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Keeping Classrooms Healthy - Our Winter Hygiene Guide for Schools
- Charlotte Elliott
- Jan 14
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 15
As children return to school and the temperature drops, schools become a hub for seasonal germs. Between the common cold, the flu, and the winter vomiting bug (Norovirus), maintaining a rigorous hygiene standard is essential for keeping both students and staff healthy and protected, with the aim of reducing staff and pupil absence and illness.
Here are our top tips to maintain cleanliness and hygiene this season within school communities.
1. The Power of Hand Hygiene
Handwashing is the first line of defense against infection. In a busy school environment, it isn't always possible for every student to reach a sink between every lesson. This is where hand sanitiser becomes a vital tool.
Placing sanitising stations at the entrances of classrooms, dining halls, and sports halls ensures that even when time is tight, pupils can significantly reduce the bacterial load on their hands.
2. Managing Coughs and Sneezes
Coughs and colds are very common over the winter months, to prevent droplets from becoming airborne or settling on shared desks, schools must ensure a constant supply of tissues is available in every room.
The "Catch it, Bin it, Kill it" approach only works if the right tools are within arm's reach. Encouraging pupils to use tissues and dispose of them immediately helps contain viruses before they spread.
3. High-Quality Cleaning Products and Equipment
Schools need to ensure stricter hygiene procedures are in place in the winter months and maintain use of high quality cleaning products, specifically virucidal disinfectants to kill germs on "high-touch" surfaces like door handles, light switches, desks and computer keyboards.
Ensure all cleaning equipment is colour coded (cloths and mops) to prevent cross-contamination between toilets and classrooms.
4. Preparing for the Unexpected
Despite our best efforts, winter bugs can strike suddenly. One of the most common school disruptions is the sudden onset of illness in the classroom. Being prepared with vomit bowls and spill kits is about more than just convenience, it’s about containment.
Having these supplies ready allows staff to manage an incident quickly and hygienically, minimising the exposure of other pupils to infectious particles.
Essential Winter Supplies | Purpose |
Hand Sanitiser | Quick disinfection between activities. |
Tissues | Containing respiratory droplets. |
Cleaning Products | Killing bacteria/ viruses on surfaces and floors. |
Vomit Bowls and Spill Kits | Immediate containment of sudden illness. |
Winter Hygiene Checklist for Classrooms
This checklist is designed to help teachers and school staff maintain a healthy environment during the peak of the germ season.
Daily "High-Touch" Surface Check
Door Handles & Frames - Disinfect both internal and external handles.
Desks & Tables - Wipe down surfaces with appropriate cleaning products after lunch or messy activities.
Shared Technology - Use alcohol-based wipes on keyboard and tablets.
Light Switches - A quick wipe-down daily prevents the spread of bacteria.
Daily Classroom Essentials Check
Tissues - Access to multiple boxes within the classroom and communal areas.
Hand Sanitiser - Available when hand washing is not possible.
Bin Liners - Ensure the bin near the tissue station is emptied daily to prevent germ contamination.
Emergency Response Kit
Vomit Bowls - Stored in an easy-to-reach location.
Absorbent Spill Powder - For quick and safe cleanup of liquid spills and bodily fluids.
Disposable Gloves- To be worn by staff during any cleanup to ensure personal hygiene.
We also recommend that windows are opened regularly throughout the day to ensure the circulation of fresh air.
It is also important that all cleaning equipment is regularly checked to ensure it is fit for purpose and not damaged or dirty.
Finally the use of soap and water washing hands thoroughly remains one of the most important ways to stop the spread of germs within school environments.
As experts in all things Hygiene, please get in touch if you require more specific advice, or a site visit, we are able to recommend specific products which you may not already be buying which are manufactured in the UK and meet all of the relevant safety requirements.
Many of our products are effective against a range of bacteria and enveloped viruses, including-
Norovirus, Coronavirus, MRSA, Legionella,Shigella and Strep A
Many also pass EN 1650 and EN 16615 and EN 14476 with leading 30 second contact time kill rate for bacteria and pathogens.
Here is the link to our online site to view more products from our Winter Hygiene Essentials
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