ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, released a new standard industry professionals can use when working in or with K-12 schools to promote a cleaner and healthier indoor environment to benefit children’s learning experiences. The ISSA Clean Standard: K-12 establishes steps for objectively assessing the effectiveness of cleaning processes in an educational facility.

Additional versions will be available in 2014 for other facility types.

“ISSA is pleased to launch yet another tool that supports our overall goal of changing the way the world views cleaning,” said ISSA Executive Director John Garfinkel. “In the face of difficult budget cuts and a misunderstanding of the importance cleaning has in the success of student education, our members and the schools they work with can use science to help make the case for proper cleaning.”

Based on the philosophy of “Clean, Measure, Monitor” and an emphasis on high-performance cleaning, the Clean Standard: K-12 focuses on:
• Desired levels of cleanliness that can be achieved;
• Monitoring and inspection procedures to measure effectiveness;
• How to use the results to assess and improve processes and products.

The ISSA Clean Standard: K-12 relies upon both objective and subjective components in setting forth a methodology for measuring cleaning effectiveness. The Standard specifically provides “ranges of clean” based on ATP testing as well as sample audit forms. The inclusion of ATP limits adds a quantitative to the determination, while the audits assist with a traditional “sight, smell, and touch” perspective.

Assessing cleaning effectiveness can help improve the process and ensure that the desired level of cleanliness is achieved and maintained at school facilities. This is especially important in light of the growing body of evidence that concludes that improved hygiene in schools results in reduced illnesses and reduced absenteeism.

The ultimate goal is to ensure that schools are in a condition that is clean, safe and healthy for students and staff. More importantly, the ISSA Clean Standard calls for corrective actions in the event the school is not achieving the desired level of cleaning effectiveness.

To read additional information about the details of the standard, click here.
To download the standard, click here.