It is officially back-to-school time for students and school faculty. Students have an average of 4.5 absent days due to illness and teachers have a higher average of 5.3 absent days due to illness. Which is why cleaning for health in schools should be prioritized. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey, public school teacher absences annually cost schools approximately $4 billion, not to mention the decrease in student achievement levels.

How can you mitigate risk within your school or university and keep your faculty and students healthy and in the classroom?

Here are 5 helpful ways you can support your school’s health through a focus on improved cleaning standards.

1. Clean desks and tables daily >> Daily hygienic cleaning and sanitizing of tables and surfaces along with assigning seats when possible will encourage social distancing along with preventing the spread of germs. Diseases can be spread by touching a contaminated surface and then touching the eyes, nose, or mouth.
2. Regularly disinfecting high-touch technology >> Keyboards, Mice, iPads, etc. are commonly used in the modern classroom setting. In classrooms, where computers and highly touched devices are used daily, teachers can assign devices for each student when feasible, or disinfect each device before being used by another student.
3. Encourage everyone to bring their own supplies >> Multiple students passing around items can spread germs throughout the entire classroom. To limit the spread of germs through shared supplies, teachers should ask parents to send their children with their own art supplies, pencils, pencil sharpeners, etc. This is important because some bacteria can live on surfaces for months.
4. Regularly clean shared spaces door knobs and handles >> How many times do you touch the door knobs, handles, or drawer pulls in common spaces? Each of these surfaces can carry multiple colonies of bacteria. Regularly sanitizing shared and commonly used knobs, handles, and drawer pulls will limit the spread of germs and diseases. Cold and Flu viruses can survive on surfaces anywhere from a couple of seconds to 2 days.
5. Hire a professional cleaning company >> Schools and educational institutions often face a high turnover of janitorial staff. A cost-effective solution for schools is hiring a professional cleaning company, Mid American Cleaning Contractors, have specialized recruiting and training that prepares staff for all of your cleaning needs.

How can we help you?

Illnesses and diseases are passed very quickly throughout schools and childcare settings. The spread of germs and diseases could easily be limited with more hygienic cleaning. To learn more about cleaning for health, click the button below or call 800-686-4597.