Tips for School Maintenance Staff

• Cleaning classrooms regularly helps to reduce the amount of dust and dirt in the school, including molds and pollens. These substances can cause allergic reactions.
  • Use high-efficiency vacuum bags that can retain dust and particles (3 micron or smaller)
  • Vacuum dust from heating, cooling, and ventilation air return grilles, air supply vents, and ceiling and wall surfaces regularly.
  • Make sure that the school is dusted and vacuumed thoroughly and regularly.
• Work to prevent cockroach and other pest problems (place dumpsters away from the building, etc.). Check regularly for cockroaches, mice, and other pests. Only fumigate (if necessary) when school is not in session.
• Clean up mold and control moisture.
  • Repair all leaks immediately.
  • Eliminate standing water in maintenance rooms and in ceiling tiles.
• Only use cleaning solvents when school is not in session.
• Limit grass and plant trimmings to after school hours.

Adapted from Managing Asthma: A Guide for Schools. National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutes (NHLBI), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching, Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education. September 1991. NIH Publication No. 91-2650.

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