Winter break is the perfect time for your school to take a step back and prepare your facilities for next semester. Cold weather, heavy foot traffic, and ice melt can leave behind dirt and residue, dull floors, and impact cleanliness. Taking advantage of this downtime to deep clean and recoat floors ensures your school is ready to welcome students and staff back to a bright, clean environment.

Floor Care: Scrub and Recoat for a Fresh Start

Winter floor care is essential to restore your floors after months of wear. Things like ice melt, sand, dirt and debris can damage floor finish. A scrub and recoat helps extend the life of your floors and protects them throughout the rest of the school year.

Why Buckeye Floor Finishes Matter

Buckeye floor finishes are designed to withstand multiple top scrubs and recoats, extending the life of your floors without the need for frequent stripping and refinishing. Other finishes may not be durable enough for this process, meaning these procedures will only be effective if your facility is already using a Buckeye floor finish.

Here’s how you can scrub and recoat your floors:

1. Clear areas that require floor care; remove furniture, debris, and place wet floor signs.
2. Clean and scrub areas using a low-speed machine or auto scrubber with a Buckeye floor cleaner.
3. Rinse thoroughly and remove all solutions.
4. Apply 2 to 3 coats of Buckeye floor finish, allowing time to dry between coats.

Recommended Products:

Buckeye Eco® Floor Cleaner (E32 or E33)

Buckeye Castleguard® or Clarion® 25 Floor Finish

Restroom Care: Time to Shine

Restrooms see continuous use and are a key area for germs and odors. Winter break provides the perfect opportunity to deep clean and refresh these high-traffic spaces. Focus on disinfecting surfaces, replenishing supplies, and removing buildup in hard-to-reach areas to ensure restrooms are fresh and ready for the new semester.

Download the full checklist for detailed restroom cleaning procedures and product recommendations.

Classroom Care: Spring into Action

Before students return, classrooms should be cleaned from top to bottom to create a healthy learning environment. Focus on disinfecting high-touch surfaces and organizing materials to start the semester strong.

Download the checklist to see detailed steps for cleaning classrooms, floors, and common areas.

Mat Maintenance Care

Mats take more than elbow grease. To effectively clean mats, utilize a Buckeye carpet spot remover such as Gone H202. For effective cleaning steps on mats, check out our winter preparation guide: Are Your Floors Ready for Winter?

Other Winter Break Steps

Winter break is also an ideal time to address areas that often go unnoticed during the busy school year. Wiping down windows, cleaning light fixtures, and dusting vents can make a big difference in maintaining a clean, bright environment.

 Find a complete list of additional cleaning tasks in the downloadable winter checklist below.

Make the Most of Winter Break

A fresh start begins with clean, protected floors and disinfected spaces. Buckeye offers resources to help your team maintain high standards throughout the school year.

Our Honors Custodial Training Program gives staff 24/7 access to:

Step-by-step procedures for daily and restorative cleaning

Downloadable charts, testing for your team to review procedures and equipment

24/7 access to reporting and surveys to hand out to your team

Want a Downloadable Winter Cleaning Checklist?

Buckeye offers customizable tools to help keep your school clean and prepared for this upcoming spring semester. From cleaning floors to daily procedures and more check out this downloadable winter checklist for winter break.

The school year is in full swing, and now it’s winter break, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to prepare for the second semester. Use this time to reset and deep clean your school, ensuring a safer and healthier environment for students, teachers, and staff. But what exactly does deep cleaning entail?

How to Deep Clean Your School

Create a schedule that fits best for your staff and prioritize accordingly.

Here's a checklist of essential areas to clean:

Restrooms

Products: Buckeye Eco^® Neutral Disinfectant or Buckeye^® Eco One-Step Disinfectant.

Procedure: Disinfect all fixtures, sinks, counters, and stall partitions. Mop floors with a disinfectant to eliminate bacteria and odors.

High-Touch Surfaces

Products: Buckeye Eco^® Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner.

Procedure: Wipe down door handles, railings, desks, tables, and shared equipment with a microfiber cloth for thorough cleaning and germ removal.

Floors and Entry Mats

Products: Buckeye Clarion^® 25 for resilient flooring or Buckeye Eco^® Floor Cleaner for daily maintenance. For carpet care cleaning use Buckeye’s Jet Stream^™ .

Procedure: Deep clean carpets using an extractor, clean gym floors with wood-safe solutions, and vacuum entry mats to prevent dirt from spreading. 

Classrooms

Products: Buckeye Eco^® All-Purpose Cleaner and Buckeye Eco^® Neutral Disinfectant E23/S23.

Procedure: Clean desks, chairs, and cubbies. Spot-clean carpets. Then vacuum or steam clean for allergens and dust.

Gyms and Locker Rooms

Products: Buckeye Eco^® Muscle Cleaner for tough stains. For gym floors use Buckeye’s Screen Clean^® and for disinfecting in your gym try Buckeye’s Terminator^™.

Procedure: Mop gym floors with wood-safe solutions, disinfect benches and lockers, and sanitize athletic equipment thoroughly.

Buckeye Honors Program

If your staff needs additional guidance, Buckeye’s Honors Program is here to help. The program includes:

Training Modules: In-depth resources to teach proper deep cleaning methods. You and your team will have 24/7 access to video modules covering everything from floor care to disinfecting and more.

Training Materials: Detailed wall charts, and checklist that outline routine and deep cleaning protocols. Staff can also complete testing and earn certifications after reviewing these materials, ensuring they are confident and prepared to meet high standards of cleanliness.

More Ways to Keep Your School Clean

The school year can be challenging but maintaining a clean and safe environment doesn’t have to be. Winter break deep cleaning is just one part of the solution. Buckeye offers a variety of blogs, tools, and strategies on how to keep your school spotless year-round.

Curious to learn more? Explore these blogs to keep your school clean this year:

Floor Care and Mats: Learn about ways you can keep your floors and mats clean this winter.

Flu Season: Flu Season is here. Take a look at our recent flu season blog and learn about ways Symmetry can provide the best healthy hand hygiene practices for your school.

Microban antimicrobial technology is a built-in ingredient that helps products resist the growth of bacteria, mold, mildew, and other microbes. It is not a substitute for regular cleaning practices, but does continuously fight the growth of microbes and can keep products you purchase cleaner, longer.

What is Microban Used For?

Many companies infuse products with Microban to keep their products cleaner over time. Buckeye uses Microban in Clarion® 25 Floor Finish and Arena® 300 Water-Based Wood Floor Coating. Because they utilize Microban technology, Clarion 25 and Arena 300 have lifetime antimicrobial product protection and live-on floor protection for the products’ usable life.

How Does Microban Antimicrobial Technology Work? 

Microban Antimicrobial Technology is built into Clarion 25 and Arena 300 during the manufacturing process. Once the floor finish or wood floor coating is applied to floors, the built-in Microban technology prevents microbes from growing and reproducing. When bacteria, mold, and mildew come in contact with floors, Microban will penetrate the cell wall of the microbe, disrupting the cell and preventing its ability to make food, grow, and reproduce.*

How is Microban Tested? 

Clarion 25 with Microban technology has been tested using the JIS Z 2801 standard laboratory method and test protocol for antimicrobial activity. the JIS Z 2801 method tests the ability of hard surfaces to inhibit the growth of microorganisms over a 24-hour period of contact.

Why Microban Matters

Floors and soles of shoes are major sources of contamination in healthcare, retail, and educational facilities. In schools, students play on gym floors quickly transferring microbes between their hands and the floor. According to the American Journal of Infection Control, contact with objects on floors frequently results in the transfer of pathogens to hands.

Microban technology in Clarion 25 and Arena 300 can proactively fight microbes 24 hours a day at no additional cost. Find out more when you contact your Buckeye representative.

*Microban technology does not protect users against disease-causing microorganisms. Microban Products Company makes neither direct nor implied public health claims. Normal cleaning practices should be maintained.

Bacteria, mold, mildew, and microorganisms are everywhere, even airborne, covering surfaces you come into contact with every day. Studies have shown that floors and soles of shoes are sources of contamination.

A study done by the University of Arizona found that soles of shoes average 421,000 units of bacteria and that pathogens can transfer from the floor to shoes and back to floors.

An American Journal of Infection Control study concluded that contact with objects on floors in hospitals frequently results in the transfer of pathogens to hands. They found there is a need to reduce the bacterial burden on floors. 

Whether you work in a hospital, school, or retail facility, finding ways to fight bacteria growth can improve the patient, student, and guest experience in any facility. Clarion^® 25 Microban^® Antimicrobial Floor Finish offers 24/7 product protection to proactively and continuously fight microbes at no additional cost, with no additional labor or procedures.

Microban International was founded in 1984 and is the global leader in surface modification technology which allows an EPA registered antimicrobial to be embedded in a surface. Microban technology is built-in to over 1,000 products in 30 countries on four continents.

How Does Microban Antimicrobial Product Protection Work?

More Than a Product

As part of the Buckeye Hard Floor Care Program, Clarion 25 with Microban technology can provide clarity, durability, and repairability to your floors. The Buckeye Hard Floor Care Program offers products and procedures that reduce labor and product costs while keeping your floors in top condition. 

From routine floor care to annual maintenance, Buckeye products include cleaners, floor finishes, and floor strippers that reduce labor costs and give years of beauty to your floors.

Are You Disinfecting Your Floors?

Buckeye Eco Neutral Disinfectant E23 is a multi-purpose disinfectant that can kill a variety of pathogens without attacking floor finish. It has also been approved by the EPA for use against SARS-CoV-2 with a one-minute contact time. 

See the results for yourself! Contact a Buckeye representative today to schedule a floor demonstration at your facility.

*Microban technology does not protect users against disease-causing microorganisms. Microban Products Company makes neither direct nor implied public health claims. Normal cleaning practices should be maintained.

COVID-19 continues to evolve, causing new variants to occur, many of which are being tracked as the pandemic continues. Because these variants are each unique, they can spread at different speeds and can be more resistant to treatments or vaccines. The COVID-19 variant, Omicron, has been detected in most states and is rapidly increasing the proportion of COVID-19 cases in the US. In addition to getting vaccinated, wearing masks, and maintaining social distance, keeping your environment clean can go a long way in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Facilities hoping to navigate the pandemic should develop a step-by-step cleaning and disinfecting program that will protect people who visit. Buckeye’s Door to Floor: 4 Levels of Protection program can help provide those who enter your facility with peace of mind during the pandemic.

Level 1: Protect Yourself with the Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program

CDC Recommendation: Hand washing is one of the best ways you can help reduce the spread of germs.

Symmetry can help your facility implement a hand hygiene program, providing tools that promote education, awareness, and motivation to practice hand hygiene.

Level 2: Intermittently protect your facility with the Eco^® Proportioning Program

CDC Recommendations: Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces following product label directions and proper dwell times. 

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved several Buckeye products for use against SARS-Related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [cause of COVID-19], including Buckeye Eco One-Step Disinfectant-Deodorizer-Cleaner E22. The Eco Proportioning Program comes with training materials and tools to help staff with proper disinfecting procedures. 

Level 3: Use Clarion^® 25 Microban^® Antimicrobial Floor Finish and Arena^® Microban Antimicrobial Wood Floor Coating

Microban technology is built-in to these products during the manufacturing process. When microbes come in contact with the product surface, Microban technology penetrates the cell wall of the microorganism and disrupts the cell, making the microorganism unable to grow and reproduce. * 

*Microban technology does not protect users against disease-causing microorganisms. Microban Products Company makes neither direct nor implied public health claims. Normal cleaning practices should be maintained.

Level 4: Protect your facility with Gateway Liners and recommendations

Use stronger, better fitting liners to minimize contaminant exposure. Gateway Liners performs rigorous strength, weight, puncture and tear tests.

Properly dispose trash into lined containers and frequently replace liners. Frequently clean and disinfect inside and outside of trash containers. 

Buckeye takes COVID-19 seriously and continues to take a proactive approach in our effort to help minimize exposure to illness. Buckeye programs strive to educate the public on the importance of best cleaning, disinfecting, and hand hygiene practices. Contact your local representative to find out more about Buckeye’s Door to Floor: 4 Levels of Protection program.

On Dec 27, 2020, the COVID-19 Relief Package was signed into law, providing additional financial assistance to K-12 schools. This funding can be used towards cleaning supplies and programs, staff training, and other resources needed to address coronavirus in schools.

The new relief package allows for a broad range of uses and specifically mentions:

• Providing resources for principles to address coronavirus in their schools
• Training staff on the best ways to sanitize and schools and proper use of personal protective equipment
• Purchasing PPE and the supplies needed to clean and disinfect schools

Find more information on the COVID-19 relief package here.

How Can Buckeye Help? 

Buckeye’s maintenance programs provide door to floor protection for schools. Buckeye’s 4 levels of protection include hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting, antimicrobial floor protection, and custodial training that follows CDC recommendations.

Level 1: Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program

The CDC states that hand washing is one of the best ways to help reduce the spread of germs. The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program provides tools that promote education, awareness, and motivation to practice hand hygiene.

Level 2: Eco^® Proportioning Program

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved several Buckeye products for use against SARS-Related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [cause of COVID-19], including Buckeye Eco One-Step Disinfectant-Deodorizer-Cleaner E22.

Following CDC guidelines and label directions, clean and disinfect frequently touched objects with the help of the Eco Proportioning Program. Buckeye’s Eco Proportioning Program is fully integrated with effective, hermetically sealed products for any applications.

Level 3: Clarion^® 25 Microban^® Antimicrobial Floor Finish

Continually protect your facility with Clarion 25 Microban Antimicrobial Floor Finish and Arena^® 300 Microban Antimicrobial Wood Floor Coating. While not a substitute for normal cleaning practices, Microban protection continuously fights the growth of microbes, and makes floors easier to clean - keeping them cleaner, longer at no additional cost to you.

Level 4: Honors^® Custodial Training Program

The Buckeye Honors Program is a complete custodial program for schools and universities that presents the products, procedures, and training needed to meet a school or university’s highest standards. Honors features videos and tests on enhanced disinfecting and proper hand hygiene procedures during COVID-19.

For more information about all of Buckeye’s cleaning programs and how Buckeye can help your school combat COVID-19, contact your local Buckeye representative.

Buckeye’s Hard Floor Care Program is built on innovation, resulting in the highest quality products that are proven to increase efficiency, produce excellent results, and save money. Renaissance^® Performance Polymers serves as the foundation for the Hard Floor Care Program, creating polymers specifically for Buckeye floor finishes.

Renaissance is Buckeye’s exclusive line of floor finish polymers. Other floor finish manufacturers buy polymers from companies who do not specialize in making floor finishes. Some of these competitive floor finishes lose clarity or become less durable over time. Because Buckeye is committed to providing the highest quality products, it’s important for Buckeye floor finishes to achieve maximum durability and water clear clarity. With Renaissance, Buckeye is able to replicate exact specifications of a polymer for floor finishes giving Buckeye complete control over the characteristics of each floor finish.

Buckeye’s polymer research has resulted in longer-lasting floor finishes that can reduce your facility’s strip out cycle. Renaissance Performance Polymers provides value by eliminating the cost of third-party polymers and creating top-of-the-line polymers that reduce labor costs for the end user.

With state-of-the-art equipment, research, and the highest quality standards, Renaissance helps Buckeye construct floor finishes that consistently provide an enhanced appearance for floors with the least amount of labor. Renaissance Performance Polymers are manufactured in a state-of-the-art polymer production facility. This facility was designed with employee and environmental safety measures in place. Governmental agencies have rated our VOC emissions as “de minimis” (too small or insignificant to be considered).

Beyond Renaissance, Buckeye continues to innovate with its patented Liquescent^® technology, designed to eliminate hazardous ingredients like butyl, solvents, and alcohol bases. Even more recently, Buckeye has incorporated Microban^® technology into its Clarion^® 25 floor finish to inhibit the growth of bacteria on floors. As new technologies emerge, Buckeye’s Hard Floor Care Program will continue to evolve to bring the best value to customers.

For more information on Renaissance Performance Polymers and Buckeye’s Hard Floor Care Program, contact your local Buckeye representative.

Now more than ever, it’s important to keep your facilities cleaner and safer for guests and employees with the proper programs and procedures. As facilities reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, Buckeye can help protect visitors and employees.

Level 1: Hand Hygiene

Protect yourself with the Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program.

Because the CDC states that handwashing is one of the best ways you can help reduce the spread of germs, implementing a hand hygiene program is an important step in protecting your facility and the people who visit.

The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program provides tools that promote education, awareness, and motivation to practice hand hygiene. Symmetry understands the importance of hand hygiene acceptance and manufactures products that people want to use in a reliable dispensing system. Symmetry hand washes and hand sanitizers are gentle on hands and leave no sticky residue behind.

The FDA is addressing potential safety concerns related to products that are not in line with its policy standards and others being marketed with unproven COVID-19 related claims. The FDA cautions consumers to be vigilant of products sold with misleading, unproven claims. Symmetry is committed to supplying superior hand sanitizers manufactured in an FDA registered and ISO certified facility. Our products contain only FDA compliant ethanol and perform to the highest standards.

Level 2: Cleaning and Disinfecting

Frequently protect your facility with the Eco^® Proportioning Program.

The CDC recommends cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces following product label directions and proper dwell times. Buckeye’s Eco Proportioning Program is fully integrated with effective, hermetically sealed products, including EPA emerging pathogen disinfectants for any application.

Eco Disinfectants Buckeye Eco One-Step Disinfectant/Deodorizer/Cleaner E22 Buckeye Eco Neutral Disinfectant E23 S23

Manufactured with proprietary technology, the Buckeye Eco proportioning system’s innovative design and Eco super concentrated products produce maximum efficiency.

Level 3: Microban^® Antimicrobial Product Protection

Continually protect your facility with Clarion^® 25 Microban Antimicrobial Floor Finish and Arena^® 300 Microban Antimicrobial Wood Floor Coating.

Microban technology is built-in to these products during the manufacturing process. When microbes come in contact with the product surface, Microban technology penetrates the cell wall of the microorganism and disrupts the cell, making the microorganism unable to grow and reproduce. Microban technology works 24/7 and is EPA registered.

Buckeye provides customized social distancing signage for entrances, floors, walls, carts, and registers as well as training for all products and programs to ensure proper procedures are in place to keep facilities clean and ready for visitors.

Contact your local Buckeye representative for more information about Buckeye’s maintenance programs.

Restaurants, retail stores, and schools are preparing to reopen during COVID-19 and the CDC urges these facilities to develop and implement a plan to reduce the risk of exposure.

Following CDC protocols, Buckeye programs can help keep these facilities on the right track. With cleaning products, disinfectants, hand sanitizers and more, Buckeye programs have the necessary tools for visitor well-being.

Complete Hand Hygiene Program 

The Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program offers a complete line of hand hygiene products. Symmetry’s high quality, low cost products are less likely to contribute to dry hands and leave no sticky residue behind.

In addition to high quality products and reliable dispensing systems, Symmetry offers education and awareness materials, and behavior modification tools. Education and awareness materials include wall charts, posters, product literature, and handwashing videos that focus on the “HOW” and “WHY” or proper hand hygiene. The Symmetry Behavior Modification System uses customizable placards, visual lighting cues, and more to capture attention in the moment and inspire an immediate hand hygiene event.

Enhanced Cleaning and Disinfecting Program

 

Frequently clean and disinfect high touch objects, surfaces and areas using our EPA recognized emerging pathogen disinfectants approved for use during COVID-19. Our Eco Proportioning Program is fully integrated with effective, hermetically sealed products, including EPA emerging pathogen disinfectants, for any application.

The complete Eco^® Proportioning Program allows you to consider space availability, how many products you will dilute, cost, and whether or not your products need additional security. Eco products are diluted automatically through Eco proportioning systems, ensuring their effectiveness and preventing product waste.

Microban^® Antimicrobial Product Floor Protection 

 

A recent study conducted in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and a COVID-19 General Ward (GW) at Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, China confirmed that the virus was widely distributed on floors, computer mice, trash cans, and sickbed handrails. Another study found that bacteria and fungi can live on soles of shoes for up to five days.

Clarion^® 25 Microban Antimicrobial Floor Finish and Arena^® 300 Microban Antimicrobial Wood Floor Coating can provide an added level of 24/7 proactive protection against damaging microbes. Though Microban is not a substitute for normal cleaning practices, Microban protection continuously fights the growth of microbes, and makes floors easier to clean - keeping floors cleaner, longer at no additional cost to you.

Training Programs 

 

Buckeye’s training programs provide step-by-step manuals and customized wall charts to accompany in-depth, in-person training. Provide your staff with the proper products and procedures to meet the needs of your facility.

Social Distancing Decals

 

In order to reopen, facilities need to maintain safe daily habits in order to reduce the risk of exposure. This includes reminding patrons to wear face coverings, practice social distancing, and avoid public places when sick. Buckeye can help bring awareness to the people in your facility with social distancing signage at entrances, on floors, on walls, on carts, and at registers.

For more information about how Buckeye can assist your facility in reopening, contact your local Buckeye representative. 

As the COVID-19 global pandemic continues to evolve, it’s important to take steps to protect yourself and those around you. Buckeye takes COVID-19 seriously and continues to take a proactive approach in our effort to prevent the spread of germs. Buckeye programs strive to educate the public on the importance of best cleaning, disinfecting, and hand hygiene practices.

CDC Recommendations

Because there is no vaccine to prevent COVID-19, the CDC has presented several guidelines to help slow the spread. The CDC recommends:

Cleaning Your Hands OftenAvoid Close ContactCovering Your Mouth and Nose with a Cloth in PublicCovering Coughs and SneezesCleaning and Disinfecting

Cleaning and Disinfecting

According to the CDC, everyone should clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. As always, if surfaces are dirty, clean them. Then disinfect with an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfectant.

Several Buckeye products have been pre-approved by the EPA for use against emerging enveloped viral pathogens and can be used during the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak. This list includes:

Buckeye Sanicare Mint Quat^®  Buckeye Eco Neutral Disinfectant E23  Buckeye Eco One-Step Disinfectant-Deodorizer-Cleaner E22  Buckeye Sanicare Lemon Quat^®  Buckeye Sanicare Pine Quat^®  Buckeye Sanicare Quat 128^®  Buckeye Sanicare Quat 256^®  Buckeye Sani-Q2™  Buckeye Terminator^®    

24/7 Antimicrobial Product Protection 

A recent study confirmed that bacteria and fungi can live on soles of shoes for up to five days, making it important to remember to disinfect floors and shoes. In Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and a COVID-19 General Ward (GW) at Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan China, another study showed SARS-CoV-2 positive tests for surfaces samples of floors, shoe soles of medical staff, computer mice, trash cans, sickbed handrails, and doorknobs.

Buckeye’s Clarion^® 25 Antimicrobial Floor Finish can proactively and continuously fight microbes on floors. With 24/7 protection, Microban^® technology disrupts the cells microorganisms making them unable to grow and reproduce. While not a substitute for normal cleaning practices, Microban protection continuously fights the growth of microbes, and makes floors easier to clean - keeping them cleaner, longer.

Hand HygieneCleaning your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is essential to slowing the spread of COVID-19. The CDC suggests using hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap is not readily available. The Symmetry^® Hand Hygiene Program offers hand soaps and hand sanitizers that will help keep your hands clean after blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, or touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

To find the most up-to-date information about CVOID-19 and how you can help slow the spread, visit the CDC and WHO websites.