Cleaning Classrooms, Offices & Workrooms

High-Use Areas

Planning

• Plan your work & work your plan– Start with the end in mind– Check your results

• Multi-tasking – doing more than one thing at a time– Have what you need at hand when you need it.– Minimize trips to the closet and cart

• Plan to clean your area once per shift• Remain flexible - expect the unexpected

– “The greatest plans of mice and men often go astray”

Efficiency

• Time management– Plan your work; work your plan

• Know what you’re going to do next

• Have what you need with you when you need it

• Do more than one thing at A time

– Find out what works - in your area

• Stay on task

• Clean systematically

Working in Circuits – Not Circles

• From your closet, through your area and back to your closet

• From your cart, through the space and back to your cart

• Continually running back and forth to the closet or the cart to get stuff is working in circles - lots of motion but little gets done.

• Multi-tasking - doing several tasks in one circuit – having everything you need with you– If you’re only doing one thing at a time, you’re losing time.

Product Usage

• Understand & use pH balance• Do no harm - finest first rule• Do not over-dilute products

– Use variable-dilution products correctly – Make only what you need – don’t waste

• Work dry soils with dry processes• Change mop water frequently• Use tools to your advantage

– Rag-on-a-stick rule – when you put a rag on A stick, you clean faster – Trigger sprayers or pump-up sprayers?

Preparation = Organization

• Consider the system as a whole– Define the objective– Begin with the end in mind

• Break the room/area into parts• Discover & examine the details

– Choose a product based upon the soil you’ll likely find– Consider the surface and choose a cleaning method– Choose tools based upon efficiency

Preparation = Organization

• Organize the parts into a system that flows naturally– Grouped by tasks, by products etc.

• Try the system• Evaluate the results• Modify the system• Re-evaluate the results• Continue evaluating, modifying and trying to improve.

A Basic Cleaning Principle

• There are 3 sets of tasks involved in maintaining an area– Routine maintenance

• Tasks done regularly – Spray & Wipe cleaning, dusting, vacuuming etc.

– Interim maintenance• So it doesn’t get away from you

– Restoring & burnishing, wall washing etc.– Renovation

• Restoring to “like new”– Stripping & refinishing, etc.

Basic Cleaning Task Groups

Tasks are often grouped together by “Periods” based upon their required frequency of performance

– Daily– Twice per week– Three times per week– Weekly– Every other week– Monthly– Every other month– Quarterly– Annually

Any period’s tasks can be– Routine– Interim Maintenance– Renovative

Or combinations of all 3

Then there are the “Must Do’s”– No matter what else happens,

these tasks must get done• Restrooms• Cafeteria• Trash• Etc.

Daily Basic 5

1. Empty trash, pencil sharpener, clean board2. Straighten furniture3. Spot-clean/dust built-ins & doors - disinfect phones,

dust computers, wall under the pencil sharpener, wall behind the waste basket...

4. Remove graffiti & stray marks– Writing on desks– Scuffs on walls

5. Floor: dust mop & damp mop or vacuum

Weekly Tasks

• Dusting, high, low & furnishings• Desk washing (disinfecting)• Cleaning doors & door jambs

• The list will be different in each facility

Example:

• An area has 17 classrooms; A department office and workroom; two large public restrooms and two small staff restrooms; two entry ways and some hallways.

Only You Know Your Area

• There are as many “right” answers to that question as there are people here today– Everyone will clean it “their way”

• It would be presumptuous to tell you “how” to clean your area– Use “basic principles” to create a routine that works for you

Begin and End at the Closet

• First 5 minutes to prepare, last 15 minutes to clean up.

• Two approaches to areas– 5 day cycle

– 4 day cycle

5 Day Cycle

• Do daily tasks• Divide the area into 5 pieces• Do the weekly tasks in one piece, each day• Spread the workload so Friday isn’t overwhelming

Example Periodic Tasks

• Dusting & Cob-webbing– Lights– Air Vents– Windows & Blinds– Furniture– Corners

• Cleaning– Wall Washing– Furniture– Built-ins– Windows & Blinds

4 Day Cycle

• Divide the area into 4 sections• Do daily and weekly tasks in 4 days

– So by Thursday, you’ve done all your weekly tasks

What About The Fifth Day?

• The next period in tasking is Monthly• On Fridays do your daily tasks, and ¼ of your monthly

tasks– So by the end of the month, you’ve done your daily tasks, weekly tasks

and monthly tasks as part of the normal routine.

One More Period

• The next period in cleaning is quarterly• There are 4 months that have 5 Fridays• On the fifth Friday, add your quarterly tasks

– By the end of the year, your routine will include daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly tasks – without overwhelming yourself

Heavy Cleaning: Renovating

• Cleaning insides of light fixtures• Washing air vents• Dusting or washing entire wall area• Washing all sides of furniture and built-ins - inside &

outside• Bonnet cleaning / extracting• Refinishing

Office Cleaning

• Offices are very similar to classrooms– High traffic

– Crowded with furniture

• Differences– Higher public visibility

• Detail more frequently

Office Cleaning

• Daily details– Clean & disinfect public business counters

– Clean doors & windows

– Clean & disinfect telephones

– Dust & polish waiting area furniture

– Dust & polish uncluttered desk areas

Office Cleaning

• Interim and renovative tasks are the same, intervals may be shorter because of high public visibility

Work Rooms

• Similarities: high use, cluttered• Differences: higher level of dust & debris

– Dust area twice weekly at a minimum.

Work Rooms

• Special note: copier toners (black powdered ink) can create quite a mess when using copy machines that require emptying & refilling containers (bulk toners) rather than those that use cartridges. Read toner MSDS.

• Making liners & twist-ties available near the copy machine specifically for toner changes – and informing the staff, can save cleanups from accidental spills.

Work Rooms

• Paper cutters create dust and debris and should be moved aside to clean counters.

• Caution: be aware of the sharp edge on the blade and lift by other sides.

• Emptying hole punches daily will save cleanup time in the long run.

Work Rooms

• The basic routine, interim & renovative tasks are identical to other high use areas – cleaning cycle frequencies may vary depending on use and occupants’ habits.

• This isn’t rocket science – a finished vinyl floor is a finished vinyl floor…

Cleaning Classrooms, Offices and Workrooms

Are there any

Questions?

Quiz

1. Classroom daily basic 5 tasks are:1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

2. (T/F) basic cleaning tasks are very similar in most areas.

3. (T/F) straightening and aligning furniture daily is a task reserved for the “special” people in your area.

Quiz

4. (T/F) clean carpet spots on Friday.5. (T/F) a four-day cleaning cycle allows you to do interim

and renovative tasks more frequently during the normal course of the year, leaving fewer tasks for “breaks”.

6. (T/F) cleaning frequencies can be reduced to a “one-size-fits-all” formula for most areas.

7. (T/F) keeping your cart well-stocked and with you can increase your productivity.

Quiz

8. (T/F) estimating the pH of a soil helps select an appropriate cleaning product.

9. (T/F) cleaning in circles not circuits can increase your efficiency.

10. (T/F) custodians need to be able to think on their feet and adapt to unexpected situations

Answers

1. Classroom daily basic 5 tasks are:1. Empty trash; clean chalk trays; empty pencil sharpeners2. Straighten furniture3. Spot-clean furnishings, phones etc.4. Remove graffiti and stray marks5. Dust mop & damp mop or vacuum floors

2. (T) Basic cleaning tasks are very similar in most areas.

3. (F) Straightening and aligning furniture daily is a task reserved for the “special” people in your area.

Answers

4. (F) Clean carpet spots on Friday.5. (T) A four-day cleaning cycle allows you to do interim

and renovative tasks more frequently during the normal course of the year, leaving fewer tasks for “breaks”.

6. (F) Cleaning frequencies can be reduced to a “one-size-fits-all” formula for most areas.

7. (T) Keeping your cart well-stocked and with you can increase your productivity.

Answers

8. (T) Estimating the pH of a soil helps select an appropriate cleaning product.

9. (F) Cleaning in circles not circuits can increase your efficiency.

10. (T) Custodians need to be able to think on their feet and adapt to unexpected situations

Cleaning Classrooms, Offices and Workrooms

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