Green cleaned schools mean healthier students, fewer abscesses, better grades, and an increased likelihood of graduation.
Green Cleaned Classrooms Mean Healthier Students
Cleaning reduces the presence of soil, pathogens, dangerous microbes, and allergens.
However, not all cleaning methods are created equal.
Conventional cleaning methods often result in surface or facility cross-contamination. Many commercial cleaning products and disinfectants emit volatile organic compounds that pollute the air, negating the benefits of the cleaning process and resulting in sick students and poor classroom performance.
Conversely, cleaning programs that adhere to the Healthy Green Schools & Colleges program result in cleaner, safer, healthier classrooms, teachers, and students.
As the American Lung Association points out, some cleaning supplies have dangerous chemicals, such as VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that can contribute to chronic respiratory troubles, allergic reactions and headaches.
Some cleaning chemicals are known to be cancerous and can produce dangerous indoor pollutants.
In other words, you could be cleaning a school, every day, and your students could still wind up sick.
All of which is to say that you want a cleaning company or cleaning supplies that meet the criteria of USGBC's LEED commercial cleaning standards.
Chemicals need to be approved by a nonprofit accrediting source, like Green Seal.
Ideally, schools need custodians who are using advanced cleaning equipment that utilizes in UV-C light and allergy-reducing HEPA filters.
Any chemicals used need to be biodegradable, non-toxic and absolutely not a VOC.
This will help cut down on bacteria while not negatively impacting students’ health.
Benefits of a Greener Cleaner Classroom
- Healthier teachers - Dirty classrooms negatively impact the health teachers resulting in increased costs for substitute instructors and diminished learning outcomes.
- Improved learning experience - Dirty or poorly cleaned classrooms can result in sick building syndrome, negatively impacting occupants' ability to focus and perform high-level cognitive and creative functions.
- Fewer absences - High-outcome enhanced cleaning and infection control methods result in fewer absences and correlate strongly with an increase in test scores and a higher likelihood of high school graduation.
- Asthma reduction - Certified green cleaning products and processes significantly reduce VOCs emitted through the cleaning process resulting in higher quality indoor air and a measurable drop in asthma symptoms and illnesses for students and faculty.
- Increased parental involvement - Studies have shown a strong correlation between improved classroom health, student performance, and parental involvement.
- Built environment lifespan - Regular cleaning significantly reduces the impact of wear and tear on floors and equipment, resulting in an increased return on investment due to a prolonged useable lifespan.
Green Cleaned Schools the Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Ozarks Way
All Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Ozarks education facility clients, including:
- Daycares
- Elementary schools
- High schools, and;
- Colleges
benefit from;
- A dedicated customer service representative,
- Routine service evaluations and assessments,
- Tailored and flexible cleaning schedules that adapt to your facility's changing needs all year long,
- Teams that utilize the latest in microfiber cloths, high-filtration vacuums, and advanced cleaning techniques for high-usage academic facilities, and;
- Corporate alignment as a proud member of the US Green Building Council.
References & Resources
Takeaway
Green cleaned schools and classrooms result in noticeably improved performance and long-term outcomes after high school.
Outsourcing to certified service technicians using the latest in state of the art cleaning and infection prevention methods and technologies results in rapid returns on investment measurable through:
- Increases in student and teacher attendance.
- Reductions in substitute educator costs due to teacher illness.
- Improved student test scores, and;
- Increased district graduation rates.
Contact us today and find out what Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Ozarks can do for your business.
Need more capability from your janitor?--Let's talk.
In Oklahoma, dial 918-960-4450
In Arkansas, dial 479-717-2410
In Missouri, dial 417-812-9777
