Tips for Cleaning School Buses in the Age of Coronavirus

[Kevin Lloyd]

Some International School children spend as much as 3 hours riding school buses daily. To help protect the health of children, teachers, and staff because of Coronavirus schools must address their cleaning protocols and ensure they are taking every step possible to clean for health.

One of the first areas of focus should be the school buses that transport children every day. They also transport countless amounts of germs. This means a student can contaminate an area as soon as they touch the seat or handrail.

School buses are prone to the spread of infectious diseases such as colds and the flu. The students directly, as well as surfaces such as the seat backs and handrails can also contribute to the further spread of germs. Keeping these areas clean can help prevent germs and the spread of disease.

Other areas of school buses that can become contaminated, and do so regularly, are stability poles and bars in the bus as well as windows and window ledges. Students often put their hands on these areas.

Studies of Coronavirus indicate that the virus can be spread by inhaling germs and touching contaminated surfaces. So, what steps should school administrators and school bus companies now take to help ensure the buses their students ride in are as hygienically clean as possible?

1.   Conduct a high-touch audit. Some high-touch areas in buses

·        Seats, seat backs

·        Handrails

·        Stability bars

·        Windows

·        Seatbelts

·        Other areas – suggestion - Sit in the [bus] seats and look around.

2.   Clean floors first. Often when cleaning the floor of a bus, dust and contaminants on the floor become airborne and land on nearby surfaces. By cleaning the floor first, these pathogens are removed, so this does not happen.

3.   Vacuum floors. If possible, school bus floors should be vacuumed with a backpack or canister vacuum. These are more effective at removing dust and soils and they prevent them from becoming airborne.

4.   Avoid mops. Mops collect soils and contaminants, but these also build up on the mop. When this happens, the mop starts spreading soils. This build-up can then collect on shoe bottoms and shoelaces that are later touched by children.

5.   Consider floor-cleaning alternatives. What ISSA, the worldwide cleaning association, calls "spray-and-vac" (no-touch) cleaning systems or "dispense-and-vac" cleaning systems, eliminates the use of mops.
 

They work by applying cleaning solution and disinfectants to the floor and other areas needing to be cleaned. The machine rinses the surfaces and all soils and moisture are then vacuumed up by the machine.

6.   Practice two-step cleaning. If manually cleaning touchable surfaces of the bus, administrators should know that surfaces must be cleaned first, and then the same surfaces must be disinfected. A two-step process - Cleaning removes soils so that the disinfectant can work effectively.

7.   Always use microfiber towels. Microfiber towels or what are called “smart towels” should always be used when cleaning school bus interiors. Wet the surface first and then use the microfiber. Studies using ATP monitors indicate this is more effective at removing soils. Microfiber towels should be changed frequently; do not use the same microfiber towel on another bus. The smart towels are designed to be folded into eight quadrants. This allows the user to fold the towel and only use one quadrant at a time, helping to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

8.   Be aware: Activated cleaning may be needed. Unless there is an outbreak of Coronavirus at your operation, activated cleaning systems should not be necessary. However, administrators should know about activated cleaning systems. They release a disinfectant mist that kills pathogens on surfaces. But once again, the surface must be cleaned first for them to perform effectively.

From Robert Kravitz a frequent writer for the professional cleaning industry.

[Guest]

Thanks for this great info. Even I just reading about this same topic. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be reduced and killed from surfaces, objects, and hands if the right products are used correctly. Cleaning and disinfecting are part of a broad approach to prevent infectious diseases, including COVID-19, in schools.

Cleaning physically removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces or objects by using soap (or detergent) and water.

This process does not necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.

Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects. Disinfecting works by using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces or objects.

This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.

Clean surfaces and objects using soap and water prior to disinfection.

Hand sanitizers are less effective than handwashing in some situations

• Alcohol-based hand sanitizers kill the virus that causes COVID-19 when used correctly. However, hand sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs, including some germs that cause diarrhea. Always wash hands with soap and water after using the toilet.
• Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy. Hands are often dirty or greasy after activities like eating or playing outside.
• Hand sanitizers might not remove harmful chemicals, like pesticides and heavy metals, from hands.

 

 

On 06/05/2020 at 11:22, Kevin Lloyd said:

Some International School children spend as much as 3 hours riding school buses daily. To help protect the health of children, teachers, and staff because of Coronavirus schools must address their cleaning protocols and ensure they are taking every step possible to clean for health.

One of the first areas of focus should be the school buses that transport children every day. They also transport countless amounts of germs. This means a student can contaminate an area as soon as they touch the seat or handrail.

School buses are prone to the spread of infectious diseases such as colds and the flu. The students directly, as well as surfaces such as the seat backs and handrails can also contribute to the further spread of germs. Keeping these areas clean can help prevent germs and the spread of disease.

Other areas of school buses that can become contaminated, and do so regularly, are stability poles and bars in the bus as well as windows and window ledges. Students often put their hands on these areas.

Studies of Coronavirus indicate that the virus can be spread by inhaling germs and touching contaminated surfaces. So, what steps should school administrators and school bus companies now take to help ensure the buses their students ride in are as hygienically clean as possible?

1.   Conduct a high-touch audit. Some high-touch areas in buses

·        Seats, seat backs

·        Handrails

·        Stability bars

·        Windows

·        Seatbelts

·        Other areas – suggestion - Sit in the [bus] seats and look around.

2.   Clean floors first. Often when cleaning the floor of a bus, dust and contaminants on the floor become airborne and land on nearby surfaces. By cleaning the floor first, these pathogens are removed, so this does not happen.

3.   Vacuum floors. If possible, school bus floors should be vacuumed with a backpack or canister vacuum. These are more effective at removing dust and soils and they prevent them from becoming airborne.

4.   Avoid mops. Mops collect soils and contaminants, but these also build up on the mop. When this happens, the mop starts spreading soils. This build-up can then collect on shoe bottoms and shoelaces that are later touched by children.

5.   Consider floor-cleaning alternatives. What ISSA, the worldwide cleaning association, calls "spray-and-vac" (no-touch) cleaning systems or "dispense-and-vac" cleaning systems, eliminates the use of mops.
 

They work by applying cleaning solution and disinfectants to the floor and other areas needing to be cleaned. The machine rinses the surfaces and all soils and moisture are then vacuumed up by the machine.

6.   Practice two-step cleaning. If manually cleaning touchable surfaces of the bus, administrators should know that surfaces must be cleaned first, and then the same surfaces must be disinfected. A two-step process - Cleaning removes soils so that the disinfectant can work effectively.

7.   Always use microfiber towels. Microfiber towels or what are called “smart towels” should always be used when cleaning school bus interiors. Wet the surface first and then use the microfiber. Studies using ATP monitors indicate this is more effective at removing soils. Microfiber towels should be changed frequently; do not use the same microfiber towel on another bus. The smart towels are designed to be folded into eight quadrants. This allows the user to fold the towel and only use one quadrant at a time, helping to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

8.   Be aware: Activated cleaning may be needed. Unless there is an outbreak of Coronavirus at your operation, activated cleaning systems should not be necessary. However, administrators should know about activated cleaning systems. They release a disinfectant mist that kills pathogens on surfaces. But once again, the surface must be cleaned first for them to perform effectively.

From Robert Kravitz a frequent writer for the professional cleaning industry.

Ensure the company has the SDS ( Safety Data Sheet for all products used and this information is shared with your schools to assist with synergy but also consideration of students with allergies.