Private school environments are unique in many different ways. From a cleaning standpoint, it is difficult to schedule deep cleaning when school is in session. Deep cleaning takes time that the maintenance staff just doesn’t have between classes. So schools need to pay close attention to routine maintenance that keeps things in order between deep cleanings.
Consider the school floors. Tile is preferred over carpeting because it is easier to clean and more durable. Moreover, school floors take a lot of heavy traffic for 9-10 months of the year. As for deep cleaning, schools tend to schedule it during summer and holiday breaks. In between, they rely on routine maintenance to keep the floors clean, in good shape, and safe.
Private schools are among the different types of facilities we clean. Our commercial cleaning services include everything from school cafeterias and administrative offices to classrooms and restrooms. We can even deep clean those floors. Below are our recommendations for routine maintenance between deep cleans.
1. Daily Sweeping and Dust Mopping
The bare minimum any commercial cleaning service would recommend for private school floors is daily sweeping and dust mopping. Kids, teachers, and administrators all track in dirt on a daily basis. That dirt can be ground into the floors if it isn’t dealt with. Dirt also tends to accumulate in corners. Ignoring it allows the dirt to continue accumulating until it becomes a hard mass that is nearly impossible to get out without a lot of effort.
Sweeping is useful for addressing larger debris and small objects. Dust mopping takes care of those finer particles that sweeping leaves behind. Between the two, daily sweeping and dust mopping go a long way toward keeping floors spot cleaned between deep cleanings.
2. Frequent Surface Cleaning
Next, we recommend frequent surface cleaning. Whether this is accomplished with a floor cleaning machine or a manually deployed hand mop is a matter of what a particular school chooses to do. Either way, frequent surface cleaning addresses things like spills and seasonal, weather-related dirt.
How frequently should a private school surface clean the floors? That depends on how quickly they get dirty. Some schools can get away with surface cleaning two or three times per week. Others need to surface clean every evening. Whatever it takes to ensure floors remain clean and safe is what the maintenance staff should be doing.
3. Utilize Floor Mats
The need for both surface and deep cleaning can be minimized with the strategic use of floor mats. Rubberized floor mats with an anti-slip backing should be placed at every entrance to the building. This includes both student and staff entrances. The mats should also be laundered on a regular schedule to ensure they continue to perform as intended.
Additional mats may be necessary during the winter months in the north and the spring months in the south. Mat placement can be adjusted based on seasonal needs.
4. Use a Good Sealant
Although applying sealant is not really a routine maintenance task, it is something that private schools should do immediately after a deep clean. Sealing floors after deep cleaning makes routine maintenance easier. A quality sealant also protects the floor underneath. Note that there are different sealants for different floor materials. Schools should choose one appropriate to each type of floor on campus.
We recommend commercial cleaning for private schools without the budgetary resources to keep a full-time cleaning team on staff. Commercial cleaning guarantees floors are kept up as they should be. With a good schedule of routine maintenance, keeping floors surface clean between deep cleanings does the trick.
