Building Services - Periodic Cleaning | Facilities and Energy Management | SIU

Carpets

All carpeted areas are vacuumed daily. Daily vacuuming is important to maintain the appearance and to extend the longevity of the carpet.

All carpets on campus are cleaned annually by Building Services' hot water extraction crew. However, many carpets require cleaning more often than once a year using this method. It is the responsibility of the building's in-house custodial staff to perform any additional hot-water extraction cleaning.

The in-house building custodial staff is responsible for performing the spin bonnet method of carpet cleaning several times per year.

Chalkboards

Classroom chalkboards, chalk trays, and erasers are washed daily. Chalk is replenished on a daily basis with an ample amount supplied for the following day. Small pieces of chalk are disposed of daily.

Office or conference room chalkboards are washed only when they are erased clean or "wash me" instructions have been written on the board. This is to ensure that important notes left on the board are not destroyed.

Corridors

Daily corridor floor maintenance is required as follows:

• carpeted corridors are vacuumed daily.
• hard surface floors are dust-mopped, wet-mopped, or buffed each day.

Drinking Fountains

Drinking fountains are completely cleaned on a daily basis with the proper germicidal cleaner.

Elevators

Elevators are cleaned on a nightly basis. Elevator tracks are cleaned on a weekly basis.

Floors

All floors and floor coverings classified as hard-surface floors(wood, asphalt tile, asphalt vinyl tile, vinyl tile, sheet vinyl, rubber tile, linoleum, terrazzo, and concrete) are dust mopped daily. Chairs and all other light furniture are moved to ensure thorough floor cleaning. These items are then replaced in their proper locations after floor cleaning is completed.

Glass

All entryway door glass is cleaned daily. Glass desk tops, bookcases, fire hoses and fire extinguisher cabinet glass, and display case glass is cleaned as needed.

Laboratories

It is the responsibility of each department to keep all hazardous material, such as acid, radiation, explosive chemicals, carcinogenics, human or animal tissue, viscera and bones, out of general waste disposal containers. Such materials should be placed in separately marked containers by department personnel and disposed of by authorized personnel in compliance with regulations governing these materials.

Labs are cleaned in a similar fashion as classrooms:

• If the floor is hard surface, it is dust mopped completely each night. It is to be spot mopped nightly and wet mopped weekly.
• Flat surfaces, where applicable, are dusted weekly.
• Walls, door facings, and light switches are spot cleaned weekly.

Lounges

Lounges, vending areas, and all public areas are cleaned completely each night. Building Services strives to keep these areas aesthetically pleasing and properly sanitized on a daily basis.

Non-cleaning

Non-cleaning activities that Building Services staff is responsible for consists of locking and unlocking buildings, opening classrooms, and minor maintenance activities.

Office

Building Services' philosophy in cleaning office space is that it needs to be done with the same care one would expect to have their home cleaned. Extreme care is taken in cleaning office space to ensure the safeguard of all items within the office space.

On rare occasions, it may be appropriate for a note to be left for an office occupant regarding a custodial matter. Only Building sub-foremen or Building Service foremen are authorized to leave a note.

Office space is cleaned as follows:

• Trash receptacles are emptied.
• If the floor is tiled, it is dust mopped completely including under the desk and in the corners.
• If the office is carpeted, it is vacuumed nightly. If there are spills on the carpet they are spot-cleaned as soon as possible after they occur.
• Flat surfaces are dusted weekly.
• Walls, door facings, and light switches are spot cleaned weekly.
• Carpets are cleaned using the spin bonnet method every two months.
• Chairs are pushed under their respective desks when possible.
• Upholstered furniture is cleaned and dusted monthly.

Pest Control

The sub-foreman staff supervises the application of pest control products in academic buildings. Buildings are routinely sprayed once a month for pests. Any problems with pest or rodent control should be reported to the Building Services office.

Rest Rooms

Clean rest rooms are a priority! These areas are completely cleaned, sanitized, and stocked on a daily basis. The following cleaning standards apply to rest rooms:

• All toilet, urinal, and sink surfaces are cleaned daily.
• Mirrors are cleaned daily.
• Floors are swept and wet mopped with the proper germicidal cleaner daily.
• Graffiti is removed as soon as it appears on stall doors or walls.
• Flat surfaces are dusted weekly.
• Walls are washed as needed and are completely washed every other month.
• Soap dispensers are filled and cleaned nightly.
• Paper products are stocked completely each night.

Special Events

These activities include events held outside of normal building hours. There may be a charge associated with such events, for special clean-up or opening or closing buildings.

Contact the Building Services office for additional information.

Classrooms are cleaned to conform to the following cleaning standards.

• All trash is removed from the classroom nightly. This includes emptying trash receptacles, disposing of used Daily Egyptians or other newspapers, soda cans, candy wrappers and potato-chip bags, and the removal of all waste material.
• The entire floor is cleaned as follows:dust mopped if tiled; vacuumed if carpeted. All floor spills are cleaned by wet mopping if tiled or spot-cleaned if carpeted.
• Chalkboards, chalk trays, and erasers are cleaned nightly. 
• Desk chairs are aligned horizontally in uniform rows leaving ample space for a person to walk between each row.
• Flat surfaces are dusted each night to alleviate a high concentration of chalk dust from accumulating in classroom areas. Special attention is paid to corners to ensure that a dirty, dusty residue does not accumulate.
• Desktops are cleaned on a regular basis.
• The instructor's desk is cleaned nightly.
• During the course of a week all tile floors are wet mopped completely and buffed where possible.
• Carpeted floors are cleaned on a monthly basis using the spin bonnet method.

Building Services does not lock classrooms. The only exception is in the event that equipment is housed in a classroom that could be stolen by leaving the room unlocked. If a classroom that is normally left unlocked is locked for a special situation, the day sub-foreman must be notified so the room can be unlocked before classes begin the next morning

Stairs and Landings

Stairs and landings are dust mopped or vacuumed daily. Spills are cleaned up daily. Stairs and landings are thoroughly wet mopped and all flat surfaces are dusted on a weekly basis.