Schools are a major contamination point for childhood illnesses. Large groups of children are held in confined spaces for hours each day, sharing equipment and supplies. According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, children miss millions of school days each year because of infectious diseases spread in schools. Schools can't completely eliminate the spread of illness through groups of children, but those that practice effective cleaning methods and techniques can help reduce it.
Here are some of the illnesses that can be spread at schools, and how to combat them.
Foodborne Illness
Caused when children consume food or drink that has come into contact with contaminated surfaces and equipment. While the cafeteria kitchen and serving line are important parts of this equation, children who bring bag lunches are still susceptible because they put their food on cafeteria tables. The majority of foodborne illness in cafeteria settings are causes by noroviruses, which can be eliminated through the correct sanitary procedures.
Influenza
The flu virus is spread from person to person by sneezing or coughing, so it's simple for children to spread it to each other by coughing over desks and other equipment. This leaves surfaces contaminated and ready to infect the next child who touches them. Very tough to eliminate during the annual "flu season," influenza can be controlled to a great extent by sticking with daily cleaning routines.
MRSA
MRSA is a staph infection that's resistant to antibiotics. MRSA is spread by touch, when infected hands and other body parts come into contact with desks and other surfaces. A school cleaning program that eliminates bacteria and other germs instead of spreading them is one of the best ways to keep MRSA in check in schools.
A Better Cleaning Solution
Traditional mops and rags pick up bacteria the first time they wipe over a surface, then deposit them into the cleaning bucket. Every time the solution in the bucket is used again, it spreads more bacteria over the supposedly clean surfaces. To help eliminate diseases spread in schools, a better system is needed. The Kaivac No-Touch cleaning system allows maintenance workers to clean school restrooms and kitchens without spreading bacteria around, and the KaiFly surface cleaning system removes soil and bacteria from desks, kitchen surfaces, and counters with a sanitary squeegee system. Both systems remove the bacteria instead of spreading it around, leaving surfaces much cleaner and safer than those cleaned with traditional methods.
For more information on cleaning schools and keeping them safe, click here.
Related Topics
Related Products
KaiFly™The KaiFly system combines microfiber, window squeegee and chemical injection technologies to rapidly remove harmful bio-pollutants.In tests conducted by an independent NELAP-accredited laboratory, the KaiFly system removed greater than 99.9% of targeted bacteria when used with plain tap water only.
KaiBosh™ DisinfectantKaiBosh is a concentrated no-rinse Hospital Use disinfectant cleaner for Norovirus, Bird & Swine Flu and more, that disinfects and cleans in one labor saving step.Like all Kaivac chemicals, KaiBosh is perfect for use with our wet vacuum systems. Too often, users simply apply common cleaning detergents or mop soaps when cleaning and then carelessly vacuum them up. This is like pouring standard dish soap into an automatic dish washer. The result is predictable - extreme foaming, filling the vacuum tank with useless suds and causing premature shut-off. Worse, the excess foam has the potential to damage the vacuum motor. We are so confident in the performance and suitability of our chemicals that we extend our equipment warranty to customers who use them exclusively.Now also available in 8 oz. preportioned packets.
KaiVac 1750 No-Touch Cleaning® SystemWhen it comes to restrooms and other heavily soiled areas, nothing beats Spray-and-Vac cleaning. Kaivac’s No-Touch Cleaning systems are built for extreme soil removal, empowering workers to clean hygienically without touching contaminated surfaces. Plus, it cuts labor, chemical and equipment costs. Achieving great, consistent results is easy with these patented systems. Simply apply automatically diluted cleaning solution to fixtures and floors in a low pressure fan spray, and then rinse surfaces and floors with always-fresh, clean water. The built-in power of the indoor pressure washer flushes soils out of grout lines and tight places that mops can’t reach. Finally, just vacuum the floor dry -- completely removing soils, moisture and contaminants from all surfaces, grout lines and crevices, leaving the floor virtually dry and soil free.The Kaivac 1750 is perfect for areas large and small. It boasts a 17 gallon fresh water and a 17 gallon recovery tank. The system is powered by a 500 p.s.i. pump and a powerful 3-stage wet/dry vacuum.
Trash CompactorCollecting and disposing of trash is a nearly universal facility problem. And the larger the facility, the bigger the job. For example, schools, stadiums and airports may have dozens, if not hundreds, of trash cans to empty every single day. That’s a lot of labor and trash volume. What’s more, trips to the dumpster add up to a lot of lost productivity.What if you could reduce your trash volume by a third, or even a half? Kaivac's vacuum-powered Trash Compactor removes the air from trash bags in seconds, instantly shrinking them down. The technology works similarly to a food vacuum sealer. To operate, simply place the wand in the trash bag, crimp the top of the bag around the wand by hand, turn the vacuum on, remove the wand when it’s deflated and store the bag in the optional can or seal with a twist-tie.A reduction in trash volume means workers can collect more at a time, stay on task and be more productive. The reduction also translates to the trash cart as well as the dumpster, which will need less frequent emptying.
