School Cleaning: Reducing the Impact of This Year’s Flu Season
School is back in session which means before long it will be that dreaded time of year again, flu season .
If you’ve ever had children, you understand that schools are an incredibly effective and efficient breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria and viruses. Just a few sick kids in school and disease causing germs are spread around your campus faster than you can say low scoring test results.
Children are effective carriers bringing to both school and home everything from the common cold to stomach viruses and more. When we say kids love “hands on” learning, we aren’t kidding. They put their hands anywhere and everywhere, from their noses and mouths to your facility getting more and more kids sick at record pace. Without careful cleaning, your school could get hit hard this flu and cold season.
Research Shows That Your School Cleaning May Not Be as Good as You Think
The ISSA, or International Sanitary and Supply Association , has conducted several studies about the bacterial and viral load in the average elementary school classroom to put together better cleaning guidelines.
With this information, professional school cleaning services can focus on cleaning areas that will have the highest impact on reducing the spread of classroom pathogens. So what areas are the dirtiest and where should your commercial cleaning company be cleaning the most?
- The average elementary school classroom has a higher bacterial load than most restrooms, even those found on campus.
- Contaminated versus non-contaminated surfaces appeared identical on visual inspection, indicating they had been cleaned but not sanitized.
- Computer mice were found to possess a bacterial and viral load nearly four times higher than most toilets.
- Key touch points such as hand railings, door knobs and high-traffic surfaces were commonly neglected by school cleaning programs.
- Athletic equipment, especially mats, had the highest bacterial load due to being cleaned with dirty mops.
- Most schools suffer from having surfaces that appear clean but lack proper sanitation in high-risk areas.
Targeted Cleaning of Touch Points Reduces Bacterial Transmission
The ISSA’s research revealed something intuitive: touch points are the most common way disease spreads from person to person in schools. Many school cleaning services do not spend enough time cleaning these high-traffic areas frequently enough to prevent outbreaks.
For instance, many cleaning programs do not regularly sanitize shared electronics like computers despite evidence showing they are among the most contaminated surfaces on campus.
To be an effective school cleaning service , you must understand that a surface that looks clean and one that is clean are two very different things.
When we walk into a classroom, it usually appears clean, but proper cleaning goes beyond visual appearance. It requires knowledge of key touch points and consistent sanitization practices to prevent the spread of illness among students.
Not only does proper cleaning help keep students healthy, it has measurable benefits for school performance. A study conducted by Arizona State University showed that when common touch points like desktops were regularly sanitized, classroom absenteeism decreased significantly.
Absenteeism and standardized test scores are directly correlated. The more days a student is present in class, the higher their performance tends to be.
The Right Company for the Job
What can you do to find a commercial cleaning company capable of cleaning for health in your school?
The first step is to look for companies awarded the CIMS or CIMS-GB certification. This rigorous accreditation is only awarded to companies that consistently demonstrate high quality service and compliance with ISSA standards.
With a shortlist of ISSA CIMS certified school cleaning companies, you can be confident they are capable of effective school cleaning. Then you can choose the best partner for your specific district or facility.
Looking for help or a change in your school cleaning services? Is in-house cleaning no longer working for you? Call Stathakis today at (800) 278-1884 to learn how you can get school cleaning services that support the health and wellness needs of your school while staying within budget.
