CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS — Silent heroes of the schools are making sure that students and staff are safe and facilities are sterilized at Marvin Baker Middle School.
TJ and her team of custodians at Marvin Baker middle school had a normal cleaning schedule before the pandemic.
Now, to keep students and staff safe, they are cleaning surfaces multiple times a day in addition to their daily duties. But, new technology aims to make their job easier.
They are using an electrostatic sprayer which was introduced to the custodians to make their jobs more efficient. “These devices are made to help them improve and to apply the disinfectant at a faster rate to cut down the time it would take to do it by spray bottle,” said Coordinator of Custodial Operations Jeremy Tremblay.
The electrostatic sprayer creates a positive charge. “With that positive charge it allows the chemical to wrap around the surface and cover more area,” said Tremblay.
With new technology to help make their jobs easier, head custodian Florentina Juarez, or “TJ”, says they also took online training which was packed with a lot of information to help them learn how to properly clean.
“We wipe everything down anything that is frequently touched but this training gives us a perspective of the virus that is going around,” said, head custodian Florentina Juarez.
It’s a perspective that they must not only wear their masks, face shields, and gloves. But to wipe everything down and clean everything properly.
“TJ and her staff are extraordinary at making sure all of our surfaces are cleaned throughout the day they are moving from door to doors,” said Assistant Principal Stevie Swanson.
“They ensure that the classrooms are sanitized for the safety of everyone. They help our Baker heartbeat every day,” said Swanson.
And in the midst of a pandemic, TJ says as long as her team is positive and they keep a mentality of being safe. “I think my crew along with staff members we can keep this facility virus-free,” said TJ.
Jeremy Tremblay said they plan to keep the electrostatic sprayer for the regular cold and flu season.