1. Services to be provided
   The Contractor is to provide a twice or three times daily cleansing service including between peak periods of use (such as between morning break and lunch) between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to ensure that the schools convenience blocks are kept clean, safe and hygienic. (Some schools may need less while others may need more, depending on what is currently happening in the school e.g. breakfast clubs, after school clubs etc). Toilets should not all be cleaned at the same time to ensure adequate access.
   
   The premises officer should be responsible for opening the school including the toilets. Toilets should remain open throughout the school day. Any closures should be temporary for cleaning purposes.
   
   The Contractor should be responsible for the cleaning service five days per week during term time and deep cleaning during school holidays.
   
   
2. Prior to opening
   All major and minor defects should be reported to the Premises Officer.
   
   
3. Cleaning in the school environment
   Organisms can survive on environmental surfaces. Viruses, in particular, can be excreted in large numbers in respiratory secretions and stools and their persistence on surfaces for hours and days is common. Environmental hygiene is thus a vital part of good infection control.

Definitions:

The level of decontamination needed depends on the circumstances and will dictate what procedures are required. A number of procedures can be used to achieve good levels of hygienic decontamination. These include:

• Cleaning – In many instances, e.g. for hand washing and surfaces, decontamination can be achieved by using a cleaning product (detergent) and hot water. Decontamination is only achieved if applied in conjunction with mechanical action (e.g. wiping or scrubbing) and a rinsing and drying process afterwards.
  
  
• Heat – Heating is an effective method of decontaminating items such as clothes, cleaning utensils and fabrics (e.g. hot washing cycle in washing machines and dishwashers). Heat is also used to reduce microbial contamination of foods to a level that is safe for consumption. Generally, the higher the temperature achieved, the more germs are killed.
  
  
• Hygienic cleaners and chemical disinfectants – These can be used to effectively decontaminate sites and surfaces where the above methods are inadequate or impractical, e.g. to decontaminate work surfaces or toys, to decontaminate toilets, or for use as an extra measure of decontamination when infection occurs in the childcare setting.

General cleaning information
Overall, premises should be clean and well ventilated. All areas should be cleaned regularly as part of a documented cleaning policy and rota (see Table 2). Toilets and frequent hand contact surfaces should be cleaned as frequently as is practical and especially when visibly dirty. Frequent hand contact sites, such as toilet handles, taps and doorknobs are likely to be contaminated with germs and have a high risk of transferring infection. It is therefore essential to clean and disinfect these sites regularly. All environmental surfaces and floors need to be impervious to water and easy to clean. Carpeted areas should be kept to a minimum.

Surfaces such as floors, walls and furniture generally offer a low risk of contamination and a low risk of germ transfer. To maintain this low risk, these surfaces should be regularly cleaned (e.g. daily), kept dry and well maintained.

Any carpeted areas should be vacuumed daily as well as steam cleaned on a regular basis (e.g. every 2-3 months and/or as necessary).

Where there is known blood or body fluid contamination (e.g. spills of vomit or faecal material), spills should be cleaned immediately and any contaminated surfaces cleaned and disinfected.

General purpose utility rubber gloves should be used for general environmental cleaning tasks. These should be changed when there is evidence of peeling, cracking and tears. Hands should always be washed after removing gloves/cleaning.

Environmental cleaning cloths should be disposable, made from a non-shedding fibre and used within a colour-coded system (e.g. red for toilets, blue for general areas, green for kitchens). If re-useable cloths have to be used they must be decontaminated after each use and at least once a day. They should also be routinely replaced. Cloths can be decontaminated by hot machine washing (at least 60°C) and then drying them as rapidly as possible either flat or hanging. Cloths/mops used to clean the toilet area must not be used in other areas of the school.

Ideally, mops with heads that can be removed should be used and then washed at high temperatures in the washing machine (as above) at the end of each day. If this is not possible, mop heads should be cleaned and rinsed with a disinfectant, wrung as dry as possible and then dried quickly, preferably at high temperatures and stored with mop head facing upwards (inverted) or hanging. They should not be cleaned in a sink that is used for food preparation nor should they be left soaking in dirty water. All mop buckets should be easily cleanable (plastic) and kept clean and dry after use.

Chemicals
All chemicals should be handled and stored in accordance with manufacturers' instructions and product safety data sheets. These can be obtained free from product manufacturers. Any staff who handle chemical cleaners should be given instructions on their safe use. These instructions should also include the first aid measures required in the event of accidental ingestion, inhalation or contact with skin or eyes. Contractors should be aware of the requirements of Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations. All chemicals on the premises should be stored in an identified cool, dry and well-ventilated place (room/cabinet) that is lockable; out of reach of the children/visitors/the public; in their original containers. Expiry dates should be routinely checked.

It is important when using bleach (hypochlorite), in particular, that COSHH regulation and manufacturers' instructions are adhered to. Gloves should always be used when handling bleach. Any contact with bleach to skin, eyes and mouth should be avoided and bleach should not be used on urine spillages, carpeted, metal or wooden surfaces. Bleach should always be used in a well-ventilated room/area.

It is important that the correct type of cleaning agent (see Table 1) in the correct concentration is used for the type of decontamination/cleaning required, as per manufacturers' instructions. Manufactured detergent/disinfectant product containers with spray nozzles should ideally be purchased for easy use. Commercial brands are advocated over 'home made' squeezable bottles or containers with spray nozzles which can readily become contaminated during the 'topping up' process.

If the latter are used they must be labelled with the safety instructions and hazard warnings that appear on the original container and fresh solutions used daily. These spray bottles should also be washed and dried daily. Always clean an area after removal of disinfectant with a freshly prepared solution of detergent and water.