September 20, 2023
10 Ways To Keep Your Classroom Clean
A clean classroom is not only aesthetically pleasing but also crucial for the well-being and productivity of both students and teachers. Keeping your education spaces clean goes beyond just appearances; it contributes to a healthier learning environment.
In this blog, we will explore 10 effective ways to ensure that your classroom remains clean and conducive to learning.
1. Welcome Mat and Foot-Wiping
“Studies show that 70 to 80 percent of the dirt and debris that enters a facility comes through the front door”, often as a result of insufficient matting.
Start cleanliness at the doorstep by placing 2 meters of matting at the entrance. This will reduce the amount of dirt and debris that can be tracked inside, making your floors easier to clean, and preventing build-up and damage.
2. Recycling System
Implement a recycling system in your classroom to manage waste efficiently. Make sure to empty and disinfect bins regularly to prevent odours and maintain a tidy appearance.
3. Clean High Touch Points
With COVID-19 cases rising, flu and colds likely to increase over the coming months, ensure your touch point cleaning and sanitising is up to speed and that your cleaners know to adjust their regimes to accommodate this.
High Touch Points (HTP) are those areas that have the most frequent contact with hands. These areas require more cleaning and disinfecting than others. Even if they are not visibly dirty, these places house the most unseen germs and bacteria. Frequently touched surfaces include door handles, bannisters, computer keyboards, and shared supplies. These can harbour a lot of germs that transmit infection. Wipe down these high-touch points regularly to prevent the spread of infection.
4. Daily Desk Cleaning
Ensure that all desks are cleaned at the end of each day with disinfectant wipes or spray, as this is where students spend most of their time and is an area where many germs will be present. Sanitising and disinfecting the area will create a safer environment for students and reduce the risk of contamination.
5. Hand Sanitation Stations
Set up hand sanitation stations throughout the classroom. Encourage students to use hand sanitiser before and after handling materials, especially during flu seasons or virus outbreaks.
Proper hand hygiene is the simplest way of preventing infection from spreading. This is because germs are commonly spread from our hands. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, “Handwashing can prevent 20% of respiratory infections.”
Teaching students about the importance of frequent hand cleaning and sanitising will have a positive effect.
Posters can serve as a useful reminder. Download our FREE download our hand-washing posters below.
6. Immediate Spill Cleanup
Spills are inevitable in a classroom setting. It’s best practice to make sure that spills are cleaned up promptly to prevent accidents, stains, and the attraction of pests.
When a spill occurs on a carpet or upholstered furniture, our instant reaction is to scrub it straight away to try and prevent it from staining.
However, this actually makes it worse and runs the risk of making the stain permanent. When a spill occurs, it’s best to ‘blot’ the stain rather than scrub to absorb the moisture and reduce the effect. Work from the outside in to prevent the stain from spreading. Do not use detergents like washing up liquid, wash powders or bleach on carpets or upholstery.
Have an absorbent cloth or towel ready and remember to always apply solvents to the cloth or towel and not directly onto the carpet or upholstery. Finally, try to dry the spill as quickly as possible.
7. Ventilation
Good indoor air quality is essential for a healthy classroom environment.
On average, we spend 90% of our time indoors and inhale about 11.000 litres of indoor air per day.
Indoor air can be up to 5-10 times worse than outdoor air with pollutants, like dirt and dust, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), and microbes.
Poor indoor air quality can have a negative effect on our health and well-being, so it’s important to monitor and maintain it.
Proper ventilation helps to circulate fresh air and reduce the buildup of dust and allergens. Opening windows will help, and when that isn’t possible, air purifiers can be introduced to filter out harmful particles.
8. Regular Floor Cleaning
Regularly vacuum and mop the classroom floors to remove dust, dirt, and allergens.
Make sure to sweep or vacuum the floor before mopping to ensure the removal of dust, dirt and debris for a deeper level of cleaning. If you jump straight into mopping without first sweeping or vacuuming, all the dirt and dust stays on the floor and will only get pushed around, which can leave scratches.
Once you start mopping, it is best practice to clean in small sections as this makes getting rid of grime build-up and debris easier. Mopping in a figure 8 pattern will ensure that every area is covered and brings the dirt in from the very edges of the floor you are cleaning.
Clean floors not only enhance the appearance of rooms but also contribute to a healthier atmosphere.
9. Don't Neglect High and Low Areas
During deep cleaning sessions, pay attention to areas that are often neglected, such as high shelves and low corners where dust tends to accumulate.
If left to accumulate, dust can affect allergies and cause respiratory issues. Cleaning these areas will not only ensure a healthy environment for students and staff but also improve the school’s image.
Use a duster or vacuum attachment to reach these spots.
10. Establish a Cleaning Routine
Consistency is key to maintaining a clean classroom. Establish a cleaning routine that ensures all areas are covered. Assign specific cleaning tasks and create a rotating schedule for classroom maintenance.
Flu season is just around the corner – a time to ensure touchpoint sanitising is being carried out. During the winter months, more dirt is also likely to enter the school. So, make sure to also adjust regimes and account for longer cleans for entrance areas. If time is an issue, consider mechanical equipment to increase efficiency.
Conclusion
A clean classroom fosters a positive and productive learning environment. By implementing these ten effective strategies, you can ensure that your classroom remains tidy, organised, and conducive to the success and well-being of both students and teachers.
Remember, cleanliness is not just a one-time effort; it’s an ongoing commitment to creating a better learning space for everyone.
With all these extra cleaning requirements there are techniques that can make your cleaning more efficient and save time when it comes to those tasks that are more time-consuming, such as cleaning large areas of flooring.
Contact us to find out more on 01829 773 015.
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