Tips to Clean High-Touch Surfaces in School

Maintaining a clean learning environment is essential, especially during seasons when illnesses like cold and flu are more common. High-touch surfaces in schools are hotspots for germs to collect and spread. By prioritizing the cleaning of these areas, you can significantly reduce the chance of illness transmission among students and staff.

Here are some practical strategies for effectively cleaning high-touch surfaces during the school year.

• Identify High-Touch Surfaces: It’s crucial to pinpoint the surfaces in your school or classroom that are frequently touched. Common examples include doorknobs, desks, computer keyboards, light switches, and devices like tablets or projectors. Any surface that multiple people come into contact with throughout the day should be a priority.
• Establish a Cleaning Routine: Consistency is key to minimizing the spread of germs. Incorporating the cleaning of high-touch surfaces into your janitorial staff’s daily maintenance routine, especially during peak cold and flu seasons, is highly effective. A quick wipe-down of frequently touched surfaces throughout the day can make a significant difference in reducing the spread of illness.
• Disinfect What You Don’t See: Germs aren’t just limited to visible surfaces; they can also be carried on items we might not usually think to clean, such as backpacks, personal belongings, and shared toys. These items can easily bring germs from home or public spaces into the school environment. Make it a habit to disinfect these items regularly, particularly if they have been in communal areas.
• Promote and Reinforce Good Hygiene Practices: While cleaning high-touch surfaces is critical, it’s equally important to encourage and model good hygiene habits among students and staff. Lysol has teamed up with The GIANT Room to provide free resources, available to download online, for elementary school educators to teach about germ transmission and healthy habits.

To access free resources to help keep your high-touch surfaces clean, visit The GIANT Room website.