How to Clean Your School’s Outdoor Spaces

We all know the importance of cleaning the inside of your school, but how much effort to you put into the exterior? It’s just as important, not only for the safety of students, staff and parents coming to the building, but to maintain the appearance of your school’s campus as well. 

Outdoor Focus Areas

Entrances and pavements are likely the main focus when it comes to outdoor cleaning at your school. After all, those areas need to be cleared of debris, snow and other potential hazards so students and staff can get into school safely.

While these areas are undoubtedly part of your cleaning team’s responsibilities, there are several other areas that may also need to be maintained and cleaned to ensure the health and safety of students and visitors.

How to Clean Pesky Outdoor Messes

In each of the areas described above, there are bound to be pesky stains, spills or other types of soils that need to be spot treated to maintain the appearance of your school’s outdoor spaces. 

• Fresh oil¹ stains: Use a combination of soap and water to help prevent the oil from drying and staining the asphalt. Additionally, kitty litter and baking soda are good ways to prevent fresh stains from staining.
• Dried oil stains: A pressure washer is one of the most effective ways to remove an oil stain. If you don’t have a pressure washer, powered laundry detergent and commercial degreasers can be used.
• Light rust² stains: Lemon juice is an inexpensive and natural way to remove light rust stains. After letting the juice sit for 10 minutes, use a wire brush to scrub the stain. You can also try unsweetened lemonade powder for a more unconventional method!
• Medium rust stains: White vinegar is more potent than lemon juice, but the same process to remove rust applies. To increase the effectiveness, you can also add salt to the vinegar.
• Tough rust stains: Hydrochloric acid is effective, but requires proper use and personal protective equipment, like gloves, for safety. You may also dilute the acid. Act quickly to prevent your concrete from turning blue. 
• Gum³: Hot pressure washing with a higher flow nozzle is the recommended best practice for removing chewing gum from concrete. The heat from the water will help melt the gum for easier removal. A gentle massaging motion with the water spray is sufficient, as the heat will be doing most of the work. Age, porosity, and density all affect how the concrete will react to high pressure/hot water, so be sure to take proper care when pressure washing. 
• Chalk Stains⁴: If chalk is left on concrete or asphalt too long, it can be tough to remove. A brush and water may do the trick, but for tougher staining, a paste of baking soda and water with some elbow grease can help remove the chalk. 
• Leaf Stains⁵: Don’t let the beauty of fall stain your concrete! If wet leaves stain your pavements, OxyClean™ is a great way to remove the colour. Or, a paste of baking soda and water works if you want to avoid purchasing a product.
• Graffiti⁶: Graffiti on school property is an unfortunate occurrence and removing it takes time away from other important cleaning. If you have graffiti on school grounds, the best course of action is to treat it within 24-48 hours. Depending on the surface type, mineral spirits like acetone or steel wool plus a pressure washer will help remove the unwanted paint. 

Seasonal Considerations for Outdoor School Cleaning

For parts of the country that experience different seasons or extreme weather shifts throughout the year, there are seasonal cleaning considerations that may impact the type of equipment or cleaning schedule needed. Depending on the outdoor conditions you experience, multiple pieces of equipment or tools may be needed to maintain your education facility.

• Spring: Rain/wet conditions, clearing mud and salt stains from winter
• Summer: Dust, lawn care/ grounds upkeep, flooding
• Fall: Leaf management, preparing outdoor spaces for winter
• Winter: Snow, slush and ice removal  

Your Toolkit for Outdoor Cleaning

Build your outdoor cleaning fleet to ensure your facility shines inside and out.

In addition to the general equipment needed to maintain school grounds like lawn mowers, snow blowers, shovels, rakes, and other outdoor care items, to keep your outdoor spaces free from debris, consider adding the following equipment to your fleet.

Outdoor Sweepers:

Walk-behind or ride-on sweepers can offer a versatile solution for many outdoor applications from sweeping pavements to keeping bleachers free of debris.

Outdoor Ride-On Sweeper-Scrubbers:

Sweeper-scrubbers perform double duty by not only sweeping outdoor spaces, but also scrubbing them using water and squeegee systems. Ride-on sweeper-scrubbers are helpful for sweeping pavements, parking lots or courtyard areas or scrubbing.

Pressure Washers:

Pressure washers help remove stains and soils on many types of outdoor materials like concrete, asphalt and brick. They can also clean windows, awnings, canopies and other areas outside to help save time and to maintain a positive impression of your school.

Outdoor Vacuums:

For larger debris like leaves or trash, an outdoor vacuum is an easier and more efficient way to maintain the appearance of your school’s outdoor spaces.

Floor Mats:

An unconventional add to an outdoor list, floor mats are another way to keep the inside of your schools clean. It’s nearly impossible to catch every bit of dirt or dust that enters the school on students’ feet, even if your parking lots and pavements are pristine. With proper floor mats at the school’s entrances and exits, dirt and dust have one final spot to be deposited before people enter the school, keeping classrooms and other gathering spaces cleaner overall.

With an awareness of which outdoor spaces need to be maintained and the proper equipment to tend to the job, you’ll be set up for success to keep students, staff and visitors safe while also maintaining the appearance and positive first impressions of your school.

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