Clean School Plus Healthy Pupils Equals Happy Parents

Charlotte Bowe • 5 December 2019

Cleaning Ripon Grammar School corridor with scrubber dryer

No parent wants to put their child in danger and dropping your children off into an environment that is dirty, is a clear example of this. In order to ensure the cleanliness of a school, the head, along with the Board of Governors, will often employ the services of a specialist commercial cleaning company such as It's Clean.

1.Cleaning for safety not for looks

The cleaners that make a difference are the cleaners cleaning for tomorrow or the next week. There is a big difference between a site looking like it is clean, compared to a site that actually is clean. Schools have large numbers of children in and out everyday, therefore the children’s health and safety is a high priority for the school and must be guaranteed. Schools must make sure their sites not only look clean but are clean too. Professional commercial cleaners can help to ensure this.

2.Understanding that a high-touch area is different to a high-risk area

High touch areas are those that have frequent contact with hands e.g. doorknobs, stair railings, wash basins etc.

High risk areas are rooms or areas that are prone to collecting germs, bacteria, and parasites. These are areas where there is a high risk of infection or contamination. Examples of these areas include cafeterias, toilets and locker rooms. These areas should be cleaned and sanitised every day and disinfected regularly.

3.Rules of disinfecting

Disinfectants can bring on allergies and asthma, so schools need to be careful with how much and how often they are used. Making sure the surfaces are cleaned and sanitised daily means most bacteria are removed so the school is safe. By disinfecting 1-3 times each week, you are getting rid of any bacteria left over from the sanitising cleans. Working up a schedule for your sanitising, cleaning and disinfecting regime is of vital importance.

4.Colour coded equipment

Did you know there is a universal colour code for cleaning?

Blue - General risk areas
Green - General food and bar use
Red - Sanitary fittings and washroom floors
Yellow - Washroom surfaces

During the late 1990's, The British Institute of Cleaning Science developed this universal colour coding for cleaning. It is important to implement this system into any facility as it reduces the spread of germs between areas, ensuring hygiene standards are maintained.

What are the benefits of colour coding?

Reducing cross contamination - equipment for cleaning different areas should be kept away from each other to avoid cross contamination. Avoiding the spread of bacteria between two areas is vital, especially in a school.
It is law - following the correct cleaning procedures is part of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Good first impressions - a clean and professional looking school will make a great first impression.
Happy environment - a clean and pleasant space to learn helps students focus.

5.Teachers need educating too

Schools should not just leave the cleaning to the commercial cleaning companies, instead teachers and staff should be educated in what it takes to keep the building germ-free and safe. Schools should all be using hospital grade disinfectants. These are highly effective in killing pathogens, bacteria, viruses and fungi.

If you want to ensure your school is a safe environment for your pupils and staff members to work in, then give us a call on 01423 566785 or request your free no obligation survey and quotation here on our website.

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David looks back on his 60th birthday volunteering week in Ghana

by david • 1 March 2026

When I hit 60, I didn't want a party. I wanted to do something that would actually matter. So instead of celebrating at home, I flew to Ghana and spent a week volunteering with a charity called Village by Village getting my hands dirty, sitting in open-air classrooms, and meeting some of the warmest, most resilient people I have ever encountered anywhere in the world. This is what I found there, and why I think you should know about it. The Charity Village by Village was founded by an old school friend of mine and has, over the years, evolved into something beautifully self-sustaining: it is now predominantly run by Ghanaians in Ghana. That is not an accident, it is central to the charity's entire philosophy. The approach is simple and powerful. Before a single brick is laid, the charity asks the village what they need, and what they can contribute. There is no imposition, no outside organisation deciding what is best for communities they don't understand. The result is genuine local ownership, stronger outcomes, and projects that endure long after the volunteers have gone home. The work focuses on two areas: education and healthcare. In the remote villages of Ghana that the government's budget cannot reach, Village by Village builds schools and medical centres from the ground up and then keeps them supported. What a Volunteer Week Actually Looks Like I'll be honest: I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was a genuinely physical, genuinely meaningful week that I will never forget. Most mornings began on a building site, mixing cement alongside professional local builders, plastering walls, shifting materials. I wore a bright pink polo shirt bearing the logo of my company, It's Clean, which helped fund the trip, and I got absolutely filthy in it. There is something grounding about hard physical labour in service of something real. There were also two young men — just finished their A-levels — who were wrapping up three months of volunteering. In that time they had helped build playgrounds and medical facilities with their own hands. Their energy, their commitment, and what they had achieved at their age was genuinely extraordinary.

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13 February 2026

Contract cleaning services in Yorkshire - what should you expect to be included and how does it work?