7 Tips for School Disinfection
Schools are known as hotspots for germs and viruses as children come together from many homes across their district. This is especially true during a pandemic such as COVID-19. To keep children, parents, and teachers safe, schools need a good health program in place. Part of this health program should be a thorough disinfecting of the school at regular intervals. This could include hiring COVID-19 cleaning services or a commercial cleaning company.
Let’s discuss together, 7 tips for school disinfection.
Know the Difference Between Cleaning and Disinfecting
Before we start our list of tips, we must know the difference between simply cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning is usually known as picking up trash and wiping down objects to remove dirt and grime. This is important in a school for several reasons but usually involves wiping objects down with water and maybe even soap to clean. Proper disinfecting however takes place when we use chemicals to clean objects and surfaces to remove germs and viruses.
Pro Tip: Read this article here on how to fight the office flu!
Tips For School Disinfection
Now that we know what disinfecting means, let’s jump into the 7 best tips for school disinfection.
1. With disinfecting, one problem that can occur is cross-contamination. When wiping objects down, it is a good idea to use disposable cleaning supplies such as paper towels that can be thrown away after each object is disinfected. Sponges and brushes may be reused as long as the school has a plan to disinfect each one after use. If they are simply allowed to be used from room to room, they pose a risk of cross-contaminating other areas.
2. Kids love to touch items around them. If you have ever spent much time with children, you know their little hands are bound to touch whatever they are near. Multiply this by a room of 25 kids and you have several spots to wipe down. First, let’s make a list of commonly touched items like doorknobs, desk and table tops, and others that need to be regularly wiped down.
3. Set a schedule to disinfect. By putting a frequency of disinfecting down on paper, we will have everything properly addressed without leaving out any objects. Have someone keep track of the schedule to make sure it is properly utilized. If there is a reason the schedule cannot be adhered to, the person in charge of the schedule needs to make sure a contingency plan is in place to get back on track.
4. After we have made our list of items to clean and a schedule of when to disinfect, we must create a checklist. By creating a checklist, we can not only guarantee that every place and object has been disinfected, but we make the process much more efficient. Teachers and kids are at school for learning. The more time we take disinfecting, the less time there is for teaching. Using a checklist will speed up the process and allow the person cleaning to move on from one item to the other without guessing what to disinfect next.
5. Once we have the tools, plan, and schedule in place, we need to make sure everyone is disinfecting in the right way. The person cleaning must work in a safe way that protects themselves while at the same time cleaning properly. The best way to do this is to have a training session and written instructions for each person to follow. Once everyone is trained, have someone in charge to make sure the procedures are being followed each day.
6. Handling the waste from disinfecting is just as important as the cleaning itself. Make sure that your school has a plan in place to throw away the waste from disinfecting safely. Throwing cleaning supplies in a wastebasket where someone may reach in is asking for trouble. To properly protect everyone, the waste must be removed from the classroom after disinfection and placed where no one will touch it.
7. While disinfecting during school hours is a good way to reduce the risk of germs and viruses, even more work can be done to make the school safer. Hiring a professional company to deep clean during the school’s off-hours makes perfect sense in properly disinfecting. These professionals are trained in how to properly disinfect in the most efficient ways. By utilizing a team of professionals, the school will reduce the risk of infection to students and staff.
Pro Tip: Read this article on how to COVID clean an office!
Putting it All Together Learning to keep your school disinfected will not only give you a clean place to work and teach, but will protect everyone who attends. Especially in this time of COVID, schools must be vigilant about their disinfection routine. The best way to accomplish this is to have a plan in place and make sure your people follow it. Hiring an outside company to assist can achieve the best results and give your staff the time to teach the children under their care.
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