SCHOOL SANITIZATION AND DISINFECTION

SCHOOL SANITIZING

Schools sometimes have reputations of being sticky, smelly and occasionally unsanitary places, even before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

At most schools students, staff and community members are coming and going throughout the day. Along with traditional fears of someone passing along lice or other routine infections, people this year are especially concerned about the possibility of coronavirus outbreaks due to the amount of high touch point surfaces like light switches, desks, and door handles.

It isn’t just contaminants at school that we should be worried about either. Since schools are a perfect breeding ground for germs, children can pick up a bacterial or viral infection and bring it home to their family without knowing it. Siblings who may go to other schools can also get infected and spread it to their school and adults can also spread it to their workplaces or any other places they visit, such as stores, doctor’s offices and more.

Pandemic restrictions have created even more pressure to go beyond basic upkeep, and custodial staff or other outside cleaning firms face great pressure to exceed standard cleanliness routines, including extra attention to common surfaces like doorknobs, light switches, chairs, athletic equipment, playground structures and more. Though students are encouraged to do their part, like using sanitizer and disinfecting wipes when possible or keeping their personal space clean, they don’t always have the skills or aptitude to do so consistently.