Few industries or systems have been so greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as the educational system. In the last week, I have heard stories from two educators, one who serves in an elementary school and the other who teaches English at a community college. 

Though their students differ in age by more than a decade, the two teachers shared similar stories of the strain they and their colleagues have endured over the course of the past months. Both made the abrupt shift back in March from in-person to online. Both are now struggling to balance both in-person and online instruction. 

From elementary to higher education, the stress on teachers is quite a burden. They need our support and encouragement now more than ever. Fortunately, many schools plan to take a longer break over the holidays. In fact, some colleges and universities have prepared for this the entire semester by working ahead so that students will not travel home and then return after Thanksgiving. 

Most school facilities and college campuses will be little more than ghost towns for three or more weeks between now and the New Year. Facilities managers and administrators can make the most of this time by scheduling special services during this natural interim. Sonlight Cleaning Services can help! Some of the best cleaning and routine maintenance tasks to perform when foot traffic is low include:

• Hard surface floor care. VCT flooring requires a wax coating that is worn down over time, especially in high-traffic areas. You can probably tell that your VCT needs a new coat by taking a look at a hallway or doorway — what you’ll likely notice is a worn-looking spot that may even retain a matte finish after buffing. The process of stripping, waxing, and buffing VCT requires some time during which foot traffic should be diverted. The time between semesters is your best opportunity for performing this maintenance.
• Carpet cleaning. Most schools stick with hard surface floors, but take a look around and you may realize you have a carpeted room or two that may have been neglected. Spaces that are intended to have a more comfortable feel tend to have carpets or rugs. Prime locations for carpet include teacher’s lounges and administrator offices.
• Power washing & parking lot cleaning. It’s tough to power wash sidewalks when students are walking to and from class. It’s equally tough to adequately clean the parking lot when it is full of vehicles. 
• Window washing. A team of window washers would be quite a welcome distraction for a classroom full of students, but the teacher might not appreciate it! Schedule window washing for a week when students will not be studying.

Call Sonlight Cleaning Services to schedule your facility’s holiday break makeover today!