Cleaning, might not be the most glamorous subject, but it sure is an important one. It also might be something that gets overlooked. Sure you make sure your facility is clean, but is it immaculate? Trust me, there is a difference.
Every weekend, I dedicate a few hours to cleaning my house. I vacuum, wipe down surfaces, clean bathrooms, throw out all the trash, clean the dishes and do any laundry that needs to be done. Afterwards, my house feels clean.
But recently my mom came to visit. While I was at work, she spent the day cleaning my house (something I was very grateful for.) When I walked in the door that evening, it felt like I was in a different house. You could literally eat off the wood floors, the counters were sparkling, it smelled fresh, and the entire house was truly immaculate.
Not only did that make me question my own cleaning skills, but also it made me appreciate a pristine house. And I am sure the same can be said about your recreation facilities. Students will definitely notice if it is dirty, but they might not appreciate a facility that is simply clean, meeting the minimum standards. Maybe you mop the floors every other day, wipe down equipment when it gets dusty, but are there lights that need replacing or smaller areas of your facility that get overlooked?
Maybe take some time one day this week and walk through the entire facility. Chances are, not everything is perfect. Take a note pad and make a short list of a few things that can be improved upon in terms of cleanliness. This extends beyond cleaning too. Are certain areas of the facility cluttered with equipment? Are hand weights lying on the floor? Could things be organized better or a little neater?
Make sure to check out the following areas: restrooms, equipment surfaces, locker rooms, floors, equipment areas, showers, front lobby, exercise class rooms and pool areas. Some other tips for keeping a clean facility include:
- Making a checklist of all cleaning chores and maintenance that must be done daily, weekly and monthly. Mark off each item after it is completed.
- Communicate the importance of a clean environment to staff and make sure they understand it is a group effort. The maintenance team should not be the only ones in charge. If there is a piece of trash on the floor, don’t wait for someone else to pick it up.
- Encourage members to keep a clean environment as well. Again, this should be everyone’s responsibility. Remind students to wipe down all equipment after each use or re-rack hand weights instead of leaving them on the floor.
Keeping a clean facility is great, but are there things you can do in terms of maintenance that will make your rec center extraordinary.
