Page 33 - School Planning & Management, March 2019

Most likely, each bus will take at least 30 minutes to clean, if not longer. Because time is money when it comes to dleaning, this could cost districts a considerable sum if they operate many buses and must pay their own staff to handle bus cleaning. The outside contractor is reluctant to detail-clean their buses because it can impact profits.
So what options do we have?
One option is to electronically mist the buses. While there are different types of systems available, they usually fall into a category known as electrochemically activated cleaning and disinfecting solutions. A mist is applied to all the bus surfaces mentioned earlier. The big plusses are that this is a very environmentally friendly way to kill pathogens and has proven effective at killing a wide range of pathogens. The big negative is that with most systems, surfaces are not actually cleaned, and this can interfere with the disinfecting solution’s effectiveness. Compare this to using a hand sanitizer. The sanitizerwillkillsurfacelevelpathogensonthehand,butnotneces- sarily remove soil or dead organisms on the hands.
Another option is to spray-and-vac the buses. Developed for restroom cleaning, this form of cleaning, often called no-touch
cleaning, has proven both fast and effective in a variety of cleaning situations. Using a machine, the operator applies cleaning solu- tion to all surfaces of the bus. These same areas are then pressure rinsed with water. Moisture and soils are then vacuumed up. Further, the two-step disinfecting process mentioned earlier is
not always necessary. Studies indicate that pathogens are often removed in the cleaning process. **
Preventive Medicine
We should consider any cleaning system, process, product, or procedure that keeps soils and pathogens from entering a school as a form of preventive medicine. The goal of preventive medicine is to protect health and prevent disease, and one way we need to start doing this is by keeping school buses clean and healthy.
*Several studies now report that the mopping process spread soils and pathogens. Because of this, medical facilities and many schools are now cleaning floors using alternative floor cleaning methods.
**Ifadisinfectantisrecommendedorrequired,itshouldbeused. SPM >>Robert Kravitz is a frequent writer for the professional cleaning and
school industries.
STILL TO COME IN
2019
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• Specifier’s Report: Outfitting 21st-Century Educational Facilities • Special Section: Impact on Learning
MAY 1
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MAY 9
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MARCH 2019 / SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 33