Keeping your classroom clean — and your kids healthy — can be a real challenge. We're here to help! We've gathered some fun facts, awesome activities, great games, and expert advice to help you stop the spread of germs that can cause colds and flu.
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- When it comes to my classroom, how clean is "clean enough"?
80% of infectious illnesses are spread by touch - and the average student can touch up to 300 surfaces in just 30 minutes. Multiply that by the number of hours in a school day - and you can quickly see why the average desk has 400 times more germs than the average toilet seat. Even if you clean your classroom before the school day starts, germs are bound to be back in full force by the end of the day. And when kids return to your classroom from the science lab, cafeteria or gym - they may bring even more germs with them. Wiping a surface with soap and water or a cleaning product does not eliminate germs. That's why it's important to use an EPA registered disinfectant regularly on the surfaces kids touch most: doorknobs, desktops, keyboards and water fountain faucets. Disinfect often to help kill the germs that can cause colds, flu and other illnesses. Using Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes is one quick and easy way to be sure you're doing your part. For other ideas, check out these Quick Clean Routines for your classroom.
- How can I get parents involved to help keep my classroom clean and reinforce the healthy habits I'm teaching their kids?
Parents are just as concerned about their kids' health and well-being as you are. They want to help keep your classroom as clean and healthy as possible. Start by sending home News & Notes - a newsletter that introduces parents to The Clean Club and reinforces the lessons students are learning about good hygiene in school. You can also share our Sick Child Policy Letter with parents. It encourages them to make a "Sick Plan," keep sick kids at home and minimize the spread of germs. Other resources include a pre-printed Homework Assignment Sheet that can keep sick kids on top of their schoolwork and a Common Childhood Illness Chart, an easy reference that parents will definitely appreciate. These are just a few ways you can work with parents to help keep your classroom cleaner and their kids healthier. Click here.
- With so many students, it's hard to keep my classroom clean. Is there a way I can teach kids to be a part of the solution?
Teaching kids to outsmart germs - so your classroom can be a cleaner, healthier environment for learning - is easier than you'd think and can even be fun. You can start by showing kids how to wash their hands the right way - with soap and warm water for 20 seconds - about the time it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice. For our Top Tips, Lesson Plans and Worksheets to help you teach kids how to help fight the spread of germs, click here.
- What are the most common germs in my classroom, and how can I help stop them from spreading?
Many germs that can cause illnesses are commonly found in classrooms: bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella; viruses such as influenza (the "flu" virus) and rhinovirus (one of the causes of the common cold. In gym class students can be exposed to Staphylococcus (staph) and more. To help prevent their spread, you'll want to encourage students to wash their hands often, especially after eating and using the bathroom. You'll also want to use a disinfectant daily to help eliminate those germs on the hard surfaces your students touch most: doorknobs, desktops, computer keyboards, light switches and any shared sports equipment. And remember, just because a surface looks clean doesn't mean that germs are gone. Soap and water aren't enough to kill germs.
- Why do kids get sick so often?
The average child gets six to 10 colds a year. Although adults can often fight off the effects of viruses that can cause colds and flu, children under the age of five have less-developed immune systems. Kids are also more likely to spread germs themselves, since they're in close company in classrooms and may share toys, utensils and school supplies - even after they've put them into their mouths. While kids can help stop the spread of germs, it's often hard for the youngest ones to understand the importance of hygiene, especially because they can't see germs. For some lessons you can use in your classroom to help teach them, click here. For a list of common childhood illnesses, click here.
- What's the difference between sanitizing and disinfecting?
Wiping a surface with soap and water or a cleaning product does not eliminate germs. Sanitizing reduces the level of bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Disinfecting with an EPA registered product has been shown to kill those bacteria - plus other potentially harmful germs including viruses such as influenza (the "flu" virus) , rhinovirus (one of the causes of the common cold), Staphylococcus (staph), and rotavirus. In addition, disinfecting products also help kill fungi like Trichophyton, the common cause of athlete's foot. Disinfecting hard, non-porous surfaces is one of the most reliable ways to lower the risk of spreading these germs by touch. To find products that effectively sanitize and disinfect, visit Clorox.com.
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- What can I do to help make my child's classroom a cleaner and healthier environment?
There's plenty you can do to support your child's teacher in keeping his or her classroom clean. Reinforcing good hygiene habits at home and making a "Sick Plan" - and sticking to it - are two important ways you can help. Because many teachers provide cleaning supplies at their own expense, you might also bring them a few canisters of Disinfecting Wipes to help them make clean-up easier. We've even put together a pre-printed, downloadable thank-you note you can include with your donation, to show your appreciation for everything teachers do to help your kids learn and grow. For more ideas, check out our Pointers for Parents page.
- Is it possible to clean too much? Aren't some germs "good germs"?
Although some germs don't make you severely sick, flu and cold viruses, Salmonella, E. coli and Staphylococcus (staph) can. The best way to rid hard surfaces of these germs is to use an EPA-registered disinfectant. We can't (and shouldn't) kill all germs, but we can protect our families by reducing the germs that can make us sick. (To find out where these germs are hiding in your home, check out our Hot Spot Hit List.)
- What's the difference between sanitizing and disinfecting?
Wiping a surface with soap and water or a cleaning product does not eliminate germs. Sanitizing reduces the level of bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Disinfecting with an EPA registered product has been shown to kill those bacteria - plus other potentially harmful germs including viruses such as influenza (the "flu" virus), rhinovirus (one of the causes of the common cold), Staphylococcus (staph), and rotavirus. In addition, disinfecting products also help kill fungi like Trichophyton, the common cause of athlete's foot. Disinfecting hard, non-porous surfaces is one of the most reliable ways to lower the risk of spreading these germs by touch. To find products that effectively sanitize and disinfect, visit Clorox.com.
- I keep hearing about the benefits of "green" or "natural" cleaners.
How effective are they?
"Green" or "natural" cleaners may clean surface dirt, but they often can't kill certain harmful bacteria or viruses. These products aren't tested for germ-kill efficacy by a government or health agency, as traditional disinfecting products are. Using an EPA-registered disinfectant is the best way to be sure you're effectively killing germs on surfaces that can cause illness.
- Once one member of my family gets sick, it seems the rest of us are bound to catch it. How can I break the cycle?
It's almost impossible to control the germs that come into your home, but you can help stop those germs from spreading. By frequently washing your hands and regularly disinfecting frequently touched, hard, non-porous surfaces with an EPA-registered disinfectant, you may greatly reduce the number of illness causing germs in your home. For other tips and tricks for how to fight the spread of germs, check out our Clean Homes page.
- What's the difference between a product that's EPA-registered and one that's not?
Disinfectants and sanitizers are some examples of products which are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA regulates the ingredients found in these products and the manner in which these products can effectively be used. Registrations are granted if the Agency determines that the product will perform its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on the environment or the public health. Check out our Simple Solutions for registered products that are approved to disinfect and sanitize to help reduce the spread of surface germs.
- What's the difference between a disinfectant and a soap labeled antibacterial?
"Antibacterial" hand soap stops the growth of bacteria on a person's skin. Most hand soaps kill one kind of bacteria and can require up to 10 minutes to work. They don't kill cold and flu viruses and aren't designed for surface cleaning. Because you can pick up germs from a hard surface even after washing your hands, it's as important to disinfect countertops and refrigerator or microwave handles as it is to wash your hands. Hard surface disinfecting kills the germs that can cause colds and flu. For an easy-to-follow Quick Clean Routine that targets the germiest hot spots in your home, click here.
- I have very young kids, and am considering a new daycare. What questions should I ask to make sure it's a healthy environment?
It's never too early to think about the health and wellness of your kids. Kids share a lot more than utensils, food, diaper changing tables and toys at daycare; they also share the germs these things carry (including Salmonella and E. coli that can lead to diarrhea). Young children, especially those under the age of five, have much less-developed immune systems and can be more susceptible to colds and flu - and more at risk for respiratory and digestive illnesses - than adults. That's why it's important to ask potential daycare providers about their cleaning routines and policies, which can be your child's first defense against illness caused by germs. Here are the 10 top questions you should ask:
- Are children allowed to share food?
- Is someone responsible for making sure kids wash their hands before and after eating and after using the bathroom?
- When are personnel required to wash their hands?
- Are eating tables disinfected before and after each use?
- Are bathrooms and kitchens disinfected every day? How about diaper changing areas and shared toys?
- What's the sick policy? Is there a "sick room" for kids with minor illnesses (a slight temperature) - to separate them from healthy kids until their parents or guardians can pick them up?
- Are children required to be vaccinated before coming to daycare?
- What products are used to clean? Are they EPA registered disinfectants and sanitizers?
- Are hand sanitizers available to students and staff?
- Is staff trained in how to help prevent the spread of illness?
For more information about cleaning effectiveness, visit Clorox.com.
