This first installment of a series of articles deals with the administration's responsibility in developing an optimum school maintenance program operation. (MLF)

Well-trained custodians can aid the educational environment. Training suggestions are offered that will contribute to custodians' pride in their work, work habits, and personal appearance. (Author/MLF)

Replacing small worn areas can prolong the life of an entire carpet or floor. (Author)

Presents an interview with Keith Reid, vice president of education services at a facility services outsourcing firm, about the conditions of today's college campuses, how schools are handling facility services, and the future of the industry. (EV)

Describes how school restrooms can get a fresher and healthier look with new technologies and better-trained custodial workers. Examples include more automated, no-touch systems and efficient cleaning products. (EV)

Offers a primer on toxic mold and its removal, warning against ignorant or unethical mold remediation companies and offering five considerations (checking references, considering the big picture, sampling more than the air, considering release, and considering the source) when hiring such services. (EV)

Details the process of reengineering Miami-Dade Community College's maintenance department to lower costs while increasing services. Changes included work flow, communications, purchasing, staffing, and technology methods. (EV)

Discusses the benefits of a new approach to school and campus lighting, in which lighting is considered its own maintenance category and is often outsourced to companies that can handle planning, design, and maintenance, as well as offer buying discounts and inventory control. (EV)

Describes the effects of improperly insulated chilled water distribution systems on mold and mildew in occupied buildings, its health risks, prevention, economic impact, and solution. (EV)

Explains that due to the complexity of today's custodial work, extensive education and training is required. This includes basic commercial/industrial cleaning techniques; hygiene procedures; asbestos awareness; management, scheduling, and budgeting; chemical usage; and calculating operations efficiency. Details the in-depth custodial training of…

Describes steps schools can take to provide cleaner and safer washrooms. Emphasizes hand-washing to battle germs and asserts that creating a comfortable and user-friendly washroom is a critical and often overlooked aspect for encouraging better hygiene habits. (EV)

Offers tips for fighting mold in schools, asserting that it can contribute significantly to poor indoor air quality and sick building syndrome. Offers an overview on mold and discusses the steps of: humidity control, building inspections, condensation control or removal, and floor and carpet cleaning. (EV)

Provides guidelines that maintenance staff can use to help make sporting grandstands safe through preventive measures and paying attention to all exposed areas. Recommends using maintenance-and-inspection checklists that also have comments sections. Explores inspections of guardrails, areas beneath grandstands, concession stands, and exit routes.…

Examines six steps to maintaining hard wood and resilient floors in educational facilities that can provides a high level of appearance, safety, sanitation, and prevention of damage. Specific cleaning techniques accompany each step. (GR)

Provides tips for restroom maintenance operations that can enhance a school's image as well as that of the effectiveness of the management program itself. Advice is also provided on keeping restrooms disinfected and deodorized as are ways of reducing cleaning costs while increasing maintenance efficiency. (GR)