How Summer Deep Cleaning Extends the Life of Campus Facilities

Summer is one of the quietest periods for college campuses. Most students and staff are away during the summer, leaving campuses and educational facilities empty or relatively unused for several weeks. And while this reduces wear on high traffic areas, it also presents an opportunity for facilities managers to implement a cleaning program that includes much-needed deep cleaning. 

Here we’ll dive into some of the key areas on large campuses or multi-campus educational institutions where summer deep cleaning can provide significant benefits across every learning environment. 

Deep cleaning area #1 – Dorms and student housing

Dorms, residence halls, student housing facilities, and even dining halls will be empty or minimally used during the summer months. These are also areas that see a tremendous amount of traffic during the school year, though. This makes them prime candidates in need of a deep cleaning service. 

Welcoming students back to clean, inviting living spaces in the fall is important for creating a friendly and healthy environment. In addition, campus tours for prospective students (and their parents) are taking place during the summer months. Impressing these audiences and making sure that facilities are in top condition to attract students is a big part of any facility staff’s role, and that can be accomplished with clean housing buildings. 

Hard-to-reach areas and high traffic areas alike can benefit from deep cleaning. And deep cleaning activities go beyond basic or standard dusting, mopping, and wipe down services. Summer break provides you and your staff with an opportunity to move furniture and perform deep cleaning tasks including disinfection. Creating a safe and healthy space for students to return to is not only great for their health, but will also make future cleaning needs easier. 

High-touch surfaces and windows are two other areas that can be deep cleaned more easily when students are away for break periods. 

For all of these types of services, it can be beneficial to partner with an established provider of janitorial services for universities and colleges. The team at MasterCorp is highly experienced in providing deep cleaning services for all university and college facilities, and is trained in the unique needs of dorms, residence halls, dining halls, and other key spaces that benefit from deep cleaning. 

Deep cleaning area #2 – Common areas

Common areas see some of the highest traffic in any university or college facility. Hallways, classrooms, dining halls, libraries, and other areas that are frequently utilized have special needs. And just like dorms, these spaces are almost always empty for much of the summer break period. Again, that makes the summer an ideal time to perform deep cleaning tasks in these spaces. 

Classrooms, library areas, lounges, and study areas often have furniture that sees a great deal of use throughout the school year. The summer provides you with an opportunity to have these upholstered surfaces deep cleaned. And the benefits include not only cleanliness but also disinfection, enhanced appearance, odor elimination, and extended life. 

Deep cleaning area #3 – Specialty floor care services

From classrooms to labs, dorms to administration buildings, floor care is one of the most important responsibilities of facility managers and university janitorial staff. One of the benefits of the summer is that the amount of traffic on flooring surfaces is significantly reduced, making it easier to schedule and plan for deep cleaning and even restoration of key flooring surfaces. 

University and college facilities often feature a variety of flooring surfaces, though, which can present unique challenges to cleaning, disinfecting, and restoring them. Carpet, tile, and even hardwood flooring can be present in different areas and buildings on campus. Each of these surfaces has different needs in order to protect and preserve them, and to ensure that they remain durable and attractive in spite of the traffic they see. 

During the summer break period, working with an experienced specialty floor care provider such as MasterCorp provides the expertise and the additional personnel you need to carefully clean, refresh, and enhance any and all flooring throughout the campus. 

Deep cleaning area #4 – Specialized surfaces and areas

There are other areas in an educational facility that can sometimes be overlooked. Many buildings feature high areas like exposed rafters, decorative overhangs, balconies, specialty ceilings, window encasements, and other features. All of these can be missed in standard cleaning routines because they require safety equipment and specialized cleaning tools. 

Neglecting these areas can allow dirt, allergens, and bacteria to accumulate. These can not only cause negative impacts on air quality within your buildings, but can also cause damage to structural elements and surfaces. 

Similarly, elevated windows, skylights, and other glass surfaces can attract dirt and residue throughout the course of the school year. The summer allows you the time to remove dust, dirt, hazing, and grime that can not only impact the visibility and light flow through the windows, but can also cause seals and fixtures to deteriorate as well. 

Working with a commercial cleaning service such as MasterCorp commercial services during the summer months presents an opportunity to address these areas while building traffic is minimized. High dusting and professional window cleaning services help to eliminate dirt, restore window and fixture condition, and enhance educational facilities and spaces. 

Additional deep cleaning options for summer break on campus

These are just a few examples of how you can use the summer break to partner with a trusted commercial cleaning provider to perform deep cleaning while students are away. But there are other options you might consider as well, including commercial kitchen cleaning services, pressure washing for exterior surfaces, and more. 

No matter which combination you choose, MasterCorp’s experts can help to develop a cleaning program with services tailored to your specific campuses, facilities, and needs. We consult with your team to understand your existing cleaning schedules and cleaning techniques, then create a customized plan that supports your staff and your college’s students. Reach out to one of our representatives today to discuss the options and explore truly custom commercial cleaning that goes beyond what other companies can offer.