In a 2021 poll, nearly half (47%) of surveyed U.S. adults reported being members of a religious congregation. And while in-person attendance has dropped due to the global pandemic, it’s on the rise again.
After all, most houses of worship in the U.S. have reopened, and many have dropped COVID-19 precautions. Indeed, of U.S. adults who usually go to church, 67% said they’ve already gone to an in-person service by March 2022. Two years before, that figure was down to 33%.
So now that your members are returning, you’d want to keep your church clean and sanitary. Doing so can help maintain the safety of your house of prayers for your congregation. Ultimately, that can help drive higher attendance rates.
To that end, we created this guide on some of the best church cleaning practices. Please read on to discover what you can do to give your members a safer, healthier place to pray.
Create a Cleaning Checklist and Schedule
Keeping your church clean is easier if you and your staff have a checklist of what to do. After all, it itemizes or lists must-do chores, so using one can help you avoid forgetting a task.
Then, create a cleaning schedule to break down the to-do list into daily or weekly chores. Doing so can help make cleaning the church less daunting since you’ll focus on one task at a time. Plus, experts say sticking to a routine can help reduce stress.
When creating a schedule, please factor in your church’s service times. Also, take note of the busiest ones. During these periods, it’s best to have more staff members to help with the cleaning.
Clean and Disinfect High-Touch Surfaces Regularly
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can remain active on plastic and stainless steel for up to 3 days. Yeasts that cause infectious diseases can also survive for weeks. There are even some bacteria that can persist for months if they land on inanimate surfaces.
Thus, please ensure you regularly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in your church. These include switches, doorknobs, taps, sinks, toilets, tables, pews, chairs, bibles, and hymnals. If you use collection bags or plates, please clean and disinfect them before and after use, too.
Please note that cleaning (i.e., wiping with soap and water) should precede disinfecting. One reason is that dirt, dust, and debris can make disinfectants less effective. Cleaning removes these contaminants, which is why it should always go first.
Sweep and Mop Floors Daily
Pollutants can enter your church via air leaks, ventilation, and people who enter it. These include particle pollutants made of acids, dust, soil, metals, molds, pollen, and soot, to name a few. They can settle on surfaces or become airborne again once disturbed.
Such pollutants don’t only make your church dirty and dingy; they can lead to poor indoor air quality. Poor IAQ, in turn, can harm human health, contributing to respiratory diseases. At the very least, it can cause symptoms like headaches and eye, nose, throat, and skin irritation.
That makes daily sweeping and mopping the floors a must to keep your church clean. That’s even more vital for high-traffic areas, like the entryways, the nave, and side aisles.
Clean Restrooms at Least Once Daily
Have your church’s public restrooms thoroughly cleaned and disinfected at least once daily. However, you may want your staff to carry out light spot cleaning throughout the day. That can help prevent debris and grime buildup that will only be harder to eliminate later.
Just as important is to have spills wiped and clutter removed immediately. Otherwise, they can pose slip, trip, and fall hazards.
Such incidents can cause severe injuries requiring emergency care or even hospitalization. Your church may also be liable if they occur within the premises.
Empty Trash Bins Once a Day
Trash bins by the entryways, hallways, and restrooms can help keep your church free of clutter. However, they can contribute to more mess and cleaning work if allowed to overflow. Therefore it’s best to empty them at least once a day.
You can also post a note near the bins regarding who to call or text when they’re full. For example, you can ask members of your congregation to message a specific number. Doing so can help facilitate the quicker replacement of garbage bags within the day.
Dust Windows Weekly
A weekly dusting of church windows is often enough to help prevent grime formation. Grimy windows make your church look dingy and allow less sunlight to enter the glass.
If your church’s stained windows have lots of deposits, talk to a glass expert before you clean them. One reason is that stained windows, especially medieval ones, are prone to corrosion. Mistakes such as overcleaning and using abrasive pads can exacerbate such problems.
Consider Hiring Church Custodians
If you need help keeping your church tidy and sanitary, consider hiring custodians. Church custodian cleaning services include general maintenance, top-to-bottom cleaning, and disinfection. They also specialize in air, carpet, window, pew, and hard floor cleaning.
Plus, you can schedule the cleaning services based on what suits your church best. For example, you can book daily, weekly, or seasonal cleaning services.
Church cleaning service professionals also bring their very own cleaning tools and supplies. Moreover, most only use 100% environmentally friendly cleaning solutions.
Keep Your Church Clean With These Tips
And there you have it, the best practices to keep your church clean, clutter-free, and sanitary at all times. As you’ve learned, the first step is creating a checklist to remind you of all cleaning tasks. After that, you can break them into chunks by scheduling them regularly, daily, or weekly.
However, if you don’t have enough staff to help with cleaning, you can always opt to hire custodians.
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