Commercial Cleaning & Disinfection Standards for Education Facilities

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that infectious diseases account for millions of lost school days and cost $120 billion a year, even before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forced schools to close down. This is easy to believe when you consider how quickly colds, flu, and more serious illnesses can spread inside a classroom.

While all facilities should provide a safe and healthy environment, educational facilities must take extra precautions for coronavirus disinfection. It is no longer enough to have a school janitor or commercial janitorial manage your cleaning program. You need a commercial cleaning company that is trained in disinfection techniques and can provide deep cleaning services.

A Higher Standard for Commercial Cleaning and Disinfection in Education

As schools re-open and allow students to return, the CDC has published guidance on cleaning and disinfecting educational facilities. While normal cleaning with soap and cleaning products will decrease the number of germs and bacteria on surfaces and objects, it will not eliminate them or provide the peace of mind educators, parents, and students need. The best way to prevent COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses is frequent disinfection of surfaces and high-touch areas using EPA-approved disinfectants.

The CDC recommends educational facilities do routine cleaning first and then use disinfection techniques. Before reopening, a deep cleaning by a commercial cleaning company is also necessary to disinfect your facility and ensure a healthy environment. Choose a commercial cleaning services provider, such as OpenWorks, that has service providers who are trained and certified on the use of advanced cleaning protocols, coronavirus disinfection practices, and EPA-approved disinfectants.

Commercial Cleaning Company Deep Cleaning Standards

During a deep cleaning, your commercial cleaning company will go well beyond general cleaning practices. They will pay extra attention to high-touch areas and places that do not always get cleaned thoroughly such as door handles, light switches, elevator buttons, phones, and vending machines. It also means a deeper level of cleaning and sanitizing for breakrooms, bathrooms, locker rooms, gyms, offices, and common areas.

Deep cleaning can make your facility sparkle by giving just about everything a thorough cleaning. To aid with coronavirus disinfection, you need to combine deep-cleaning techniques with comprehensive disinfection of your educational facility.

Equipment, Application, and Training

When it comes to coronavirus disinfection, you want everything done safely and effectively. Your cleaning company needs to use commercial-grade equipment and best practices for disinfection. Gloves and gowns or uniforms should be worn by commercial cleaning staff when doing a deep cleaning. Depending on the disinfectant being used, additional personal protective equipment (PPE) may also be needed.

Any cleaning crew you work with should be fully trained on the safe application of EPA-approved disinfectants. They should also follow procedures that are compliant with all state and local health regulations and OSHA rules, follow National Institute of Health (NIH) and CDC guidelines for infection control, and be GBAC certified for bio risks.

Deep Cleaning and Disinfecting with Electrostatic Spraying

An option many schools choose is commercial cleaning with electrostatic spraying. It costs more, but it is highly effective. Since you can’t see coronavirus, electrostatic spraying provides improved disinfection coverage for all areas of your facility. Electrostatic spraying works by charging the cleaning agent being used. Electrostatically-charged particles stick to surfaces and provide a protective coating to kill germs, bacteria, and viruses, even in hard-to-reach places.

OpenWorks Provides Professional Disinfecting Services

OpenWorks uses targeted and effective methods to provide the deepest clean possible using EPA-registered antimicrobial cleaning and disinfecting solutions. We use several broad-spectrum hard-surface disinfectants that have proven to be effective against other similar viruses, such as Human Coronavirus, SARS-associated Coronavirus, Rotavirus, Rhinovirus Type 37, and Porcine Respiratory & Reproductive Syndrome Virus (PRRSV). These hard-surface disinfectants can be used against COVID-19 (also known as SARS-CoV-2) when used properly based on protocols established in the EPA’s Emerging Viral Pathogens Guidance for Antimicrobial Pesticides.

OpenWorks is the preferred commercial cleaning and facilities services company for more than 4,000 facilities nationwide. With more than 35 years of experience, OpenWorks is committed to providing the most effective and innovative processes through its elite network of service providers using the latest cleaning technology and practices and providing the best service in the industry. It’s why we have a 98% customer retention rate across our locations, compared to the industry average of less than 60%.

We apply our total facilities management approach to provide top-to-bottom commercial cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitation solutions. Let us show you how we can create a safer, healthier, and cleaner environment for your school or educational facility. Contact OpenWorks today for a quote.