Back to School Cleaning Checklist: Start Off Squeaky Clean

It’s that time of year again when students, teachers, and administrative staff all over the nation make their way back to school and embark on a new year of adventure, growth, and academic success. While schools are ideal environments for learning, they also make a conducive environment for germ growth. Consequently, now is the time to address how to keep this all-important facility as clean as possible to promote health throughout the year.

The Importance of a Clean Learning Environment

Cleaning a learning environment is not only immensely important for aesthetic reasons, but it is even more important to ensure the highest levels of academic success by keeping students and their educators as healthy as possible. A well-cleaned school will create an ideal environment that minimizes the risk of allergies, risk of infections, and other health-related issues. Keeping students healthy means they can attend more instructional days and not miss out on valuable learning opportunities. It also prevents illness from spreading to teachers and administrative staff, which can lead them to miss days and also cut down on their valuable instructional availability, leaving students in the hands of substitutes. In fact, the EPA or the United States Environmental Protection Agency states that regular cleaning and maintenance can make a significant difference in the overall health of a learning environment.

School Cleaning Checklist

The following is a comprehensive checklist to follow to ensure that your school is as clean as possible, starting this school year off right, with a focus on health and consistent attendance. Read on to learn more details about what you should aim to do daily and on more sporadic occasions to keep your facility clean:

Floors & Walls

Mop tiles, vinyl flooring, or wood flooring after a thorough sweep.

Vacuum rugs and carpets to reduce allergens and remove dust and buildup.

Deep-clean surfaces to remove stains from flooring.

Use a microfiber cloth and safe cleaner to wipe down walls, and remove smudges stuck on grime and debris.

Windows

Use an all-purpose glass cleaner to clean windows inside and outside.

Desks

Remove all items from the desk.

Clean off desks with a safe cleaner to remove ink and pencil stains and stuck-on items.

Make sure to pay attention to the surface area, but also, the underside of the desk, the legs, and the inside.

Bathrooms

Wipe down all areas of the bathroom, including toilet handles, bowls, and toilet paper holders.

Make sure that all the drains are working right, and that the toilets are flushing correctly.

Clean the sink area, the mirrors, the soap dispensers, and paper towels or air dryers.

Wipe down all the light switches and door handles on the bathroom itself and the stalls.

Lighting

Check the lighting in each classroom, the offices, and in the hallways. Ensure that they are functioning and replace bulbs if necessary.

Wipe down the covers and/or shades of each light fixture and remove dust and debris.

Exterior Cleaning

While the inside of a school obviously needs to be thoroughly cleaned, it’s important to also pay attention to the outside as well, as this will be the first impression of your facility that is given to students, parents, and staff when they walk into the building. Consider the following exterior cleaning tips to get your building ready for the big reveal:

Power wash all dirty exterior structures. Also, clean the exterior walls, signage, and sidewalks. Removing all debris and grime from all the surface areas.

Check the exterior lighting to ensure that it is functioning properly and replace all non-working lights. It’s also a great idea to clean the outside of the lights if possible.

School Cleaning Tips

In addition to the practical tips listed above on how to ready your school for a brand-new academic year, it’s also helpful to do the following to ensure that your facility remains clean throughout the year:

Frequently Disinfect High-Touch Surfaces

There are several hotspots that you need to make sure to clean, such as high-touch surfaces. These surfaces need to be cleaned regularly, meaning on a daily basis:

Establish Daily, Weekly & Monthly Cleaning Routines

At the beginning of the year, establish a daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning routine. Establishing this routine early will help you set a routine and precedence for the year. Maintain your regular cleaning daily for hot spot areas. Then, consider tasks that need to be completed weekly and then monthly. Of course, these might vary from classroom to classroom based on the purpose of the room, but generally, every room should have a daily, weekly, and monthly task list that should be completed.

Maintain Cleaning Equipment

Although you might not think about it, maintaining the equipment you clean with is just as important as doing the cleaning itself. After all, poorly maintained equipment will not be as effective at the job and can even cause damage. Check vacuums and cleaning machines after each use, change the filter in the vacuum regularly, and clean all mops, brooms, and rags after each use.

Enlist Teacher & Student Help

While you might have a janitor on staff, there is only so much one person or even one team can do when it comes to cleaning an entire school. Ideally, you can enlist the help of your students and staff to maintain a cleaner environment and cut down on the workload shouldered by the professional cleaners employed to do the job.

Pay Attention to Indoor Air Quality

Air quality is another specific area that needs specialized attention in school buildings. This includes ensuring adequate ventilation, proper air filtration, and properly maintained HVAC systems. When air quality is addressed, you can decrease the presence of airborne contaminants and reduce the risk of germs spreading throughout a space. 

Contact us at Oracle Cleaning Solutions For Back to School Cleaning

If the thought of keeping your school clean seems overwhelming or downright impossible as you approach a new school year, consider Oracle Cleaning Solutions for your janitorial needs. We can help you maintain your space and create a healthier learning environment for your students and staff alike. Contact us today to learn more about our services.