We’re proud to be one of the most experienced school cleaning companies in Wisconsin.

3 Services to Schedule for Your School This Cold and Flu Season

Learn how we go above and beyond other school cleaning companies in Wisconsin to keep your staff and students healthy.

 

We’re proud to be one of the most experienced school cleaning companies in Wisconsin.Back to school is an exciting time for anyone who works in education — welcoming new and returning students, stocking up on fresh school supplies, and a sparkling clean school facility are all signs of a new school year. With all of this excitement, though, means cooler temperatures and cold and flu season are not far behind.

At KleenMark, we have 60 years of experience in commercial cleaning and facility management, so we know a thing or two about keeping schools, students and educators safe and healthy. If you’re looking for school cleaning companies in Wisconsin that can go above and beyond for your educational organization, our team is ready to help.

Here are three services we suggest scheduling for your school this fall to keep students, staff, and visitors alike healthy and happy throughout cold and flu season:

  1. High-touch surface sanitization
  2. Day porter services
  3. Adding hand-washing signage

Keep reading to learn more about these services and what helps KleenMark stand out from other school cleaning companies in Wisconsin!

 

High-touch surface sanitization

The first and perhaps most important step toward “sickness proofing” your school is to disinfect and sanitize any high-touch surfaces such as door handles, stair railings, desks and counters. These are areas where many people touch throughout the day and where viruses can live, in some cases, for up to three days. Ideally, we will incorporate this disinfection and sanitization process during your facility’s nightly cleaning routine and perform touch-ups as part of our day cleaning services. Speaking of which…

 

Day porter services

Heavily trafficked facilities like schools typically need additional cleaning beyond just after-hours cleaning. A day porter will clean and disinfect in-between night crews. Day porters are the unsung heroes, handling high-touchpoint disinfection, restroom checks and any other unplanned janitorial needs that arise during the school day. Our day porter services provide much-needed daytime coverage to make sure your students, staff and visitors are welcomed into a clean and comfortable facility.

Our day porters can also work in tandem with your school’s in-house janitorial staff, providing supplemental staffing that can help address your recruiting and staffing challenges. Learn more about our supplemental staffing for schools here!

 

Add hand-washing signage

Students and staff are the first line of defense in preventing the spread of illnesses, and posting hand-washing reminders in restrooms and cafeteria areas can be helpful to encourage them to lather up frequently throughout the day. As one of the top school cleaning companies in Wisconsin, we offer our clients a toolkit that has basic signage they can use to remind people to take these basic steps. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also is an excellent resource for free posters.

 

For more tips on weathering cold and flu season, check out this KleenMark blog post!

These are just a few of the services we offer schools and educational facilities, and we know every organization is unique. To learn more about our school cleaning services, visit our Education page or reach out to our team if you have any questions.

If you’re ready to experience the difference the Kleen Team can make for your school this school year, request a quote today!

There may be other school cleaning companies in Madison, WI, but none of them can provide service quite like KleenMark.

5 Essential Cleaning Services for Back to School

Learn what sets our services apart from other school cleaning companies in Madison, WI.

 

There may be other school cleaning companies in Madison, WI, but none of them can provide service quite like KleenMark.For school administrators, teachers and anyone who works in education, summer break never seems like enough time to close out one school year and gear up for another.

While we can’t write lesson plans and grade exams for you, we can help your facility get back into A+ shape for the fall. With less daily foot traffic, summer is the ideal time for cleaning services that aren’t always possible during the busy hustle and bustle of the school year.

Here are five of the essential cleaning services we recommend for educational facilities to get ready for the new school year:

  1. Floor care
  2. High-touch surface cleaning
  3. Bathroom cleaning
  4. High surface cleaning
  5. Supplemental staffing

Read on to learn more about these services we can provide with a level of service other school cleaning companies in Madison, WI, can’t match!

 

Floor care

Of all the surfaces in your school building, floors are by far the most used by students and staff coming and going. Summer break is a great opportunity to give them some much-needed TLC. Whether your school has linoleum, hardwood, carpeted flooring, or a mix of all three, we have the expertise to properly clean and care for each kind.

 

High-touch surface cleaning

We recommend high-touch surface cleaning throughout the year, and often incorporate it in our daily cleaning protocols, but back to school is a great time to start. With so many students and visitors coming and going each day, a school has many more “high touch areas” than a typical office building — interior and exterior door handles, railings, shared computers, desks, chairs, the list goes on. Our team can make sure these areas are cleaned rigorously and frequently so your staff, students, and visitors stay healthy and happy!

Learn more about the ways the school cleaning services we provide differ from those we offer to office buildings here.

 

Bathroom cleaning

If there’s one area that could use a deep, thorough clean over the summer break, it’s likely the bathrooms and locker rooms at your school. With more time and less daily use, our team can devote resources to making your bathroom facilities sparkling clean for that first day back.

 

High surface cleaning

Many schools have difficult-to-reach areas, such as the ceilings in the gymnasium or auditorium, that can collect dust and debris throughout the school year. Summer break is the perfect time to tackle those tough areas!

 

Supplemental staffing

It seems like there’s never been a more difficult time to find and retain cleaning staff than in the last few years. If your school or educational organization has an internal janitorial staff that needs a bit of support, KleenMark can help! We offer supplemental staffing services where we find, hire, train, and manage a cleaning team that can round out the work your internal team does. That means you can spend less time trying to find new janitors and more time enjoying the sparkling clean atmosphere our teams create together.

KleenMark is a trusted cleaning partner to elementary schools all the way up through large universities, and we have the expertise it takes to meet your facilities’ unique cleaning needs.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss your school’s needs and share more about what sets KleenMark apart from other school cleaning companies in Madison, WI. Request a quote today or learn more about how we support educational organizations like yours here.

Unlike other school cleaning companies in Madison, WI, KleenMark focuses on putting people first and providing you with consistent communication.

How to Find the Best School Cleaning Companies in Madison, WI

Make the smart choice for keeping your school clean!

 

Unlike other school cleaning companies in Madison, WI, KleenMark focuses on putting people first and providing you with consistent communication.­­­When you have a few hundred kids coming and going throughout the day with muddy shoes and sticky hands, things are bound to get messy. Even if your school caters to older students, messes can still happen, so you need a cleaning company that’s up to the challenge!

 

If you’re searching through school cleaning companies in Madison, WI, looking for the best fit for your educational organization, the Kleen Team is here to help!

 

Here are a few suggestions from our team on how to find the best cleaning company for your school:

 

Communication

 

You should feel comfortable and at ease from your first communication with a prospective cleaning company. You shouldn’t have to call multiple times or leave multiple voicemails to get a call back.

 

At KleenMark, we strive to be timely in our responses and, if there’s an emergency, you’ll have a dedicated staff member to talk with during non-business hours. We also have a tool on our website where you can request a quote — we just need some preliminary information about your facility (industry, size of the building, etc.) so we can get to helping you as quickly as possible.

 

Supplement your staff

 

Your school may have a terrific and competent maintenance staff for day-to-day cleaning operations; if that’s the case, KleenMark can supplement its hard work with our deep cleaning services. We’re able to dedicate the time and effort to the tougher jobs that are difficult to include in a daily cleaning schedule, or provide cleaners to round out your regular staff if you just need a little bit more support.

 

If your school doesn’t have a dedicated full-time janitorial staff, KleenMark can help there too! We can discuss different options to ensure all of your facilities are clean and safe for your students and staff.

 

People first

 

Your cleaning service should treat you as a priority, not just another name on a long client list. At KleenMark, we stand out from other school cleaning companies in Madison, WI by taking the time to get to know the relevant staff members and understand your processes, procedures, and needs. Likewise, you’ll have a dedicated point of contact and account manager with KleenMark, who you can call whenever questions or issues arise.

 

Industry expertise

 

We understand that you can’t necessarily use the same methods and products in a school gymnasium as in a cafeteria. With over six decades of experience, we have expertise in cleaning and sanitizing all kinds of different school facilities and know how to tailor our cleaning services accordingly.

 

Green cleaning

 

Using environmentally friendly cleaning practices isn’t just good for the Earth; it’s good for your students and staff, too! We’ve led the way in green cleaning long before it was a buzzword. You can rest assured all of the methods and products we use with our green cleaning services are safe, clean, and non-toxic.

 

Hiring a new cleaning service is no small undertaking, and there are many options and factors to consider. At KleenMark, we stand apart from other school cleaning companies in Madison, WI with our industry experience and cleaning options to best suit your facilities’ needs.

 

To experience the KleenMark difference for yourself, request a quote today or contact our team with any questions!

5 Ways to Defend Your Facility from Cold & Flu this Winter

If there’s anything we’ve all learned the past couple years, it’s that taking smart, pragmatic and scientifically backed cleaning can help reduce the spread of viruses in your facility.

While we can’t prevent people from coming inside when they’re not feeling well, we do have some essential tips that can keep your facility as safe as possible.

Sanitize and Disinfect on the Daily

Viruses live everywhere, and they’re especially prevalent on highly touched surfaces such as door handles, counters and desks. Ensure these areas are disinfected at least daily using an approved chemical from the Environmental Protection Agency’s N List.

Also, make sure you understand how to apply the sanitizer and disinfectant you use. This includes having a clear idea of how long the disinfectant needs to stay on the surface before being wiped off. We refer to that as “dwell time” and it ranges based on what chemical you use.

“This is one of the simplest ways to keep germs at bay in a facility,” said Mike Staver, KleenMark’s Chief Operating Officer, who oversees all of KleenMark’s cleaning teams. “Having a plan and schedule for disinfecting in place will pay dividends when it comes to wellness.”

Promote Personal Hygiene

After a pandemic, you may assume everyone is staying on top of handwashing. But, that’s not always the case.

Add signage throughout your building, especially in restrooms. Stickers on mirrors are particularly effective.

We offer all our clients a toolkit that has basic signage they can use to remind people to take these basic steps. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also is a great resource for free posters.

Keep the Air Clean

While surfaces are a priority, airborne germs are a top culprit during cold/flu season.

Consider adding portable air cleaners and purifiers to rooms, especially common areas where larger groups of people come together. This ensures air is circulating regularly and being filtered to remove airborne pathogens.

Even if your building regularly exchanges inside air through ventilation, having portable purifiers expedites air cleaning and provides peace of mind for staff and visitors. Many cleaners also have air monitors that let you know when particle levels are too high and need attention.

Add a Day Porter to Your Cleaning Program

Day porters are on hand to handle everything from disinfection of frequently touched surfaces to mid-day messes that inevitably occur. Having a day porter, or two, is particularly effective in large facilities where constant sanitizing and disinfection is needed.

Check out “What’s a day porter and do I need one?” to learn more and see if a day porter would help keep your facility consistently clean when workers and visitors are in the building. During cold/flu season, this is a particularly effective way to reduce the spread of germs.

Go Touchless

It’s wild, but we still see a lot of facilities that use manual towel dispensers.

Touchless dispensers prevent the spread of germs and are one of the simplest ways to increase the cleanliness of your facility while protecting your employees. At the most basic level, we recommend always using touchless towel and soap dispensers in all your restrooms.

To learn more about what we recommend, check out “4 touch-free options to prevent the spread of germs.”

 “The technology in touchless dispensers is so much better than it used to be,” Staver said. “This is a cost-effective way to control germs and also helps reduce towel and soap waste.”

Cleaner’s Corner: When it comes to cleaning schools, how is it different than, say, office buildings?

Brian Regnart, KleenMark’s Madison-area Branch Manager:

Overseeing an array of cleaning teams across various industries (and having children myself) one thing is certain: Kids can make a new mess before the old one’s even cleaned up.

Knowing that, every school gets a top-to-bottom cleaning each night. From disinfecting surfaces to scrubbing hallway floors, it’s critical to clean everything each day. That’s far different than a commercial office space.

In schools, specifically, we’re working to keep kids safe – from germs but also from contact with any cleaning chemicals that could irritate them. We primarily use neutral cleaners, along with vinegar, because both are harmless but also effective.  

Attention to detail also is critical in schools. Our teams following a mapped out process each night, ensuring every desk is wiped down and sanitized.

Of course, there’s always gum, clay, paint, glue – you name it – stuck on just about every surface imaginable. Our crews have the training and the appropriate commercial cleaning supplies to make sure we’re able to remove those trickier (and stickier) messes and stains without damaging a surface or furniture.

With schools, our customers aren’t just the facility managers but parents, teachers, kids and staff. We take that seriously, which is why we develop custom plans and training for our technicians working in schools.

Supplemental Staffing: How it Fits Into Your School’s Cleaning Needs

Cleaning demands are higher than ever for school janitorial teams. Recruiting quality, well-trained workers is an ongoing challenge. And each is a reason to consider supplemental staffing when you need professional janitorial help. 

You may have looked at temp agencies only to find workers were unreliable, didn’t pass background checks and weren’t trained. All of which could cost you time and money. Below are reasons to consider supporting your team with professional janitors. 

An approach you can trust 

When you hire new cleaners, you need to know they’re properly trained, dressed professionally and have undergone all the necessary background checks. If you must take the time to address any of those areas, something is wrong with the process. 

When we provide supplemental staffing, all of that is taken care of. We’ve been doing this for more than 60 years, so our process is efficient, our cleaners are among the best trained, and all undergo proper backgrounding.  

We go from recruitment to onboarding to being on-site, faster than anyone. It’s a model you should expect from any organization providing additional staffing in your schools.  

Specialization matters 

Schools have different needs than an office. You know that, though. Make sure your staffing partner has the experience needed to clean a school effectively and efficiently. 

At KleenMark, we train our cleaners on the nuanced needs of the industry they work in, including education. How to clean cafeterias? Check. Gym equipment and floors? Of course. Protocols for cleaning when students and staff are in the building? Certainly. 

This training allows our cleaners to quickly jump in and help your team, all without extensive onboarding that slows you down. 

Two models to consider 

  1. Trained staff that you manage. If you have the supervisor team, but need cleaners, this is a great approach. At KleenMark, we can handle the hiring, training, onboarding and background work. We manage the wages and scheduling as well. All you must do is handle on-site management at your school. You assign the work. Our cleaners get it done – all while working as part of your team. 
  1. Divide and conquer. Working a large school district but understaffed? Need cleaners who only focus on day cleaning? No worries.  

The model at KleenMark focuses on providing an entire team, from on-site supervisor to dedicated account manager – and of course, specialized cleaners trained to handle your school. 

Often, our crews work together with district managers who oversee the janitorial teams. In this model, we usually handle an entire school or specific, specialized and time-consuming tasks, along with jobs that require commercial cleaning equipment you may not have available. 

Want to learn more about our supplemental staffing models? Send us an email or call (1-(800) 422-5159) any time. 

Restroom Rescue: What a Deep Clean Looks Like

Few things can give people confidence that your building is fresh than premium restroom cleaning. But what’s that look like? And how do you get – and keep – them looking and smelling good?

Well, we’ve got the answers. Our teams clean more than 25 million square feet each day and to say that includes a lot of restrooms would be an understatement. We’ll have you on track to make your restrooms rock stars in no time.

Floor icon

Revive Your Floors

Restroom floors take a beating. Along with high traffic, people are prone to make messes, and eventually you need to give them more attention than a mop can offer as part of your restroom cleaning.

If you have a tile floor we recommend you follow this 4-step process. It involved degreasing, scrubbing with a swing machine and then sealing it up to extend its life and to make daily cleaning more effective.

Odor icon

Outwit Odors

Look, we can’t get away from EVERY odor in a restroom, but we can eliminate those nagging, lingering smells that seem to never go away.

While grout cleaning will help, floor drains are almost always responsible for long-lasting odors. Of course, that’s assuming you regularly clean and disinfect properly. Additionally, keep an odor counteractant with you to neutralize toilet bowl smells.

Check out this edition of Cleaner’s Corner for more detail.

Touchless icon

Go Touchless

The fewer things people have to touch, the better. It’s that simple.

Opt for touchless soap and towel dispensers. And, place trash cans with open tops near the door, so people can easily toss their garbage and used paper towels (because nothing signals dirty more than wet towels on the floor).

We’ve tested a lot of touch-free options. These are four of our favorites.

cleaner icon

Police Restrooms Regularly

Once you’ve done the heavy scrubbing and eliminated those mystery smells, you have to maintain things or it goes south fast.

We recommend having a day cleaner who can spot mop and check for unexpected accidents in your restroom throughout the day. They’ll also keep an eye on supplies, pick up trash and handle any other eyesores that pop up.

Give “What’s a Day Porter and Do I Need One?” to learn more.

Send us a note or give us a call any time if your restrooms need deep-cleaning services you’re unable to provide. We can help get you on track.

Stripping and Waxing Floors: 5 Steps to Make Sure Your Floors Last

When was the last time you remember stripping and waxing floors in your facility? Well, depending on your industry it may have been anywhere from a few months to a few years.

It’s an important part of your cleaning program that not only preserves your floors but improves employee and customer perception.

Dirty, peeling floors give an immediate impression that the rest of your facility is dirty. In today’s world that’s unacceptable. Stripping and waxing your floors is a straightforward way to quickly enhance the look and feel of your entire facility, while also saving money in the long run (no one likes replacing floors, right?).

And here’s the good news, if you follow the steps below you can get large facilities done in a single night. That means no interruption to your employees and customers.

Our 5-step approach to stripping and waxing floors  

1. Strip it down.

First, we apply a commercial-grade floor stripper and let it do its work. This usually takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Scrub it off.

Once the floor stripper has gone to work, we use an aggressive scrubbing pad to loosen all the material. Depending on how long it’s been from the last time the floor was stripped, you may have to repeat this 1-3 times. Next, we suck all that up with a wet vac.

3. Clean the base.

Once all the finish and stripper is off, we clean the original surface and dry it completely. Don’t skip this step! It’s critical to ensure the floor is ready for the finish.

4. Apply the floor finish.

We generally put on four layers of floor finish. If it’s a high-traffic area we often apply 5-6 layers. The finish is dry in about 30 minutes and ready for foot traffic.

5. Get buff.

Using a wet buff, we shine the floor, giving it that “like new” look and feel.

For commercial office buildings we generally recommend you do this at least once a year. Anything more probably is excessive. Manufacturers? You likely need to consider stripping and waxing floors quarterly. If you’re in manufacturing, check out these tips to keep factory floors clean and safe.

Curious if your floors need some serious attention? Send us a note. We’re happy to take a look.

About the Author

Jeremy Angle leads our team in Southeast Wisconsin. As general manager of our Milwaukee branch, he works with some of our largest clients to ensure they have the right cleaning program in place. 

Cleaner’s Corner: What tips do you have to improve school gym disinfection?

About this series: In the Cleaner’s Corner, our experts address questions we receive in the field. Our goal is to provide straightforward, practical tips and information you can apply in your facility. 

Question: Other than maintaining a cadence of regular disinfection, including high-touchpoint surfaces, what tips do you have for reducing germs in a school gym, specifically when working with soft surfaces such as wrestling mats and trainers’ tables? 

Mike Staver, KleenMark’s Director of Operations: 

Whether it’s for school gym disinfection or any commercial gym, I focus on a few specific things when disinfecting mats, weight benches or similar surfaces. 

First and foremost, try to use a hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectant. When they dissipate, these types of disinfectants return to a water state. That’s important because others, like quat disinfectants, will leave a residue and cause the surface to fade. We prefer Alpha-HP from Diversey.  

Oxivir wipes are also a good choice. They’re convenient and have a hydrogen peroxide base. I will say, even when using these types of disinfectants, I recommend wiping the surface afterward with water and a microfiber towel – again, to prevent any chance of discoloration. 

Household soap products are another excellent choice but they’re not practical. Often, they create a lot of suds and aren’t an efficient way to frequently disinfect items used daily. 

Lastly, focus on dwell time. It’s tempting to wipe the disinfectant off immediately, especially when student athletes are using the equipment multiple times each day. Instead, try to find a disinfectant that has a 1-minute dwell time, so you can still move quickly but while insuring you’ve killed the germs. 

School cleaning: How to disinfect after a confirmed COVID-19 case

Your school cleaning and disinfecting program is likely more robust than ever, but even with the most carefully updated procedures in place, there’s still a chance your school will experience one or more confirmed cases of COVID-19. You need to have a plan for disinfecting.

According to the CDC, the virus passes primarily via airborne droplets and can survive for prolonged periods of time on various surfaces. So, what’s the best way to clean? What disinfectants should be used? And how clean is clean enough? It’s a good idea to prepare ahead of time with a plan that addresses this type of situation. Follow CDC guidelines to help develop a plan for advising staff and families of home isolation criteria, isolating and transporting those who are sick, and notifying health officials and close contacts.

Initial steps

After those administrative steps have been taken, the next step is disinfection. Before cleaning, it’s crucial to make sure you do the following:

  • Immediately close off areas used by the sick individual.
  • Temporarily turn off in-room HVAC to avoid contamination of the HVAC units, but do not deactivate central HVAC systems. These systems tend to provide better filtration and can help circulate outdoor air into the affected areas. 
  • Open outside doors and windows to increase circulation in the area.

After the initial 24-hour period has passed, safely begin the cleaning and disinfection process. Start by vacuuming the space if needed, using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuum. If surfaces are dirty, clean surfaces using a detergent or soap and water before disinfection.

Clean before you disinfect

  • Focus on bathrooms, common areas and classrooms where the person with COVID-19 was for extended periods of time.
  • Concentrate on high-touch surfaces, including desks, tables, chairs, doorknobs, handles, toilets and sinks.

Disinfect hard surfaces

After cleaning, disinfect with an appropriate Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectant on List N. There is a wide selection to choose from, but KleenMark experts have established several disinfectants as their go-to weapons against COVID-19. All are EPA approved and have proven track records. This includes:

  • Virex II 256
  • Oxivir wipes
  • Alpha-HP

When disinfecting a facility that has a confirmed COVID-19 case, it’s highly recommended to use an electrostatic sprayer.

Electrostatic sprayers ensure all surfaces are evenly coated in disinfectant. Because they create an electrostatic mist, the disinfectants are able to “cling” to surfaces and work their way into crevices and other hard-to-reach areas. For more information, read: Do I need an electrostatic sprayer for disinfection?

“Our COVID-19 response teams are specially trained to clean and disinfect a facility following a confirmed case,” said Mike Staver, KleenMark’s director of operations. “We always use electrostatic sprayers to ensure total disinfection of a space.”

That said, make sure not to overlook manual cleaning and disinfection in the process. KleenMark technicians recommend going one step further by combining electrostatic sprays with manual wiping of school supplies such as electronics.

Anyone disinfecting a space following a confirmed COVID-19 case should wear a Tyvek chemical suit, respirator, gloves and eye protection, Staver said.

Additional soft-surface disinfection

Disinfection is generally trickier for soft (porous) surfaces than hard surfaces. Start by cleaning the surface with detergents or cleaners appropriate for use on porous materials, or follow the textile’s label. KleenMark’s technicians recommend using an anti-microbial soft surface cleaner for carpets and upholstery. If you want to go a bit deeper on how to clean these types of surfaces, check out: Tips for tackling soft-surface disinfection.

Disinfecting soft (porous) materials:

  • Remove visible contamination if present.
  • Disinfect with a product approved for disinfection for use on soft and porous materials. A limited number can be found on List N.
  • Launder items following the manufacturer’s instructions, using the warmest water setting possible.
  • Dry items completely.

Once an area has been appropriately disinfected, it can be opened for use, according to the CDC.

What about bio protection?

You may have heard about “bio protection” solutions positioned as “shield” that protects surfaces for up to 90 days against germs.

The truth is, these solutions aren’t proven to protect against COVID-19. It’s critical to use disinfectants proven to kill the virus, and approved by the EPA, rather than occasionally applying bio protection. For more information on this topic, check out the reasons why long-term bioprotectants are not a viable solution.

Still have questions? Email or call us any time. We’re always happy to provide advice and guidance.

 

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