Articles

Keys to Floor Cleaning for a Safer School Year

Categories: Cleaning Best Practices, Cleaning for Health & Safety, ISSA Member Sponsored Content

The 2023-2024 school year is in full swing which means hallways and classrooms are filled with students, teachers, and staff. This means there is an influx of foot traffic throughout school facilities, bringing in germs. Keeping up with a consistent maintenance routine will allow you to provide students and staff with a hygienic learning environment. Help promote a safe school year by updating your school’s cleaning routine using these tips for floor cleaning.

Importance of Regular Floor Maintenance

Creates a Healthy Learning Environment
Between playtime and assemblies, school floors can easily become high-touch areas, especially in elementary schools. These areas can harvest mass amounts of bacteria. In one study, over 2,045 different types of bacteria species were found throughout several classroom floors. As students and teachers move from one room to another throughout the day, their shoes carry and transfer germs. However, with a comprehensive floor care routine and the correct tools, schools can minimize the presence of this bacterium to overall promote a cleaner and healthier learning space.

Promotes Accident Reduction
Spills and dirt happen at schools. Nevertheless, if not addressed properly, wet and dirty floors can pose a potential slip-and-fall hazard. A way to help decrease this is by establishing floor cleaning protocols when spills happen. Furthermore, saving a detailed floor cleaning schedule can help mitigate risks and effectively reduce the likelihood of slips and falls..

Use the Proper Tools

Using the proper cleaning tools is a critical component of floor care. Cleaning with dirty equipment contributes to an excessive build-up of dirt, leading to floor damage. Investing in high-quality cleaning tools, such as mops, reduces your long-term supply costs because of their durability and longevity.  Additionally, the use of mop buckets with dual cavity walls helps to separate clean and dirty water, minimizing the redeposit of dirty water back onto the floor. When updating your routine consider the following factors:

• Floor Types and Cleaning: Various floor types call for different tools. To optimize cleaning efficiency, match your mop heads to the specific floor type. For example, it’s better to use looped-end mop heads on uneven stone for their durability. If looking for a mop with quick absorption, opt for one with a cotton fiber mop head. These fibers have an incredible water-holding capacity of around 27 times their own weight. Overall making it a more efficient option for your custodial team to use when needing to quickly clean up any spills on the floor.
• Germ Transmission: Implement a color-coding system appointing different mops and buckets for specific areas. This will minimize the movement of bacteria from room to room and allow your cleaning team to know what mops to use where. For instance, designating red for high-risk areas like restrooms and blue for low-risk areas such as hallways. By implementing this system, you aid in reducing the risk of cross-contamination between different rooms.
• Environmental Goals: Figuring out which products are truly eco-friendly can be tricky as some companies use misleading claims. Just because products have terms like “natural” or “eco-friendly” doesn’t guarantee they’re free from chemicals and unsustainable production. This practice is known as greenwashing. Making sustainable choices starts by looking for products, such as mop heads, that are certified by a third party. This helps ensure sustainability. By using third-party certified products, you actively contribute to your school’s environmental goals and decrease its ecological footprint.

Maintain a Healthy School Year

Prioritize consistent floor cleaning year-round to help keep your school clean and safe. Routine floor maintenance helps reduce bacteria and germ transmission on top of potential trip hazards throughout the building. By making floor care a priority, you can create a hygienic environment that is safe for your school’s students and staff.

About the Author.

Carlos Albir Jr. is Vice President of Operations at ABCO Cleaning Products, a leader in sustainable cleaning tools. ABCO is a family-owned, Certified Minority Business Enterprise with Green Seal and UL Solutions-certified products, headquartered in Miami. For more information, visit www.abcoproducts.com.