, computer labs, scientific labs, etc. All of these areas feature a wide variety of shared surfaces, including keyboards, desks, doorknobs, tables, and so on. Cleaning and disinfecting these high-touch surfaces should be a high priority throughout the year and over summer break. One way to reduce the amount of time and effort spent on commercial cleaning and disinfection, as well as the risk of disease transmission during the school year, is to (once again) apply antimicrobial barrier technology to the various surfaces within these classrooms every 90 days or so – doing so shortly before students return in the fall makes perfect sense.
5. Common Spaces
When students and staff aren’t occupying classrooms, gyms, cafeterias, and restrooms, they’re often spending time in common areas like study rooms, hallways, libraries, and so on. These spaces require periodic deep cleaning and disinfection as well. Outdoor common areas are considered lower priority since they’re exposed to fresh air, but even exterior tables, benches, and chairs deserve a thorough spray and wipe down. Your cleaning staff should focus most of their attention on indoor common areas, namely surfaces that receive the most shared use. It’s critical to properly schedule these deep cleaning/disinfection operations even over the summer since they often receive some level of use year-round.
Need Deep Disinfection for Your Education Facility?
Summer has just begun, but it won’t be long before a new school year commences. Make sure your education facility is safe and sanitary for all occupants before their return in the fall. At The Budd Group, we provide comprehensive cleaning and disinfection services for all types of facilities, incorporating the latest, most effective technology and products to ensure ongoing health and safety for everyone inside. To learn more about our services and values, give us a call today at 800-221-8158!