For the past four summers I have been cleaning classrooms at my local school district. I started when I was going to be a junior in high school and have gone back ever since. It's not the prettiest of jobs but you gain a lot of appreciation for what it actually takes to keep not only a school, but a business running.
I have worked through three major renovation projects, a flood, midterms and finals, blazing heat and bitter cold, and with all the time I have put in there, it just makes me more grateful for what cleaners and custodians do. You may just think they're washing the chalkboards and taking out trash, but they're really doing a lot more than that. They are the ones that make sure you're safe after school is done for the day. After everyone has left and the school is empty they are wiping down the desktops, mopping the floors, cleaning the bathrooms, and overall making sure we aren't going to get sick from the surfaces we touch. They also fix loose tables, desks, and chairs so you don't fall and get hurt. And who do you think straightens out all the rooms after classes are over and you've moved all your desks around? That's right, the cleaners. I would know, I subbed in after school and cleaned classrooms for two years before I graduated.
Cleaning is a really simple task when you're home. You vacuum your rug, make your bed, make sure your clothes are clean and put away, and do your laundry. When you're cleaning a school the list is significantly longer. Vacuuming and laundry are still on the list since most kindergarten through second grade classrooms have rugs and also you have to clean your rags, mop heads, and dust mop heads. On top of those two simple tasks, you have to clean the tops, sides, and undersides of desks and tables as well as the legs. Clean every inch of a students chair. Clean the teachers desk and chair. Stack everything and move it into the hallway. Make sure the computer tables are clean as well as carts that have projectors on them and move them to the room across the hall so know one tries to steal them. It's happened before. Once all the furniture is clean and out of the room, you wash the walls, chalkboards, blinds and windows, dust the lights, change out any broken bulbs, then strip and wax the floors.
If it sounds easy, keep in mind that this tedious process is repeated at least 30 times. It's not easy and it's really not that fun either, but it is rewarding once you see how nice the building looks when everything is done.
It's a difficult and monotonous job and the work these custodians do is admirable. It takes a real trooper to clean up every ones mess and the effort they put forth isn't going unnoticed. So, thank you to all the cleaners out there! You guys are the real MVP's.
