When the final school bell rings and students head off for the holidays, classrooms may fall quiet, but for CrestClean teams, it’s one of the busiest times of the year.
The school holidays provide an important window to complete detailed term cleans, giving classrooms and shared spaces the extra attention they need before students return for another busy term.
To help franchisees feel prepared for their term clean, Nelson franchise owner and induction trainer Karl Parker recently held a two-hour refresher session focused on term cleaning. The session gave teams the chance to ask questions and learn new techniques, while enjoying a few laughs along the way.
A successful term clean comes down to doing the small things well. Teams work methodically through each area, starting at one end of the school and moving room by room. Desks are cleaned and polished, walls are washed, bathrooms are scrubbed and floors are buffed.
“The golden rule is always top to bottom – clean to dirty,” says Karl.
Karl’s own standard is guided by a simple question — would he be happy to pay for the clean himself? He encourages other franchisees to take a few extra minutes to check their work before moving on, knowing that those final details can make all the difference.
“When you’ve got a whole room looking sparkling, it stands out if you’ve missed something,” he says.
For Karl, even a small school can be a big job. A term clean at a five-classroom school takes him four full days to complete. While the work requires time and attention to detail, Karl enjoys seeing the results.
“If you do a good term clean, it makes the rest of your term go a lot smoother.”
“It’s also the only time we get to do a clean and have it stay that clean for a good few days!”
The reward comes when teachers return after the holidays and see the difference. After weeks of everyday wear and tear, a fresh classroom helps create a positive start to the new term.
“They’ve always got big smiles on their face because they really enjoy coming back into a spring-cleaned room,” says Karl.
The session became a valuable opportunity for everyone to share ideas, learn from each other, and discover ways to work more efficiently. Even Karl himself learned a thing or two.
“It was a learning experience for all of us, including myself.”
