Cleaning Protocols for Schools During COVID-19
Schools across the U.S. are reopening or planning to reopen this fall during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, multiple schools have already closed for deep cleaning after confirmed or suspected COVID cases among students and staff. With concerns about transmission at schools rising steeply, it’s crucial to have a clear sense of the best protocols for cleaning and sanitizing schools.
What cleaning protocols can schools use to prepare and keep students, staff, and faculty safer from the novel coronavirus?
Types of Cleaning
Both cleaning and disinfecting are important to keep COVID-19 under control, but sometimes you’ll hear people use these terms interchangeably. Actually, there are three methods you can use to reduce the spread of COVID and other germs:
Both cleaning and disinfecting are important to keep COVID-19 under control, but sometimes you’ll hear people use these terms interchangeably. Actually, there are three methods you can use to reduce the spread of COVID and other germs:
- Routine cleaning with soap and water
- Use of EPA-approved disinfectants
- Alternative disinfectants
Cleaning refers to physically removing germs and dirt from surfaces or objects using soap and water or detergent. Note: removing germs from surfaces does not necessarily kill the germs themselves.
Disinfecting actually kills germs on surfaces or objects by using chemicals. However, this process does not clean dirty surfaces. EPA-approved disinfectants are especially important for surfaces that multiple people touch frequently, like door handles.
The CDC recommends a combination of these two methods to tackle COVID: you should clean surfaces with soap and water first, then treat them with disinfectants. If you’re low on EPA-approved disinfectants, you can also use alternatives, such as 1/3 cup of bleach mixed well with a gallon of water, or solutions of 70% alcohol.
However, you should be extremely cautious with alternative disinfectants when used in schools. Keep all disinfectants safely stored away from access by children. In particular, never mix household bleach with certain products like ammonia and acids that can create very harmful toxic fumes.
Along with careful chemical storage, always follow these important cleaning safety tips:
- Consult the label for safe/unsafe surface types and use sites for each cleaner
- Pay close attention to precautionary statements and hazards
- Make sure the area has adequate ventilation and airflow if the cleaning product gives off toxic fumes
- Apply the product for the specific contact time (e.g. 1 minute) on the label
- Always wear gloves and other personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriate to each chemical in use
- Gloves used in cleaning should be discarded after each use
- After removing gloves, wash your hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds
What Objects/Surfaces To Clean
Before bleaching every single object in the school in a state of panic, take a deep breath and work with the rest of school staff and officials to evaluate your surroundings so you can formulate, implement, and revise a solid, reasonable plan as needed.
Before bleaching every single object in the school in a state of panic, take a deep breath and work with the rest of school staff and officials to evaluate your surroundings so you can formulate, implement, and revise a solid, reasonable plan as needed.
What should we disinfect daily?
Here are the types of surfaces and objects you should definitely make sure to clean AND disinfect at least daily, if not more often:
Here are the types of surfaces and objects you should definitely make sure to clean AND disinfect at least daily, if not more often:
- Tables and countertops
- Doorknobs and handles
- Light switches and elevator buttons
- Desks and other student seating
- Gym and sports equipment
- Phones, tablets, touch screens, and keyboards
- Toilets, sinks, faucets, and water fountains
- Communal furniture or items (e.g. in a teachers’ lounge or cafeteria)
Essentially, any surface or object that is frequently touched by multiple people should absolutely be cleaned and disinfected with EPA-grade disinfectants.
If a surface or object looks visibly soiled, however, it should be immediately cleaned with soap and water. If anything has been potentially soiled with bodily fluids or blood, cleaning staff should use gloves and other standard hazard precautions to avoid coming into contact with that fluid; once it’s cleaned, disinfect the surface immediately.
What can we clean with soap and water?
For other surfaces and objects, particularly those that aren’t touched or used on a regular basis by students and staff, a routine cleaning with soap and water is enough to help reduce the risk of contacting COVID from that surface. If an area has been totally unoccupied for a full 7 days, a quick wipe-down with soap and water is fine.
For other surfaces and objects, particularly those that aren’t touched or used on a regular basis by students and staff, a routine cleaning with soap and water is enough to help reduce the risk of contacting COVID from that surface. If an area has been totally unoccupied for a full 7 days, a quick wipe-down with soap and water is fine.
It’s important not to disinfect anything children could put in their mouths. Many disinfectants and their fumes or residues are toxic. The organization Caring For Our Children provides national standard guidelines on sanitizing toys and other items in educational facilities, particularly when dealing with very young children who struggle not to share toys or to put things in their mouths, such as:
- Toys that cannot be cleaned and sanitized should not be used.
- Machine washable toys should be used by one child at a time, then laundered.
- Hard toys and objects can be washed in hot, soapy water.
- Only wash plastic toys in a dishwasher if it has sanitizing capabilities, AND if no dishes or cutlery are washed at the same time.
What about linens like rugs and carpets?
Many classrooms include rugs and other soft floor coverings for children to sit on. Soft and porous materials that aren’t frequently touched can be cleaned or laundered following the manufacturer’s instructions on the label, and using the warmest water setting possible. However, with items that are used frequently, the CDC suggests it may be easier and safer to simply remove and store these soft materials for the time being, to reduce the challenges with cleaning and disinfecting them.
Many classrooms include rugs and other soft floor coverings for children to sit on. Soft and porous materials that aren’t frequently touched can be cleaned or laundered following the manufacturer’s instructions on the label, and using the warmest water setting possible. However, with items that are used frequently, the CDC suggests it may be easier and safer to simply remove and store these soft materials for the time being, to reduce the challenges with cleaning and disinfecting them.
What if our school includes outdoor and sports areas?
Most outdoor areas are generally fine with normal routine cleaning, not intense disinfection. In any case, spraying disinfectant on sidewalks or in parks has not, according to the CDC, been proven to reduce the risk of COVID-19, and it’s an inefficient use of limited supplies.
Most outdoor areas are generally fine with normal routine cleaning, not intense disinfection. In any case, spraying disinfectant on sidewalks or in parks has not, according to the CDC, been proven to reduce the risk of COVID-19, and it’s an inefficient use of limited supplies.
The CDC recommends targeted use of disinfectants on outdoor hard surfaces and objects frequently touched by many people. For a school, you might consider disinfecting sports and playground equipment, bleachers (if recently used), school bus stops, outdoor tables, and all handrails and handles. It might be best to cordon off playground equipment entirely to prevent use by students who aren’t social distancing.
Proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection of pools with chlorine should kill the virus that causes COVID-19, and there’s no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread directly to humans from water in pools. However, most schools are cancelling other athletic meets and practices for the duration of the school year, and swimming isn’t exempt, due to the risks of any large group gatherings.
Scheduling and Planning
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so schools should ground their cleaning protocols with rigorous planning. Meet with teachers, staff, parents, and administrators more than once to go over and reinforce your cleaning plan. Discuss and troubleshoot challenges your specific school might encounter.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so schools should ground their cleaning protocols with rigorous planning. Meet with teachers, staff, parents, and administrators more than once to go over and reinforce your cleaning plan. Discuss and troubleshoot challenges your specific school might encounter.
Most importantly, schools need to develop a clear, consistent schedule for cleaning and disinfecting key areas—those that are frequently touched and shared—more often than during a normal school year. All staff and teachers should be trained in use of appropriate PPE and the use as well as the safe storage of any cleaning products.
Tip: Providing training materials and information about the school’s plan in languages other than English can be helpful to staff, parents, and students. The CDC also offers free factsheets and posters that can be printed out and added to classrooms, bathrooms, cafeterias, and other communal areas to remind everyone of the new cleaning protocols.
Handwashing and Hygiene
Of course, large-scale protocols for cleaning and disinfecting schools will be much more efficient if combined with better hygiene practices schoolwide. By following these simple guidelines, teachers and staff can encourage students (and their colleagues) to minimize the risk of COVID-19 on top of their school’s increased cleaning procedures.
Of course, large-scale protocols for cleaning and disinfecting schools will be much more efficient if combined with better hygiene practices schoolwide. By following these simple guidelines, teachers and staff can encourage students (and their colleagues) to minimize the risk of COVID-19 on top of their school’s increased cleaning procedures.
Discourage sharing supplies: Limit the use of shared objects, especially those that are tricky to clean, like whiteboards, erasers, and art supplies. Schools should also make all possible efforts to provide enough supplies like scissors, calculators, writing utensils, and other equipment for activities and labs so that students won’t have to share. If students do have to share items, clean and disinfect them between each use.
Keep student’s belongings separate: Encourage students and parents to individual label items and to bring their lunches if possible. Ideally, students should have somewhere to keep their personal belongings separate from others’, such as a cubby, locker, or other area.
Promoting good hygiene: The #1 thing everyone at school can do to help curb the spread of the coronavirus is to promote handwashing and good hygiene. Teachers and staff should build time into their daily routines for students to wash their hands, especially after bathroom breaks, before and after lunch, and after recess.
Schools can also help by making hand sanitizers (carefully supervised around younger children) widely available near doors and shared equipment, or areas where it’s tough to get access to soap and water, like cafeterias. Teach younger students proper handwashing and remind older ones (not to mention adults) by placing handwashing posters and stickers throughout the school, not only in bathrooms.
Give teachers what they need: Teachers know what their students need best and how to adapt cleaning protocols for their specific subject. Schools must support teachers’ health and safety by providing them with PPE, gloves, hand sanitizer, EPA-registered disposable cleaning wipes, paper towels, and other supplies they can use as needed--but also by listening to teachers and their concerns.
Above all, schools can help protect students, families, teachers, and staff by having transparent plans and being flexible. If a student or other individual is potentially exposed to COVID-19, it’s up to schools to react immediately and with an abundance of caution. These cleaning protocols are intended to help lay a strong foundation that allows schools to respond with the decisions that are safest for everyone.
