No school or university campus has been able to remain completely free from viral infections during the winter months, and this is particularly true during the current global pandemic.
It is in the nature of educational settings that some mixing of students is inevitable. That’s why schools, further education colleges and universities are so often the centres of outbreaks of influenza in the winter months, of course. Because of this, many schools & universities hire a professional educational cleaning service to maintain their high standards of cleanliness throughout winter.
That said, Covid-19 presents a much greater challenge because it is so often asymptomatic among younger adults and children. Consequently, every place of education has had to adapt with more rigorous sanitising, cleaning and tidying procedures. For those looking to touch base (metaphorically of course, otherwise that base would need sanitising) on their hygiene procedures, here are 4 extra cleaning checks for places of education in the winter months.
GREATER DISINFECTION OF HARD FLOORS
If you have corridors with hard floors in your school, college or university, then usual circumstances dictate a simple sweeping and mopping procedure. But these aren’t usual circumstances…
Bear in mind that hard floors don’t trap dirt and microbes in the same way that carpeted ones do. This, it has to be said, is a blessing and a curse. But in the terms of the latter, all sorts of bacteria and – potentially, at least, viruses – can be kicked into the air and breathed in. As such, disinfecting hard floors more regularly than usual is a wise move. Usually, you should use bleach for this, but if your floor is porous and therefore not safe for use with bleach, then a mixture of water and white vinegar produces similar results.
DEEP CARPET CLEANS
Of course, hard floors are not the only problem when maintaining higher levels of winter cleanliness. Although they are better at holding on to germs in their fibres, carpets – even thin carpet tiles – can become breeding grounds for microbes. If they ever get released into the air, then they can cause a problem for everyone, especially those who already suffer from respiratory ailments.
Unless you own the specialist equipment (or have the budget to invest in a carpet cleaning machine which clocks in at at least £300), then consequently, booking a regular professional deep clean of all carpets is necessary. Doing so will not only leave your carpets looking sprightly but more importantly, will lower the risk of viral infection, too.
HAND SANITATION
One of the main ways that viruses spread from one person to another is by droplet infection. Although this is mitigated for by the use of face masks, it is also possible that students will touch surfaces where a virus may be lurking then go on to touch their face, perhaps to innocently rub an eye or to scratch the corner of their mouth.
Hey, we all do it. As such, hand washing facilities must be spotless. In most schools and university settings, this will mean a much more robust cleaning regime for each of the toilet blocks.
Professional-level cleaning of the toilets, the hand basins, the taps and the hand drying facilities should be undertaken on a daily basis to ensure students can sanitise their hands without immediately potentially reinfecting themselves afterwards. This means that door handles must also be disinfected as often as is practical, too.
STAFF SAFETY
It’s imperative that you make your place of education as safe as possible for staff, too. Hiring extra cleaning staff, installing hand sanitising stations at all desks, and setting up see-through partitions between desks (as well as eradicating ‘hot desking’) are just some of the essential modifications you should be making. For more thorough advice, do check out the government’s official guidelines on making your office COVID-safe, which covers everything from social distancing to face coverings, managing visitors and more.
