The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1908-04-25
CARE OF SCHOOL ROOMS.

A dirty, badly kept school room Is
a menace to the health of the commun-
ity in which it is located. 1t means
needless danger, disease and death
Therefore, the proper care and main
~ tenance of school rooms, becomes
matter of vital importance, as AFFECT
ing the public health.
In a recent talk we had few words
to say as to the ventilation Of schools,
churches, and places used as assembly
rooms. But the matter of ventilation
is only one of many important matters
that should be carefully looked to in
connection with the proper care and
maintenance Of school rooms.
To begin with, all class rooms, halls,
cloak rooms and toilets must be kept
scrupuously clean. And in doing this
work properly there is, or should be,
a daily and a periodical cleaning. The
entrances, stairs, halls and cloak
rooms receive a great deal of outside
dirt that is brought in by the pupils,
and for this reason they should be
both swept and scrubbed daily.
Glass rooms should be swept daily
and in addition should be thoroughly
aired after being swept, or, better
still, all windows should be opened
while the sweeping is being done. No
sweeping should be done until the
floors have first been sprinkled with
saw-dust that has been dampened with
a disinfectant solution. The busting
of desks and all furniture should be
done with cloths that have also been
dampened with the disinfectant.
Feather busters should never be used.
Toilet rooms, walls and floors,
should be constructed of non-absor-
bent material and washed daily with
hose and broom. They should be kept
so clean as not to require the use OF
deodorants, which, as rule, only kill
-one kind of noxious or offensive odor
by creating another equally disagree
able.
The accumulation of dust and dirt
in a school room is such that in spite
of the daily cleaning there is need Of
periodical renovations more thorough
in character than can be done in the
daily process. At least once a week it
is desirable that all woodwork be
washed and all floors thoroughly
scrubbed with hot water and soap.
Windows should be kept bright and
clean at all times. AS a rule, wash
ing twice a month will keep them in
good condition.
During the vacation months, all
school rooms should be thoroughly dis
infected. And after this is done, all
floors and wood work should be scrub
bed and washed. Air and sunlight
should have admittance during the
week the rooms are not in use. The
practice of closing school rooms and
allowing them to remain so during the
vacation term is not wise and should
be discontinued. All books and PEN
ellis should be submitted to disinfec-
ton at stated intervals during the
school year.
In order to prevent, as much as
possible, the needless accumulation OF
dirt and filth, all outer garments, such
as cloaks, overcoats, headwear, over
shoes and wraps Of every kind, should
be hung in cloak rooms not connected
with the class or assembly rooms.
Metal door mats should be placed at
all outside entrances. and he pupils
should be required to clean their shoes
before going to their respective class
rooms.
Contagious diseases are not con-
tracted. as a rule, in the open air.
Consumption, pneumonia and influenza
are bad air diseases. Scarlet fever,
diphtheria, measles and other child
diseases are house diseases, usually
contracted In the home, shop or school
room.
So, II our homes, shops, stores. FAC
tories and school rooms are kept clean
and free from disease germs, the re-
suit win he marked decrease in al
kinds Of contagious diseases. Hence
We should be interested in helping to
bring about ana maintain the very
highest standards q sanitation IN
both our public and private schools