Student bathrooms are, without a doubt, one of the germiest places in a school. To be fair, they’re typically one of the germiest places in any building. This is due to high foot traffic and the bathroom’s general purpose. Add in that children aren’t always known for maintaining a great level of hygiene, and it’s inevitable that the bathroom requires additional care to prevent the spread of sickness.
But with school budgets limited, is it really worth putting in the extra effort to keep student bathrooms clean? Yes. Clean bathroom facilities should always be at the top of any building’s list of necessities, but even more so after a global pandemic.
Increased Cleanliness Decreases Germs
Kids from elementary school to college know they’re supposed to wash their hands after using the restroom. However, findings from the Healthy Hand Washing survey conducted by the Bradley Corporation show that “only 60% of students say they always wash their hands before leaving the school restroom.”
Among the reasons for why, students listed bathrooms not having soap or paper towels, and the sinks being unclean or not working, as some of the biggest deterrents.
Since unwashed hands are an easy way for germs to spread, it’s important to provide what they need. A great way to keep on top of restocking bathroom supplies is by installing Smart Dispensers that can alert the janitorial team when soap and towels are running low. Another way our team prevents the spread of germs is by putting Silver Defender antimicrobial wrap on door handles. Simple steps like this make a big difference in keeping students and staff healthy and happy.
Clean Bathrooms Improve Student Morale
Perhaps you think that students don’t really care if their bathrooms are clean. However, the Healthy Hand Washing report states that “68% of students say school restrooms that are poorly maintained or unclean show the school doesn’t care about its students, reflects poor school management and lowers their overall opinion of the school.”
When students don’t think the school cares about them, their morale and motivation to learn decreases. This leads to lower test scores, which can negatively affect grants and other funding the schools might receive.
The easiest way to keep those bathrooms clean is to have nightly janitorial services. They can give the bathrooms a thorough cleaning when the building is empty. In the meantime, day porters can come in during school hours to do regular check-ins on the bathrooms and restock essentials. They can notify maintenance of major issues like clogged toilets or leaky faucets so they can be handled ASAP. Quick responses like this will affirm to the students that you do care about the school, and them, thus raising their morale.
We understand that school budgets are shrinking, but you can’t afford to neglect your school’s sanitation. That’s why we work with school administrators to reduce janitorial costs, consolidate facility maintenance and janitorial needs, and ensure you have the equipment and staff you need. This is what makes us the number one cleaner of educational facilities in New England.