Sustainable Cleaning in Schools Means Brighter Futures for Students

Cleaning is essential, but sustainable cleaning is where schools can truly shine — literally and figuratively. Beyond tidying up, it's an opportunity to create healthier spaces, slash waste, and even save a few bucks.

By partnering with facility managers, a facility distributor and solution provider can help K12 and higher education institutions clean smarter and greener. They can act as a partner to offer facility managers tools and strategies to polish both sustainability practices and cost savings. Few things are as satisfying as scrubbing your carbon footprint and polishing your sustainability cred.

Why Green Clean?

 

In schools and universities, where students and faculty spend most of their day, a clean environment is non-negotiable. Sustainable cleaning doesn’t just tidy up; it improves health, performance, and attendance. Think of it as installing a forcefield against germs: fewer sick days, more learning days.

 

Studies show¹ that a healthier school environment can improve student performance and reduce absenteeism. It’s like equipping your school with a forcefield against germs—fewer germs, fewer absences, and a whole lot of high-fives.

Your Sustainable Dream Team

To enact real change, your facility manager should partner with a facility distributor and solution provider to rewrite the rules on cleaning and turn routine school maintenance into a sustainable success story.

Your solution provider should comprise LEED^® Accredited Professionals and CIMS-GB ISSA Certification Experts and offer more than just cleaning product solutions. They should also provide best practices training and advanced procurement platforms to support clean and green building environments. As your product provider, they should also help you identify third-party certifications and guidelines such as:

• EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG)
• EPA Safer Choice
• UL Environment/ECOLOGO
• Green Seal
• CRI Seal of Approval
• Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC^®)
• Clean Air Choices Cleaner Certification (CACC)
• USDA Bio Preferred Program

Sustainable Strategies Beyond Supplies

Now that you vetted and selected your facility distributor and solution provider, you need to develop a green strategy. Here’s how your team can deliver the winning sustainable formula:

Facility Assessments

The best strategies always begin with a solid blueprint. Your provider should conduct customized evaluations to identify gaps and opportunities, ensuring schools can prioritize impactful changes. 

Training

Even the best tools need skilled hands to wield them. Facility managers and custodial staff should receive guidance on green cleaning methods, waste reduction, and improved safety practices. 

Custom Procurement Platforms

Prepare to go on an eco-friendly shopping spree. By using streamlined tools to simplify ordering and track sustainable spending, schools and universities can continuously improve their sustainability. 

Certification Support

Seek gold star cleaning certifications like Healthy Green Schools and Colleges, Green Seal GS- 42, and LEED with your solution provider’s expert assistance.

The Green Clean Playbook

Sustainable cleaning might sound like a tall order, but it’s more like checking off a to-do list —one green step at a time. Ready to take the plunge? Equipped with your strategy, your team should run the following playbook:

Sustainability in Action: Pacific Northwest School District

 

Starting with just 20% green spend, a large school district in the Pacific Northwest teamed up with BradyPLUS to become a gold star example of sustainability. From swapping in third-party certified paper and soap options, to using bioactive cleaners to tackle waste and odors in the bathrooms, the 20,000-student school district transformed their approach and surpassed an 80% green spend.

 

Now, they’re working toward obtaining a Healthy Green Schools and Colleges² certification (formerly Green Clean Schools), underscoring their commitment to excellence and ensuring their restrooms smell fresher than a field of daisies (or at least fresher than a gym locker) — all while saving money in the process.

​Real Savings, Real Impact

Sustainable cleaning isn’t just good for the environment — it’s good for the budget. Schools and universities are reinvesting savings into better educational outcomes, often tripling their bottom line to turn eco-conscious decisions into brighter futures for students. Here are some ways to save:

• Reduced packaging waste: Declutter your supply cabinet and cut costs with dilution control systems featuring super-concentrated chemicals that not only cut costs but also minimize shipping and packaging waste.
• Consolidated procurement: One-stop shopping has never been easier. Streamlining vendor relationships saves time and ensures consistency in green spend tracking. 
• Labor efficiency: Clean smarter, not harder, by using innovative tools and training to help custodial teams clean more effectively in less time. 

Why Wait? Start Today

Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. By working with an industry leader in sustainable facility solutions, schools and universities can make measurable strides towards greener, healthier campuses — without breaking a sweat. From streamlining processes to improving green spend, every step counts toward a brighter, healthier future for your students and your community.

1. National Library of Medicine - Effects of Classroom Cleaning on Student Health: A Longitudinal Study
2. Healthy Green Schools & Colleges - A Standard for Healthier, Greener Educational Facilities