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School cleaning in the spotlight
8th of December 2025 Article by Lotte Printz
A municipal budget deal in Denmark favours cleaning at schools, nurseries and kindergartens. It pays according to American researcher. This from Lotte Printz in Denmark.
School washrooms have often been in the spotlight. But rarely for anything good. Usually, cleaning is not a priority for local government politicians when juggling the budgets. Therefore, this September’s budget deal for the Municipality of Copenhagen may come as a bit of a surprise. Allocating DKK 80 million (around €11 million) to school cleaning over a four-year period until 2030, this deal hopefully enables kids at schools, nurseries and kindergartens in the Danish capital city to enjoy cleaner washroom facilities.
Although, the main amount is earmarked for refurbishments, DKK 7.3 million is allocated to educational initiatives, hygiene interventions and extra cleaning at the Copenhagen schools in 2026 as well as DKK 5 million annually in 2027-2029. Nurseries and kindergartens can look forward to DKK 4.5 million annually for these purposes.
Good news for all
This is not only good news for the kids and from a cleaning and FM sector perspective, but can prove highly beneficial both health wise and in the monetary sense for these educational institutions where high-touch surfaces, shared equipment and washrooms serve as common culprits in the transmission of illness.
Recent studies in American elementary schools, reported by James Kim, PhD and senior vice president of American Cleaning Institute (ACI), on cleanlink.com, show that targeted surface disinfection protocols reduced student absenteeism due to illness by 50 per cent. Cleaning also had a significant positive impact on staff absence, which may otherwise ‘require costly substitute coverage and disrupt continuity in instruction’ as Kim points out. On top of that, high hygiene standards improved staff morale.
Enhanced focus on evidence-based cleaning is key to Kim in this respect as it goes beyond routine schedules and visual inspection. It relies on measurable outcomes, data-backed procedures and validated products and technologies. ACI’s joint initiative with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called ‘Healthy Schools, Healthy People’, offers practical, evidence-based resources as well as highlighting collective action.
In his piece on cleanlink.com, Kim also addresses the cleaning and FM sector that is ‘in a unique position to drive transformation in school facilities’: “By staying informed on research, embracing innovation and advocating for evidence-based standards, professional cleaning executives can shape healthier, safer learning environments (…) an evidence-based approach is not just best practice, it is a competitive advantage,” he says.
In conclusion, there’s no doubt that cleaning professionals can be essential partners in public health and keep the importance of spotless schools in the spotlight. However, municipal willingness and funding are prerequisites for succeeding.
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