Every school has a summer cleaning checklist. Most of them miss the same three things.

After years in the field, I've noticed that facilities teams nail the obvious work — floors, restrooms, classrooms. But these three areas get skipped, deferred, or forgotten until they become a problem in September.

Here's what to add to your list before the school year ends.

1. Drinking fountain drains and overflow channels The basin gets wiped. The spout gets disinfected. But the drain screen and overflow channel collect biofilm all year and almost never get deep cleaned. Pull the screen, flush the channel, and scrub the drain housing. It takes five minutes per fountain and makes a real difference in odor control when buildings sit closed all summer.

2. Custodial closet floors and floor drains Custodial closets are cleaned in, not cleaned up. The floor drain — if there is one — often goes the entire school year without being flushed. Standing mop water residue builds up along base coves and around floor sink edges. Add a dedicated closet scrub-down to every building's summer rotation. It also gives you a chance to identify any drain backup issues before they get worse.

3. Ceiling diffusers and return air grilles HVAC vents accumulate dust all year. When the system cycles back on in August or September, that dust circulates through the building. Clean diffusers and return grilles before shutdown — not after. A vacuum and damp wipe-down is all it takes, and it keeps your indoor air quality complaints down when staff returns in the fall.

That's it for this week. Small additions to your checklist, but they make a real difference in how buildings come back in September.

If there's a topic you'd like covered in a future issue — work order systems, inspection checklists, staff scheduling, or anything else — just reply to this email. I read every one.

Talk soon,

P.S. If you're looking for a complete set of print-ready checklists for your summer cleaning rotation — restrooms, hallways, cafeteria, gymnasium, exterior grounds, and more — the K-12 Summer Facilities Checklist Bundle is available now for $27. Get it here →

Daniel Mendoza Facility Insight www.facilityinsight.com