Case study

Contributed by Kaivac, Inc. 

Louisville School District, in Louisville, Ohio, educates, empowers, and engages learners from pre-kindergarten to high school. Around 3,000 students and staff members fill the district’s four schools and administrative building throughout the year. 

Tim Volkert, director of facilities, joined the Louisville district six years ago. His past job focused on the maintenance side of operations. So, when it came to keeping the nearly half million square feet of space clean and sanitary, Volkert relied on the expertise of his team of 19 custodians. They introduced him to their fleet of four Kaivac No-Touch Cleaning systems. Volkert was impressed.

“I couldn’t believe all the things those machines could do in the restroom,” he recalls. “The custodians literally spray from ceiling to fixtures to floor, scrub the tile, rinse, vacuum and the entire space is clean and dry in 20 minutes.”  

Staff stressed how much they like using the No-Touch Cleaning systems, letting Volkert know how the machine’s ergonomic design simplifies an unpleasant task.

“It’s easy to learn. A substitute custodian can master the process in 10 minutes,” he says.

Convinced of the value of the technology, Volkert purchased five more through distributor Imperial Dade/Nichols. “They are so important. The administrative building has one and each school building has two.” He also discovered the machines are great for spot cleaning other types of flooring like vinyl composite tile, terrazzo, and even carpet. 

Volkert relies on a different Kaivac technology to maintain the rubber floor in the Louisville High School gymnasium. Rubber flooring is a popular choice for athletic facilities, but cleaning can be challenging. The material is both porous and delicate so using anything too abrasive can cause damage. 

Custodiams learned that lesson the hard way. Their first machine, an automatic mop with two oscillating bristle heads, tore at the surface. Their second option, spot mopping the floor, took too much time effectively clean a large surface. “We needed a technology that put down product and sucked it right back up,” says Volkert.

So, he bought a Kaivac AutoVac Stretch. 

The AutoVac Stretch dispenses just the right amount of cleaning chemical, spreads it gently with a microfiber pad, and quickly vacuums the slurry up. “We do that process once a week and now the ten-year-old flooring looks brand new,” says Volkert. 

He also uses the AutoVac Stretch to clean the school’s wrestling mats. Wrestling mats are a common vector of herpes gladiatorum aka mat herpes. This serious virus is so contagious that other schools spray their mats with bleach. But bleach is toxic when used incorrectly. The AutoVac Stretch removes that risk, letting custodians quickly clean and dry mats without exposing athletes to unnecessary contaminants. 

Louisville School’s consistently spotless facilities sets the district apart, according to Volkert.

“I notice other schools don’t have our level of clean,” he says.  

Louisville parents, like Tim Adkins, regional director of Distribution for Kaivac, agree.  

“We absolutely notice the cleanliness of the school and appreciate what the district has done to ensure our children are in a safe environment,” says Adkins. “In my role, I visit many school districts and Louisville City Schools are at the top when it comes to operational excellence. This district is committed to providing the best environment for the community’s youth.”

Volkert likes to share his secret when visiting other districts.

“I always ask my colleagues how they maintain their facilities," he says. "If they don’t have a Kaivac, I tell them to look into it.”