Cintas’ Tips for a Healthy and Happy School Year
With the new school year quickly approaching, it’s time to gear up for the influx of students, staff and visitors. Since everyone is coming together again, it's inevitable that school occupants will be exposed to more germs and bacteria.
In fact, over 22 million school days are missed each year due to a cold. To decrease this number, evaluate your current cleaning routine and implement improvements that help reduce the presence of bacteria. These improvements can include upgrading your cleaning products and more.
We’ve compiled tips to support your school’s custodial team in encouraging a healthy year.
- Encourage Proper Hand Hygiene
Did you know our hands carry around 4,700 different germs? Proper hand hygiene compliance is important in maintaining cleanliness throughout the school year. Keep in mind over 97% of people wash their hands incorrectly, leaving some germs behind. To combat this, add hand sanitizer dispensers in classrooms, lunchrooms, gymnasiums and hallways to increase hand hygiene compliance. Our Automatic Hand Sanitizer Dispenser and Stands are a perfect option because their portability allows you to place them wherever needed. The cleverly designed drip tray keeps the sanitizer off the floor and on the hands. Its gentle formula is perfect for everyday use.
- Incorporate Matting Throughout
Floor maintenance can be tricky in high-traffic areas like schools. Cintas’ is here to help. Our shoes can carry around 421,000 units of bacteria. When entering a building, these bacteria can unknowingly enter with you. Floor mats aid in reducing the number of contaminants that enter the building while preserving the floor's finish.
Consider adding mats at all entrances and communal areas where foot traffic is high. Our High-Performance Series™ mats come in a variety of options. For example, the Cintas Active Scraper® Mats stop debris from entering a school, the Cintas WellnessMats® are excellent to help minimize fatigue for standing jobs, especially for lunchroom employees and Cintas Photo® Mats are a fun addition to any classroom. With our rental service, we deliver fresh, clean mats on a regular basis to protect and preserve your school’s floor year-round.
- Clean with Sustainable Products
Selecting the right cleaning chemicals is important in maintaining a safe and hygienic environment. Evaluate the current cleaning chemicals your school uses and think about switching to products that are third-party certified, like Green Seal®. In turn, using certified sustainable products minimizes your school's environmental impact.
Cintas’ Signet® Cleaning Chemicals is a certified range of cleaning solutions that can be tailored to your school's needs. We offer a diverse selection of floor, hard surface and manual ware washing cleaners that are Green Seal®-certified. These pre-mixed formulas not only effectively clean but also reduce your custodian’s exposure to concentrated chemicals to promote a healthier cleaning experience.
- Optimize Maintenance Training
Frequent training on cleaning practices reinforces proper technique and prepares your team to efficiently address cleaning issues. Create a structured schedule that outlines when classrooms, restrooms and other shared areas need to be cleaned. Or consider partnering with a reputable third-party cleaning service to support your daily cleaning needs.
Working with a Cintas representative along with your school’s custodial team can provide additional assistance in keeping your school running smoothly. Our experts will evaluate your cleaning supply closets to ensure they’re simplified and easy to manage for your custodians. We’ll regularly monitor, refill and maintain the chemical dispensers to allow your custodial team to be fully prepared to tackle any cleaning emergencies.
Have a Great School Year
Implementing these tips can help you maintain a hygienic school environment this upcoming year. Encouraging proper hand hygiene, updating your cleaning products and routine and outsourcing cleaning services when you’re short on custodial staff can all contribute to creating a welcoming environment for students and staff returning for the new school year.
For more information, visit cintas.com/facilityservices.