School’s Out: Summer Floor Maintenance & Cleaning

May 18, 2022

Summer is nearly here, and while your students are probably already dreaming of vacations and afternoons spent by the pool, your facilities staff is about to hit the ground running.

Summer break is a crucial time for your custodial, maintenance, and grounds management programs. It’s a chance to accomplish important tasks – like painting, deep cleaning, major repairs, and floor maintenance – that can’t be done during the school year when the halls are filled with students, teachers, and other staff. Read on to learn more about how our team prepares for summer year-round, and some tips to get your own facilities team ready for the break.

A proactive approach is always best in facilities management, whether that means ensuring preventative maintenance plans are in place, or scheduling custodians based on traffic to ensure proper cleaning and mitigate excess wear and tear on floors. SSC Regional Manager Bennie Montgomery is the master of preventative care, especially when it comes to floor maintenance. He understands that needs may shift with seasons and events, and believes in scheduling custodians strategically to ensure buildings receive proper care.

“We schedule day porters based on foot traffic in buildings and building usage. Other companies staff their buildings with no leeway. What sets us apart at SSC is that we are flexible and adaptable. Your team member’s schedules are subject to change throughout the course of the year based on foot traffic and building use. For example, during football season, you have buildings that the foot traffic will triple in, so we adjust our frequencies in schedules and porter services to cover that increase in foot traffic.”

Bennie Montgomery

Spot vs Stain

Beyond the big picture of scheduling, it’s important to focus on the smaller details. Bennie frequently educates new team members on floor maintenance and the difference between a spot and a stain: 24 hours. SSC Associates are encouraged to “spot” five carpet spots each day and remove them before they become a stain. Simple steps like this allow your facilities and furnishings to last longer, saving money on costly replacements and maintaining environments that students can be proud of.

Proactive cleaning and scheduling will never completely alleviate summer work, though. For the time consuming or disruptive tasks that must be done while students are away, check out our top three tips:

  1. It’s not too late to plan ahead: A successful summer starts before the final class ends. Begin meeting with your teams now to come up with your summer maintenance and cleaning plans. Lay out exactly what work needs to be done during the break and create schedules accordingly.
  2. Make sure your equipment is ready to go: Repair any equipment needed for summer cleaning immediately. Make sure that everything you need is in working order before the final bell rings.
  3. Communicate early and often: Even though students are out for summer, school administration and staff may still be in the building. Student groups and community organizations may also have scheduled time in the building throughout the summer months. Communicate early and often with your school leadership to ensure that your facilities team is aware of these occasions and coordinate your schedules around them.

Facilities management doesn’t have to be stressful. A partnership with SSC Services for Education allows your staff to focus on what really matters: Educating your students. Interested in learning more about our customized programs? Contact us at [email protected] today.