By the end of a busy term, school buildings have been through the mill. Hundreds of pupils and staff have spent day after day working, learning and playing in what are often densely-populated classrooms, corridors and halls.
It’s no wonder that once schools close for the holidays, they can look as tired and worn out as its occupants. But the school holidays offer a prime opportunity to take advantage of having empty buildings to commission a deep clean which will give your premises a fresh lease of life.
While you may already have a daily routine clean, this is completely different from a deep clean which is more comprehensive and tackles jobs which are unfeasible to carry out at the end of a school day. A deep clean can transform a school by removing accumulated dirt, dust and grime which has been engrained into carpets and furnishings.
How is a school deep clean different from a normal clean?
Your daily cleaning routine will likely be a ‘firefighting’ clean; tackling any mess made during that school day. This will include wiping down desks, vacuuming and mopping in addition to cleaning toilets. However, over time, dust, dirt and grease will accumulate on top of furniture, shelving, windows and even underneath furniture. It’s the same as within your home; you may give it a once over to make sure it’s clean and looks good each day but every now and then you need to do a full deep clean to reset and tackle those bigger jobs.
What does a school deep clean involve?
Deep cleaning in a school will involve an intense cleaning regime across the entire property. This will include cleaning all your fixtures, fittings and high-touch points such as doors, walls, cupboard tops, bookshelves, window frames, blinds, light fittings and skirtings. Of course, this is in addition to cleaning down tables, desks, chairs and stools as well as any computer and office equipment such as keyboards which are renowned for dirt accumulation.
During a deep clean, furniture can be moved to tackle all those hard-to-reach places and make sure nothing is missed. To supplement dusting, all surfaces will need disinfecting to ensure they’re not only sparkling but free from any bugs and bacteria. Any specialist tasks can also be carried out, such as removing chewing gum, graffiti, paint and ink as well as pressure washing stonework and playgrounds if required.
One of the hardest hit areas of a school premises during term time is its flooring which puts up with hundreds of feet pounding upon it each day. As well as a thorough vacuum, deep cleaning can involve restorative tasks too. This includes carpet cleaning and stain removal as well as scrubbing and polishing hard floors and treating scratches. Once your floors are deep cleaned in this way, the difference will be startlingly noticeable. The colours of your carpets will be more vibrant and fresher while hard flooring can look as good as new once more.
In your washrooms, a deep clean will see a proper scrub of your toilets, sinks, walls and floors as well as any showers and changing rooms. A deep clean disinfectant and sterilisation of these areas is essential to combat the spread of bacteria which can thrive in warm, damp environments even when they are cleaned daily as well as the removal of mould and grease. One-off jobs here also include removing limescale, tackling stains and cleaning up any graffiti.
Over to food service areas, regular deep cleaning is a must to remove built-up grease and bacteria. This is not only required on kitchen equipment but also within any dining halls or canteens with a full deodorisation to remove any old food smells and stubborn odours.
Why deep clean a school in the holidays?
Deep cleaning tasks are not something which can just be added on quickly at the end of each school day, they take time and sometimes specialist products and equipment too. It is much easier and more convenient to deep clean a school premises when it is empty of busy staff and energetic pupils. During the holidays, your cleaners can take on a comprehensive deep clean without being subject to the time restrictions of the school day and can move furniture out the way until the job is done. One big clean is not only more effective than lots of smaller cleans but it is more efficient from a time and resource perspective too.
What are the benefits of deep cleaning a school?
Only by deep cleaning can you really achieve an optimum level of cleanliness within a school building. By committing to doing this within the school holidays, you are starting a new term with a fresh and clean premises – offering a positive welcome to staff and pupils as well as creating a good and professional impression of your school. And let’s not forget the impression you’ll want to leave on other visitors such as prospective parents and inspectors!
A clean and welcoming school will give staff and pupils an environment they can be proud of and be inspired to keep it this way as well as boosting their morale. It’s also a lot easier to maintain a high level of cleanliness once you’ve done a deep clean, helping your cleaning staff stay on top of the work.
Deep cleans not only look good but they result in a cleaner, healthier environment; killing bacteria and germs and removing accumulated dust which can provoke allergies. A clean premises also reduces the risk of attracting pests and bugs.
What’s more, keeping your school clean can even save you money. A study in America by Dr Jeff Campbell called the Clean Schools Initiative discovered that a school with a set cleaning standard actually reduced its operating costs by 50%. The study also concluded that it resulted in higher productivity, a cleaner and healthier environment and an environment more conducive to children’s education.
How often does a school need to be deep cleaned?
The frequency of deep cleaning depends on several factors, such as the size of your school, number of pupils, what areas are used, the exposure of a room to the outdoors, the makeup of your outdoor facilities (some will be muddier than others!) and what has happened in each classroom during the term. Not only will any two schools not have the same cleaning needs, but your requirements may change on an annual or even termly basis. Therefore, the best solution is to review the cleaning needs of your school during each half term and book a deep clean as soon as it becomes necessary. However, remember that school deep cleaning is popular during the holidays so book early to guarantee your desired time slot.
phs Interclean offers a wide selection of interior, exterior and specialist cleaning services. Our cleaning technicians are qualified and experienced to deliver the highest standards of service, with 24/7 availability no matter where you are in the country.
To book your school deep clean, get in touch today.
Get in touch today!
