CMM spoke with Edward Smith III, an environmental services (EVS) professional for an Alabama school district, about his methods for tackling problem areas in the more than 20 schools he serves.
How long have you worked in EVS?
Edward Smith: I have worked in environmental services for 25 years and am currently the executive director of facilities at Tuscaloosa City Schools in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where I have worked for seven years.
What are some of the biggest problem areas in the facility you clean?
Smith: Restrooms are one of our biggest challenges. They set the tone for cleanliness and care of the building. To care for them properly, we maintain cleaning standards that extend during the school day and through any extended hours the building is occupied.
How have you solved these problems?
Smith: We have established a restroom-cleaning schedule for custodians to follow and provided metered chemicals for restroom use.
To make the process easier and eliminate cross contamination, we have created separate custodian carts for restrooms and utilize color-coded microfiber cloths for specific areas and fixtures. We target specific “danger zone”
locations, such as under urinals and toilets, for extra cleaning.
Additionally, we emphasize that all dispensers must be operational. We also are introducing a new restroom inspection system that will be conducted internally by each district school.
What types of cleaning products make the job easier?
Smith: We do not use any chemicals or urinal screens with heavy perfumes. We find the more consistently we clean, the less we need to use harsh chemicals. Using equipment and supplies as intended also makes the job easier.
Please give a step-by-step account of your problem-solving methods.
Smith: When an issue or opportunity arises, we:
- Listen carefully to gain a complete understanding.
- Collaborate with all the teams involved and research a remedy.
- Perform the initial remedy.
- Assess the situation.
- Complete the process or repeat it if the remedy didn’t work.
What advice would you give to other EVS workers who also struggle with maintaining restrooms?
Smith: If I see it, you will see it. In other words, if you notice issues in the restroom, realize that customers and building visitors will see these issues too. Don’t clean in response to complaints. Clean before you get complaints.
