Sanitizing the School
As students and teachers tackle online classes, Groton’s health experts and Buildings and Grounds (B&G) staff have worked together to thoroughly sanitize the campus. They focused on disinfecting dormitories, including rooms, and classroom surfaces like tables and cabinets.
According to Groton’s physician Sophie Allende-Richter, “as the novel coronavirus can last up to 72 hours on hard surfaces, recommendations are to clean all hard surfaces with soap and water and/or use of cleaning solutions containing 60-95 percent of alcohol.” This process of cleaning surfaces is especially important since the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that disinfecting surfaces can significantly reduce the chances of contracting viruses or bacteria.
This is where B&G comes in. For B&G Director Tim Dumont, “The safety and care of our students is the most important function of the Buildings and Grounds Department… The campus buildings have undergone a deep cleaning and disinfection during the spring break.”
Deep cleaning means that “more surfaces are cleaned than during the regular cleaning process. This involves cleaning surfaces and afterward spraying into the air a disinfecting solution using an electrostatic machine,” said Mr. Dumont. The disinfectant, BruTab 6s, includes electrically charged particles to make sure the disinfectant adheres to surfaces. BruTab 6s is a hospital-grade disinfectant that contains a bleach-free all-purpose cleaning formula.
Unfortunately, students will not be returning to campus this term. In the meantime, Dr. Allende-Richter suggests that we avoid crowding and non-essential travel and never forget to wash our hands thoroughly. “Fight boredom and be creative. There are tons of great things one can do inside as well,” she added. “Keep yourself informed through trustworthy news media.”
The school’s deep cleaning processes will help protect the health and safety of the Groton community. As the school’s administration works hard to keep the campus safe during this uncertain time, Mr. Maqubela encourages us to stay strong and “healthy as we all do our best to take care of ourselves and each other.”
