Ultimate School Cleaning Checklist

Let’s make sure your school is the safest place a child can be outside of their home by keeping it a clean and healthy environment.

This school cleaning checklist is here to help you keep your school, a beacon of hope in your community, as clean and sanitary as possible so students (and their families) can feel safe and secure. Let’s get started.

This is the specialized commercial cleaning system that we at Advantage Cleaning use in our school cleaning services to keep a school clean and safe by reducing risks of viruses and germs. A systematized cleaning and disinfection routine, with the use of the right equipment, cleaning and disinfection product, and well trained cleaners will also help you both reduce cleaning time and cost, as well as better quality cleaning.

This school cleaning and disinfection guide includes

• Main Entrance, hallways and lobbies
• Classrooms and Offices
• Restrooms
• Gym & Fitness Facilities
• Kitchen & Break Rooms

School facilities have high-traffic and high-touch areas requiring daily cleaning and disinfection to keep a safe environment for the students, teachers and families. The school is a safe haven for all kids in the community which makes the risk of spreading germs and viruses to the entire community. At Advantage Cleaning we have specialized in school cleaning and disinfection services and we’re sharing our steps with you.

With such a huge volume of students/teachers frequenting the school every day, it’s hard to find an area of the school that doesn’t require frequent cleaning and disinfecting. In other words, the entire school requires daily attention.

Ask your commercial cleaning service company to share their school cleaning system, and show how they train their staff of cleaning professionals to follow their cleaning and disinfection process.

In these days since COVID 19, your school may be asked to provide the school cleaning and disinfection plan that specifies how your commercial cleaning company ensures the health and safety of your school by the school board.

How to Clean the Main Entrance, Hallways and Lobbies

As students enter the school facilities, dirt and debris are tracked inside and carried throughout the halls and classrooms. The floors, matts should be cleaned often to avoid slips, falls, grime build up and mud. All high-touch points should be cleaned and disinfected daily to avoid transmitting germs and viruses. These high-touch points include door knobs, lockers, water fountains and glass doors.

School cleaning schedule:

• Sweep and/or vacuum full floor area. Spot clean floors and carpet. Walk off mats are to be vacuumed and spot cleaned to remove dirt, gum, debris, paper, etc.
• During inclement weather, lay out floor mats provided by the client in entrance ways and main lobbies. Clean, remove and store mats when no longer required, as needed.
• Clean, disinfect and polish door knobs, push bars, kick plates, railings, seats, elevator doors, and other bright metal surfaces.
• Damp mop all hard and resilient floors.
• Clean both sides of the entrance door glass and glass surrounding entrance doors.
• Clean and disinfect drinking fountains including the outside and remove encrustation from the drain screen and bubbler.
• Empty waste baskets and remove trash to designated disposal areas.
• Remove any clutter or leftover materials from common areas and hallways.
• Dust the tops of lockers.
• Spot clean walls and doors to remove all marks, and dust surfaces within 84″ of the floor.

How To Clean The Classrooms And School Offices

Flat surfaces such as classroom desks, chairs, doors, doorknobs and window handles should be disinfected daily to reduce the risk of transmitting germs and viruses, and keep the classrooms safe. Because offices are often shared spaces and/or teachers/staff frequent many areas of the school, offices should be cleaned regularly as well to avoid having safe havens for germs.

School cleaning schedule:

• Empty waste baskets and remove trash to designated disposal area. Replace plastic liners as necessary.
• Dust all horizontal surfaces up to 70 inches high to remove dust. Computers, printers, monitors, and working papers shall not be moved or disturbed.
• Clean wash basins. Supply paper towels and refill liquid hand soap where dispensers are provided.
• Clean surfaces, including tables, floors, and door handles, shall be disinfected daily.
• Thoroughly dust mop bare floors and/or vacuum carpeted areas using vacuum cleaners equipped with brushes or beater bars, and having attachments to access all areas. Move light furniture as necessary.
• Report any security problems and breaches or any perceived threats or burglaries to security officer or to property manager.
• Clean all drinking fountains and water coolers, including outside areas, to remove all encrustation from the drain screen and bubbler.
• Materials in recycling containers shall be removed, if provided, and placed in the designated area for removal by others. Recyclable materials shall not be mixed with trash.
• Thoroughly dust the vertical surfaces of all furniture, including chair rungs, table legs, knee wells, etc., including air conditioning grills along walls.
• Damp mop all hard floors
• Spot clean walls within 84″ of the floor to remove all spots, stains and smudges.
• Dust exterior off light fixtures.
• High dusting shall be performed to remove dust from high ledges, sills, moldings, picture frames, etc.

How To Clean The School Restrooms

Restrooms are the most contaminated areas in any facility and need specific focus regarding cleaning and disinfection on a daily basis. To reduce the risk of transmitting germs and viruses, make sure to follow these guidelines closely in a committed fashion.   

IMPORTANT: Cleaning equipment used in restroom areas should ONLY be used here and NOT anywhere else, as a health and safety precaution to avoid cross contamination.

School Cleaning schedule:

1. DAILY / AS NEEDED
   • Sweep and wet mop or scrub floor with a cleanser-disinfectant. Surfaces shall be dry and the corners clean.
   • Clean, disinfect and polish all surfaces of fixtures, including toilets, urinals, wash basins, commodes, etc. All plumbing fixtures and brightwork shall be wiped clean.
   • Clean and polish all mirrors and glass to remove all stains, streaks and smudges.
   • Spot clean doors, walls and partitions to remove dirt, dust and stains.
   • Wipe clean all dispensers and replenish as necessary, including liquid hand soap, disinfectant, toilet tissue, feminine supplies, paper towels and seat covers.
   • Empty trash cans and replace liners.
   • Damp mop all hard and resilient floors.
   • Empty, clean and disinfect all receptacles used for the collection of solid waste. Replace liners as necessary.
   • Report items in need of repair, e.g., inoperative lights, broken windows and doors, leaking sinks, urinals, commodes, broken fixtures, etc.
2. MONTHLY
   • Damp wipe and disinfect the full surface areas of all rest room walls, doors, windows, counter tops, window frames, sills, vents and waste paper receptacles, mirrors and glass, etc.
   • To prevent stains and encrustation and any resulting odor from forming in the water closets and urinals, disinfectant germicidal cleaner shall be used every thirty days.
3. QUARTERLY
   • Dust exterior of light fixtures.
4. ANNUALLY
   • All traps and floor drains shall be treated with a bacterial type chemical until the traps are completely free of odor.

How To Clean The Gym & Fitness Facilities

The school gym and team weight facilities should be cleaned frequently for two major reasons: (1) to prevent the spread of bacteria from body sweat, and (2) avoid scratching the wooden floors and the need for expensive refinishing repairs.

Locker room – School cleaning schedule:

Use a wide broom to speed up the process and sweep the entire floor.

DAILY

• Sweep and/or dust mop floors.
• Empty trash and replace liners.
• Clean the sinks and counter surface areas.
• Check and replace any paper supplies and/or hand soap.
• Tidy up and remove any leftover clothing. Place clothing in the Lost and Found bin.
• Mop the floors with a disinfectant cleanser.
• Clean the showers and toilet areas.

Weight room and fitness center – Cleaning schedule

DAILY

• Sweep and/or dust mop and vacuum.
• Empty trash and replace liners
• Mop any tile floors
• Clean the machines with a disinfectant cleanser.

Coaches’ offices and nurse’s clinic

DAILY

• Clean and disinfect clinic surfaces (beds, door handles, etc.) daily.
• Sweep and/or dust mop floors.
• Empty trash and replace liners.
• Damp mop floor using a disinfectant cleanser.
• Disinfect any restrooms within the Nurse’s Office

How To Clean The Cafeteria & Break Rooms

When it comes to school cleaning, the cafeteria and kitchen are obviously a crucial focus area for sanitation due to the fact that there is food cooking and consumption taking place there. You likely have procedures in place to keep up to code with your local government’s food safety and sanitation department and receive routine inspections. Please see our recommendations as procedure enhancements while you continue to follow your local authority’s guidelines. 

Kitchen Cleaning Schedule

DAILY

• Sweep and mop and/or vacuum full floor areas.
• Clean the horizontal surfaces of all furniture.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect all counter tops including coffee/food areas and vending machines.
• Damp mop all hard and resilient flooring.
• Clean glass on doors, partitions, etc.
• Spot clean wall surfaces within 70″ of the floor.

Drinking Fountains Cleaning Schedule

DAILY

• Clean and disinfect all drinking fountains, including the exterior sides. Remove all encrustation and mineral deposits from the drain screen.
• Report items in need of repair to the property manager.

Auditorium Cleaning Schedule

WEEKLY

• Sweep the floors in the seating areas; vacuum all carpeted areas.
• Use the blower to remove any hidden debris.

FOOD SAFETY RESOURCES: FDA article on food safety during emergences | CDC food safety guides

Miscellaneous Cleaning & Disinfection

Some school cleaning tasks are universally done in all areas of the school regardless and some are quite unique depending on your facility and circumstances. We’ve noted some of the items that we’ve encountered from time to time that should be considered and not be forgotten.

DAILY

• Disinfect door knobs, handles, and door push plates.
• Lock up and secure school at night.

AS NEEDED

• Lights shall be used only in areas where, and at the time when, work is actually being performed.
• Mechanical controls for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system will not be adjusted by our workers.
• Water faucets or valves shall be turned off after the required usage has been accomplished.
• Windows shall be closed and the lights and fans turned off when not required.
• Report fires, hazardous conditions, and items in need of repair, e.g., inoperative lights, broken windows and doors, torn carpets, leaking sinks, urinals, commodes, etc., to the property manager.
• Lock rooms in security areas during and after cleaning.
• Turn in lost and found items to the property manager.
• Tidy and/or throw away trash in common areas.