Back-to-School Success: The Importance of Cleanliness in Schools for the New Academic Year

As the new academic year begins, the responsibility of creating a welcoming, hygienic, and conducive learning environment falls to cleaning and facilities management teams, who must carefully prepare and maintain these areas.

In this article, we’ll share our top cleaning tips and strategies for the upcoming academic year, along with recommendations for selecting the best cleaning equipment and insights into effective maintenance routines to ensure education facilities are fully prepared for a successful year.

At the start of a new school term, every student and staff member comes together to make a fresh start, all at the same time and place. Returning to a school building that is not only perceived as clean and well-maintained but actually is, plays a crucial role in this shared sense of renewal. This experience is carefully cultivated well before the academic year begins.

Optimizing the School’s Appearance and Atmosphere: A school that looks and feels well cared for enhances the experience for students, staff, and visitors, making it a more enjoyable and productive environment.

Preserving the School’s Physical Assets: Regular, thorough cleaning helps extend the life of the school’s facilities. For example, a hard floor in a hall or corridor that is consistently cleaned, polished, and re-sealed will be better protected and last longer.

Maintaining Hygiene: In the education sector, continuous, uninterrupted learning is essential. Absenteeism due to illness disrupts learning and can negatively affect outcomes, making hygiene a critical component of any cleaning strategy.

Cleaning Classrooms and Libraries  

Washrooms located in schools and other educational facilities experience significant foot traffic and demand consistent cleaning to ensure the convenience and hygiene of students, faculty and visitors. Here are key areas of focus:

Maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of university classrooms and libraries is pivotal in providing an effective learning environment. These spaces play a fundamental role in a student’s academic journey. Here are some key considerations:

• Classrooms: Regularly clean and sanitise desks, chairs, and whiteboards or chalkboards. Pay special attention to shared equipment and technology, ensuring they are in working order. Dust and clean windows for optimal natural lighting.
• Libraries: Dust and sanitise study tables, chairs, and computer workstations. Ensure that bookshelves and reading areas are organised and clutter-free. Pay attention to electronic resources, making sure they are accessible and well-maintained.

Products we recommend for cleaning classrooms and libraries:

• Ecofibre Microfibre Cloths: The Ecofibre cloth offers the cleaning power of traditional microfibre, with the added environmental benefit of using recycled plastic bottles in its production. Reusable and recyclable. Can be washed up to 200 times.
• Triple 8 Ultra Clean Virucidal Cleaner 5L: Fast acting virucidal cleaner sanitiser for all hard surfaces. Excellent for general cleaning and for removing grease and grime and has a long-lasting ‘Cotton Fresh’ fragrance. Extremely effective virucidal sanitiser, independently proven to be kill the HIV, Hepatitis C and H1N1 Influenza viruses.
• Triple 8 BioGen Cleaner & Sanitiser 1L:  Eco-friendly plant based cleaner & sanitiser. Truly one product for every task. Fully biodegradable. Descales safely using an organic acid. Virucidal & bactericidal certified to EN14476 & EN1276.

Cleaning Washrooms  

Washrooms located in schools and other educational facilities experience significant foot traffic and demand consistent cleaning to ensure the convenience and hygiene of students, faculty and visitors. Here are key areas of focus:

• Toilet Fixtures: Regularly clean and disinfect toilet bowls, sinks, taps, and mirrors. Ensure a sufficient supply of essential washroom consumables such as toilet paper, soap, and paper towels. Address plumbing issues promptly to prevent any service interruptions.
• High-Touch Points: Pay special attention to high-touch points like door handles, handrails, and light switches. These areas should be frequently cleaned and disinfected to reduce the risk of germ transmission.
• Sanitary Bins: Maintain sanitary bins in female restrooms for the safe disposal of feminine hygiene products. Ensure these bins are regularly emptied, cleaned, and equipped with liners to maintain cleanliness and promote proper hygiene practices.

Products we recommend for cleaning washrooms in schools:

• Fenton® Eco Triple Quilted Toilet Roll: Zero Plastic, Luxury Toilet Roll. 100% Recycled, 100% Biodegradable.
• Fenton® ECO Z-fold Hand Towel: An eco-friendly 2 ply white z-fold hand towel, ideal for cost effective hand drying. Zero plastic and recycled product.
• Triple 8 Green Washroom Cleaner 5L: A concentrated eco-friendly cleaner, which is fully biodegradable and is a highly effective washroom cleaner for use on most hard surfaces in the washroom.
• Triple 8 Toilet Cleaner: Advanced formula toilet cleaner. A thickened concentrated cleaner & descaler for use on toilet bowls, urinals and stainless steel fittings leaving a fresh fragrance.

Cleaning School Kitchens & Canteens 

School canteens are vibrant social hubs where students and faculty gather for meals and relaxation. Keeping these spaces clean and welcoming is essential. Here’s what to consider:

• Dining Areas: Regularly clean and sanitise tables, chairs, and food service counters. Ensure proper disposal of food waste and maintain a tidy environment. Clean and sanitise high-touch surfaces such as condiment stations and self-service kiosks.
• Kitchen and Food Preparation Areas: Thoroughly clean and sanitise kitchen equipment, surfaces, and utensils. Regularly inspect and maintain appliances to prevent disruptions in food service. Implement food safety protocols to ensure the well-being of patrons.

A well-maintained university canteen not only promotes a pleasant dining experience but also contributes to the overall health and safety of the university community.

Products we recommend for cleaning school kitchens & canteens:

• Triple 8 Green Multi-San Food Safe Sanitiser 5L: A modern extremely effective bactericidal cleaner suitable for cleaning and sanitising all water washable surfaces. This sanitiser is food safe, fragrance free and non-tainting.
• MotorScrubber JET Kit c/w Battery Pack: For small hard-to-reach areas. Releases the perfect amount of solution on-demand. Run time 2-3 hours.
• ECO-Matic EM4 Waste Trolley: Maximising waste bin capacity, with two 120L waste bin facilities, easy-access open shelf storage and top storage tray for cleaning supplies. Easy to assemble, convenient to store and ready to equip. Recycled plastic. Easy to clean, built to last.

Partner with Castle (EU), and Reap the Benefits

At Castle (EU), everything we do revolves around making your lives easier. Our sustainable cleaning products, staff training, and product supply facilities are designed to help you save time, reduce costs, and provide a better service for your customers. Whether you’re just starting out in the cleaning industry or looking to take your business to the next level, we’re here to help, innovate, and inspire you. Contact our team today for more information on how we can support your needs.