How Arelli Can Help Maintain Compliance with the Latest Guidance for Reopening Schools

While many schools across Ontario are currently open to welcome students in person, there are new guidelines in place to help maintain safety that can be made easier to achieve through visits from janitorial cleaning services in Barrie.

The U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently released its advice about how school leaders can safely open schools for kindergarteners up to Grade 12 students. Among its recommendations are students should wear masks (and wear them correctly), while continuing to maintain physical distancing. Proper hand washing and coughing/sneezing etiquette should also be reinforced (meaning coughing into a tissue or using the inside of your elbow.)

Prioritizing Frequently Touched Surfaces

Aside from washing hands regularly, using hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available, educational facilities can also bring in commercial cleaning services that can eliminate the virus from surfaces. The guidelines call for approved disinfectants to be used on commonly touched objects to reduce risks, which should be continued between any visits by janitorial services in Barrie.

The guidelines suggest schools should assess the surface materials in each space and how often each item comes in contact with people. For example, doorknobs, toilet handles, faucets, countertops, and desks are all generally high-touch items and should be cleaned twice daily. The guidelines state other items such as gym equipment and art supplies that are shared by students should also be cleaned between uses.

For carpets, commercial janitorial services can offer options such as steam cleaning. However, while they can also handle area rugs, it’s important to decide whether they are necessary for the function of a room.

Make Commercial Janitorial Services Part Of Your Plan

Having a plan in place is an important first step. The Ontario government reinforces many of the CDC guidelines, and says school administration should consider if an item should be removed altogether – especially in the case of a porous/fabric item that is not easy to clean such as stuffed toys and upholstered chairs.

Experienced janitorial cleaning services will already have the right products, equipment and knowledge of how to use them. That includes wearing the proper personal protective equipment (PPE). Depending on the space, fogging may also be an option as it can disinfect a wide area, targeting both surface and airborne pathogens.