Thanks to Dawn Gouge, Ph. D., of the University of Arizona for sharing these helpful links to best practices in cleaning to protect students, teachers, faculty and staff during the flu season.
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Below are a series of fact sheets from the NEA Health Information Network created on cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting various school environments.
Thanks to Jennie Young (NEA) for the information.
Stay healthy for the holidays!
Dawn H. Gouge, Ph. D.
University of Arizona – MAC Experiment Station
37860 West Smith-Enke Road,
An integral part of any smart/green cleaning program is entrance matting.
At the heart of soil management is the concept of prevention of contaminates from entering a building.
85% of all soil enters a building on the feet of building occupants and most of that can be contained within the first 15 feet with proper entrance matting.
Entrance matting may be scraper mats for the first line defense against soil. Scraper mats should always be used with other entrance mats that will provide wiping properties.
Entrance mats should do four things:
1. Stop soil and water
2. Store soil and water for removal
3. Minimize tracking of soil and water
4. Provide a safe surface for traffic.
The CRI recommends a minimum of 12 to 15 feet of coverage to trap tracked in soil. But this is just a recommendation.
Remember not all entryways were created equal. There are several factors that must be considered when developing an entrance and matting system. These are some of the factors to consider:
* Is the entrance a high/low traffic entrance?
*Does the entrance have an outside cover?
*Do carts and buggies come in this entrance?
*Is this a rainy, snowy/dry area?
One way to determine if the current coverage is enough is to look beyond the end of the matting . Then ask yourself is there excess soil, moisture and wear on the finish? If so then there isn’t enough coverage for the conditions. Remember it is better to have to much then not enough.
Proper matting and amounts of matting make the importance of soil management a little easier.
Andi Lee-Marnicio CCT, RRT
Head Custodian
Blackhawk Intermediate School
635 Shenango road
Beaver Falls PA
Embrace the Importance of Smart Cleaning
Start Small
Involve Vendors
Include Stakeholders in Decisions
Publicize the Program
Connect with Healthy Schools Campaign
– www.healthyschoolscampaign.org
Gain administrative support – this is a key item for implementing change
Conduct staff training on equipment, products, procedures
Involve vendors for training and education
Test all products and dispensers before making the full commitment
Pilot the SMART Cleaning program in one school, work out the issues and then expand
Build Momentum for the program by highlighing the successes and involve as many staff as possible
Check all areas to make sure the work force is cleaning an equivalent area (ISSA)
One person should not have 10,000 sq. ft. to clean and another 30,000 sq. ft.
Make sure the equipment for cleaning is available to all users
Where possible implement team or single task cleaning to better use your work force.
Equipment Carpets can be a host for moisture problems and mold growth. When implementing green cleaning programs, use Carpet & Rug Institute’s Green Label approved vacuums. Empty vacuum bags frequently for more efficient operating.
◦ As you replace equipment use green/smart devices such as:
Floor machines that use less chemicals
Long life gel battery systems
Back pack vacuums 3 micron or smaller filtering
Ergonomic designs
Keep equipment running properly (we use schooldude work order system and PMdirect to make sure everyone has this in their radar)
Minimize particles and chemicals in the air. Mechanically capturing dust and dirt, using course spray for chemicals, and applying the cleaner to the cloth rather than spraying the surface to be cleaned are important to indoor air quality programs.
Smart cleaning chemicals Use environmentally preferable cleaning chemicals along with chemical management systems for accurate product dilution.
◦ Water delivery systems
◦ Portion management
◦ Less is better
Micro fiber system rather than moving it around. Green cleaning programs should use products like microfiber dusting cloths and flat mops, for example, which can eliminate the need for chemicals
◦ Dust cloth
◦ Dust mops
◦ Waxing systems
Saves on wax cost with less waste
Ergonomically preferable
Focus on preventative measures and quick clean up of accidents. Therefore, fewer and milder chemicals can be used
◦ Use PM program such as PMDirect to make sure your equipment is always in tip top condition.
Focus on touch-points. Door handles, bright work and other areas where people come in contact with the facility or its fixtures.
Apply disinfectant in restrooms properly. Typical procedures for green cleaning programs will include ensuring the chemical has proper dwell time so that soil is thoroughly removed using less product.
Promote safety and prevent cross-contamination. Safer products and proper use and storage of chemicals help green cleaning and indoor air quality programs create a safer environment. Color-coded tools ensure that pollutants don’t get carried from one area (such as a restroom) to another.
Entrance Matting – 70% to 80% of floor-damaging soil is tracked into the school
90% of the soil brought into any building can be contained within the first 10 to 15 feet with the appropriate matting system.
Insert language for implementation of smart/green cleaning
Set parameters for the selection process
Require vender to show how they will implement green
Include training component in specification
On line ordering system
Just in time delivery
Include all your needs
Type of chemicals GS 37
◦ Low VOC
◦ No antimicrobial
Wax products GS 40
◦ Wax Zinc free
◦ Strippers Butyl Free
Paper products GS 9
◦ Recycled content
Toilet Tissue 20%
Hand Towels 40%
Liners 10%
◦ Chlorine Free
◦ Touch free towels
Equipment
◦ No/less chemical required
◦ Low chemicals
◦ Ergonomically designed
One of the key elements in a SMART Cleaning program is matting. Matting is very important in stopping dust and soils from entering the main areas of the building.
This time of year in the northern regions cleaners begin dealing with ice melt problems. These ice melters are usually sodium chloride or calcium chloride.
When tracked into a building, calcium chloride absorbs and holds moisture, keeping walk off mats and carpeting wet and slippery. When calcium chloride comes in contact with a normal detergent the alkalinity in the detergent converts the calcium chloride into calcium hydroxide (better known as lime) which is almost completely insoluble in water.
To remove calcium chloride from carpet or matting an acidic rinse is needed.
One SMART (green) method of this would be to add 1 cup white vinegar per 2 cups warm water to a pump sprayer and spray the solution on the fibers. Then extract the carpeting or matting with clear water.
This same mixture can be used in an auto scrubber to remove the ice melt from hard surfaces also.
Andi Lee-Marnicio, CCT, CCRT
Head Custodian
Blackhawk Intermediate School
Blackhawk School District
Beaver Falls, PA 15010
E-Mail: leea@bsd.k12.pa.us
The first item is to get by in for the green program.
While having a school policy is good it is not required. All you need to do is to simply begin working with the staff.
It is always a good practice to get information into hands of school community. What are you doing, why is it being done and how will it improve the environment. Be sure to discuss the importance of IAQ.
Include custodial, maintenance, instructional staff and administrators in the decision making process.
It provides a healthier environment for staff and students
It prolongs the useful life of the buildings
It adopts environmentally friendly practices
Why is SMART cleaning important to you?