Nestled in the mountains of northwestern North Carolina, Watauga County Schools serves 4,400 students. Known for its rigor and academic excellence, the district holds eight K-8 schools and one comprehensive high school. The buildings are well used, hosting programs, events, and summer camps outside of regular school hours. 

Dan Reuben, Maintenance Warehouse Manager & Purchasing Agent, relies on 10 No-Touch Cleaning® systems (three 1250s and seven 1750s) from Kaivac to deep clean the school district’s many restrooms. His team of 25 custodians use the powerful tools once a week to fully remove soils and pathogens, especially from the tile-and-grout floors. 

“Mopping is just pushing dirty water and bacteria around,” he says. “There is a noticeable difference after using the Kaivac machines, especially with the smell.” He adds that the weekly deep cleans are so thorough and leave restrooms so refreshed that daily maintenance has become easier. 

Reuben never worked with a No-Touch Cleaning system before joining Watauga County Schools. After one demonstration he was hooked. Reuben was particularly impressed with how the machines make an unpleasant, labor-intensive job easier, faster, and more dignified. 

“It’s tough to motivate anyone to deep clean restrooms by mopping and wiping,” he says. “With the Kaivac machines there is less bending and stooping and you don’t have to touch the toilet or urinal.” 

The school custodians enjoy using the No-Touch Cleaning systems, according to Reuben, even if they were a little overwhelmed at first. Training and in-person support from Kaivac (“We call him Dan, Dan, the Kaivac Man!”) and distributor Brame Specialty Company helped manage that change. “The support has been great,” Reuben says. 

For ongoing training boosts, the school relies on KaiTutor™ kits. These comprehensive training systems are mounted right on the machine. Workers watch videos that demonstrate best practices. “They really help take anxiety away,” Reuben reports.  The custodians are so comfortable with the machines that they use them to pressure wash windows, dry items, and even suck up water after a flood. But mostly, according to Reuben, the crew enjoys the sense of satisfaction that comes from doing good work. “They are in a better mood after working with the No-Touch Cleaning systems. They see, and smell, results and know they did a good job.”