What should K-12 schools and higher education cleaning professionals be focused on during the summer? We sat down with a couple of our Sales Representatives to learn more.
Q: What are some great deep cleaning focus areas to give special attention to during the summer months?
A: These three focus areas are top of mind:
- Bathrooms: Summer is an excellent time to really
give your restrooms the special attention they have been longing for. The All Cleaner™ XP is up to three times faster than traditional cleaning. This machine serves as an automatic chemical system, indoor pressure washer, and liquid recovery vacuum. Tools are stored and ready to go with the machine, including the scrub brush, floor squeegee, variable pressure spray gun, hand squeegee, and recovery hose.
- Flooring: A tile and grout program will get those floors
back into fighting shape. Use your All Cleaner™ XP or Square Scrub unit. Use a degreaser on grouted floor, or even High Acid Cleaner FP® to pop the color back out in the grout. What about floors that need to be waxed? If you can, choose a day where it’s not so humid. Scrubbing solution is going to add more moisture to the air. You can strip / scrub and wax on different days to prevent streaks in your floor finish.
- High-dusting / Vacuuming: Don’t forget about overlooked
nooks and crannies in the corners of your school. Try a Tolco® Extendable Duster for high areas. Backpack Vacuums also allow extra reach with hose and wand tools, and are an ergonomic option for navigating tight spaces. Plus, you can achieve a thorough clean on flooring and upholstery with the added bonus of a HEPA filter removing harmful particles.
Q: Which janitorial or sanitation products have you seen make a big difference in the way that cleaning and disinfecting practices have recently evolved?
Q: What do you think some schools are still missing out on in their cleaning and hygiene practices?
A: Paolo says that many schools are lacking the right cleaning equipment to most efficiently perform their tasks. Efficient cleaning tools cut down cleaning time, saving staff hours. This can be a game changer when planning on how many team members to employ. Using the right equipment helps ensure that high-touch areas are never neglected, and regular cleaning routines can still be accomplished. Schools must have a clear, precise Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in place. Joe states that: “In today’s market, it’s hard to find employees that are custodial engineers. There tends to be a high turnover. Without a good SOP you end up with a lot of people doing things differently… different results with different people. With a good SOP, we can convey what we want to happen with new, current, and veteran employees.”
Q: What can leaders and managers do right now to make sure that their school and staff is fully prepared before classes begin?
A: Make sure you have a good team around you… not just your employees, but also your vendor partners. Create an SOP and put it into place. Allied Eagle can help you establish, implement, and manage smarter cleaning operations. We can introduce you to online training and custodial management platforms accessible from your mobile devices. Design a custom work plan for your facility and effectively communicate assignments and requests to your team. Paolo says “it’s important to have the right products and tools before you start the school year so that you can maintain that hard work you have put in over the summer.”
Sure, some of the tasks on your summer maintenance checklist may be obvious, but one goal remains at the forefront: providing hygienic spaces for a safe school year. Contact Allied Eagle today to make sure you’re fully prepared for this school season: (800) 211-6244, https://www.alliedeagle.com/about/contact-us.html.
