Cleaning Protocols

Residence Facilities Services provide cleaning activities to standards endorsed by the Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA) for all locations in Residence buildings.

Students are expected to demonstrate proper shared space etiquette and use the materials for disinfecting common surfaces and equipment after individual use (washrooms, laundry room, study/lounge rooms, kitchens, etc.). Students can request supplies for personal use for in-room cleaning by submitting a work request through the online portal https://www.queensu.ca/residences/residence-services/laundry-maintenance/maintenance.

Areas for cleaning by students include:

Personal tables, desks & chairs
Computers, small electronics & appliances
Counter spaces in common areas after an individual use
In-room door knobs & light switches

Exterior of Leggett Hall

To further enhance our cleaning protocols, we have worked with Bunzl Canada, leaders in cleaning innovation technology, to implement wandaNEXT. This system uses real-time data to target immediate needs and proactively refills dispensing units to improve hygiene and reduce waste.

Custodial staff disinfect surfaces twice daily in addition to a two-step cleaning and disinfecting process. The Facilities department uses hard surface disinfectants approved for use in Industrial, Hospital and Food Service environments by the Government of Canada. Disinfectant is applied in two primary techniques; spray bottle and microfiber cloth or electrostatic spraying technology. Hand sanitizer dispensers are also available in all building entrances, elevators, near washrooms and common rooms.

High Touch Point Disinfection

We are continuing to clean and disinfect high touch surfaces in public spaces within residences. Public spaces include:

Communal & public washrooms
Elevators
Student kitchen and lounge spaces
Hallways & stairwells
Laundry rooms
Garbage depots
General office space

Within these identified public spaces, the following have been identified as high touch surfaces:

Toilets & urinals
Elevator buttons
Light switches
Counters
Bannisters and handrails
Handles
Faucets and sinks
Common area furniture, etc.

Routine Daily, Facility Cleaning

The Facilities team also completes routine daily cleaning activities in the following areas:

Communal and public washrooms
Elevators
Student kitchen and lounge spaces
Hallways and stairwells
Laundry rooms
Garbage depots
Dining halls

The following cleaning activities take place in addition to high touch point disinfection already being completed in the areas mentioned above:

Dusting flat surfaces
Restocking soap & toilet paper
Picking up garbage
Sweeping & dust mopping floors
Wet mopping & auto scrubbing floors
Emptying trash containers and disinfecting garbage bins
Straightening furniture, etc.

Routine Weekly, Facility Cleaning

Facilities staff address lower utilized spaces on a weekly basis such as:

Meeting rooms
General offices

Within these identified areas, the following cleaning activities take place:

Dusting flat surfaces
Picking up garbage
Sweeping & dust mopping floors
Wet mopping & auto scrubbing floors
Emptying trash containers
Straightening furniture, etc.

Semi-Private Washrooms with Showers, Biweekly

Clean & disinfect toilets, sinks, mirrors, shower walls, door handles, faucets and spot disinfect additional high-frequency touchpoints on a bi-weekly basis
Restocking toilet paper, sweep & dust mop, wet mop and auto scrub floors

Quality Assurance Measures

The Facilities department has an active monitoring program with regular worksite audits to ensure we meet quality standards across our buildings. Orange QC, an app-based program, validates our daily cleaning practices, referencing user-created, building-specific inspection criteria that match the APPA cleaning standards. Assistant Managers audit 15% of the spaces cleaned in their respective areas (APPA standard is 10%) daily and use inspection data to respond to any concerns in cleaning standards.

Student walking back to residence

Ventilation in Residence

Properly functioning building ventilation is an important part of mitigating the risk of COVID-19 transmission. A variety of mitigation measures are being implemented to optimize our HVAC systems. It is important to note that Public Health measures such as vaccinations, face masks, robust cleaning protocols and good hygiene are critical components in reducing the transmission of the virus. HVAC systems in good working order contribute to removing and diluting airborne particles; however, the systems alone will not eliminate the risk of virus.