The Learning Center

Green Cleaning for Schools

Cleaning and maintenance should never harm students or staff. It should protect property, and it should make sure that damage is not done to the environment. A school cleaning program that does no harm is a green cleaning program. 
So, where do you start? If you’re like most schools, you’ll probably begin by doing away with toxic cleaning chemicals. If this is the case, you might need a little direction. Here are three simple, cost-effective ways to implement a green cleaning program at your school:

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3 Steps to Implementing a Green Cleaning Program

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1. Reduce Waste

You might think that it’s necessary to roll through copious amounts of paper towels and cleaning chemicals in order to keep a school clean. But, in reality, investing in reusable materials can actually make your custodians more effective and efficient. Consider replacing paper towels and chemical cleaners with reusable microfiber cloths, which attract dirt like a magnet. Microfiber cloths can absorb about eight times their weight in water and typically require no chemicals to clean almost any surface. It’s a small change that can have a big impact when it comes to helping you reduce waste.

2. Go Touch-less 

Touch less water and soap dispensers accomplish two things: They save resources and help reduce the spread of germs. If you want to go even further, consider installing touch less paper towel dispensers in your restrooms. Combined with coreless paper products, you could increase your storage capacity by 50 percent while reducing packaging waste by 95 percent. 

3. Care About Carpets, Make the Most of Mats

Many people overlook their floors while working to implement a green cleaning program. Caring about carpets and making the most of mats are two easy and affordable ways to prevent dirt, grime and germs from getting into your school in the first place. The right mat placed in a high-traffic location can catch a lot of dirt, dust and debris before it makes it past the doorway. In addition, properly caring for and cleaning carpets can help keep your school clean and ensure a higher level of air quality.

Going green doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective. Reducing (or eliminating) the use of toxic cleaning chemicals, reducing waste, installing touch less faucets and dispensers, and making the most of floor mats are just a few of the easy ways to enact a green cleaning program. Of course, you can always take the program further by partnering with a professional cleaning company that specializes in green cleaning.

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