It’s Back to School Time—and Hand Hygiene is as Important as Ever

All over the country, kids are going back to school (if they’re not already there). From first-graders stuffing crayons into their backpacks to college kids putting up posters in their dorm rooms, it almost feels like life is back to normal after more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unfortunately, it’s not the same normal we remember from 2019. New strains of COVID-19 are still infecting millions, even if the symptoms are less dangerous, and monkeypox is becoming a serious concern.

That’s why hand hygiene should still be a top priority for every educational facility. If you design or build school restrooms, it’s critical to specify products that make hygiene easier to maintain. If you manage a school facility, you should seek innovative ways to help kids wash their hands, even outside of the restroom.

Most importantly, you should seek a plumbing industry partner with extensive knowledge of and experience with hand hygiene and the resources which make your restrooms as hygienic as possible.

A Faucet that Teaches Proper Handwashing

Lots of kids learn to sing “Happy Birthday” twice while they’re washing their hands, but a determined third-grader can sing it far faster than the 20 seconds required for proper handwashing.

The Sloan BASYS Guided Handwashing Faucet guides kids through the right way to wash their hands. The readout on its crown leads them through the five steps of correct handwashing with correct timing:

1. Wet
2. Lather
3. Scrub (while the readout counts down from 20 to 0)
4. Rinse
5. Dry

The Guided Handwashing Faucet doesn’t just help kids keep their hands clean and slow the spread of disease. It’s an educational experience all by itself!

Innovation that Encourages More Handwashing

As densely populated buildings with high traffic circulation, schools can be active transmission zones for viruses such as COVID-19 (along with more familiar diseases such as flu). While handwashing can’t completely eliminate the spread of germs, the more kids wash their hands the lower the risk of disease transmission.

That’s why it’s crucial to give kids as many opportunities to wash their hands as possible—even outside the restroom.

And that’s the idea behind the Sloan Mobile Handwashing Station—a complete, touch-free hand hygiene station that can be placed almost anywhere.

Its faucet, soap dispenser, and paper towel dispenser are all touch-free for optimal hygiene, and it’s available with AC or DC power, a water heater, and a drain pump. All of which makes it perfect to station just about anywhere in a school building:

• Lunchrooms
• Hallways
• Assembly rooms
• Art and music rooms
• Administrative offices
• Sports facilities

The Sloan Mobile Handwashing Station encourages kids (and adults) to wash their hands more often, wherever they happen to be. And more handwashing can help make schools a healthier environment for everyone.

Experience and Expertise that Optimize Your School Restrooms

Hygiene is a huge priority for anyone involved in designing, building, or maintaining a school restroom, but it’s not the only priority. Sustainability, style, and easy maintenance are important, too—which is why it’s essential to work with an experienced, innovative partner.

For restrooms in the education space, no one offers more experience and innovation than Sloan. When you work with us, you gain access to industry-leading:

• Sustainability. Choose from the widest selection of water-saving flushometers, faucets, urinals, and water closets.
• Style. Why shouldn’t a school restroom look amazing?
• Easy maintenance. Sloan connected products let you troubleshoot issues from your smartphone.

Whatever your priorities, Sloan’s experience and expertise will help you achieve your ideal school restroom design.

Important: COVID-19 Education Relief Funds are Still Available

Thanks to the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 in March, billions of dollars are still available for upgrading American educational facilities. September 30, 2022 is the first deadline for many of these grants. Sloan can help your district apply for and secure these funds, if you meet the eligibility requirements.

Please contact us if you’d like assistance with determining your eligibility and completing the application process. We’re here to help!

Want more ideas for making your educational facility more hygienic? Contact Sloan!