Southwestern prepares for deep clean: Maintenance staff prepares for cleaning, readying for students’ return to building

HAZEL GREEN, Wis.–The rapidly-changing news cycle has changed the plans of Ron Beaver, maintenance director at Southwestern School District, impacting his plans for cleaning the buildings. Originally, at the Wednesday, March 11 board meeting, Beaver told the board that his staff of five would work on Friday and Monday to deep clean the buildings.

Gov. Tony Evers announced nearly 48 hours later that schools in Wisconsin would be closed from Wednesday, March 18 until Monday, April 6.

Evers’s announcement adjusted the district’s plans, and allowed the staff to regroup and prepare for more cleaning than previously planned and to do so repetitively over the course of the next few weeks. Evers ordered on Tuesday, March 17 that schools in Wisconsin would be closed indefinitely.

Southwestern has been utilizing Protexus, an electrostatic spraying system, a system similar to that being used in the aviation industry between flights.

The Protexus machine uses a hospital-grade disinfectant called PURTABS which is sprayed onto surfaces in the building and eliminates viruses and bacteria from surfaces found throughout the school. The chemical is versatile enough to use as a food surface sanitizer as well.

The Centers for Disease Control and Environmental Protection Agency claim that the acid that is created from PURTABS kills pathogens up to 50 times better than chlorine bleach.

The district is also using the machine and solvent on school buses.

Beaver said that he is glad the district was ahead of the curve when they purchased the equipment as the items are now back ordered two to three months.

“Before this even started, we went through the entire elementary school twice a week and the high school once a week and sprayed everything down with these machines,” said Beaver.

Beaver has also reached out to chemical suppliers who gave Beaver a list from the American Chemical Council of what chemicals could be used to kill COVID-19. Beaver found that the district has six chemicals in-house that are approved to kill COVID-19.

Beaver said that at least until April 6, his staff will go into every classroom and empty them out, scrub the floors with a biocide, scrub desks and go room-to-room and continue the process.

“I think limiting anyone in here is going to be the biggest thing,” said Beaver. “It varies as to what people say for how long COVID-19 can sit on the surface before it dies, but having no one in here, it gives us a chance to kill that off.”

Beaver said that the main changes with no school is that the entire custodial staff is now working first shift and there are two in the elementary school and two in the high school. The staff is also completing other projects as well during the extended break.

“Getting some hand sanitizers to locations where they might be better used is also important,” said Beaver. “We have had a few out in locations before, but then kids really didn’t care. Now, when the kids get back they will probably be looking for the hand sanitizer. This will change their perception on how to deal with germs. Before they thought they were invincible. That’s not the case anymore.”