1. Teaching Resources
Thank Your Cleaner Day 2019

2. Bacteria
Almost one million bacteria can be created by one person in a day
Bacteria double their number every 20 minutes
There are between 10,000 and 10 million bacteria on each hand
The number of germs on your hands DOUBLES after you use the toilet
Teaching notes:
Germs cover a range of things – the main types of germs are fungi, virus, bacteria and protozoa. They can invade human bodies and cause diseases.
Bacteria:
They are tiny creatures with only one cell
They gather nutrients from the environment to live; in some instances, they penetrate human bodies to get nourishment
Bacteria can reproduce both inside and outside our bodies and cause infections. Some common infections caused by bacteria are ear infections, pneumonia and sore throats

3. Handwashing Scrub your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds
Always dry your hands thoroughly – damp hands spread 1,000 more germs than dry hands
85% of germs are transmitted by damp hands
Teaching notes:
There is a plethora of online resources for teachers around the importance of handwashing. Some of our favourites are:
What’s the right way to wash hands?
Have your kids follow these simple steps
Wet your hands with warm running water
Use soap – either liquid or solid. Rub your palms all over, including your fingernails, then rinse it under running water to wash off.
Rub your hands for 20 seconds under the water (sing a song?!)
Dry your hands using a paper or cloth towel or the hand dryer. If using a paper towel, make sure you place it in the rubbish tin.

4. In the classroom
The average desk has 400 times more germs than a toilet seat
Keyboards can have 200 times more germs than a toilet seat
Teaching notes:
Other ‘fun facts’ include
Mobile phones have 18 times more germs than a toilet handle
Bacteria have existed on earth for over three billion years
A clean mouth has between 1,000 and 100,000 bacteria on each tooth.
The human body is home to some 1,000 species of bacteria
Research has found that when you flush a toilet an invisible cloud of water shoots 1.8 metres into the air… Always put down the lid before you flush – especially if your toilet is inside the bathroom near your toothbrush!

5. Hygiene When you cough, droplets can spread as far as 6 metres
When you sneeze, droplets can spread as far as 8 metres!
Always cough or sneeze into a tissue, or the crook of your elbow
Teaching notes:
Talk to your kids about how keeping your body clean is an important part of keeping them health and helping them to feel good about themselves.
Changing underwear
Your underwear sits right next to your skin and collects dead skin cells, sweat and often other unmentionable stuff. Overnight bacteria start to work on all of these stains so your clothes start to smell bad. Even if you can’t smell it, chances are the person next to you can.
Changing your uniform
Like your underwear, your uniform also gets dirty. When you get home from school, take it off and hang it up to air before wearing it the next day.
Shoes
You spend a lot of time on your feet – and your shoes are very close to the place where we have a lot of sweat glands – our feet! Sweat gets into your shoes and then bacteria arrive, which love the moist environment so much they tell all their bacteria friends to pop around too! If you have one pair of shoes for school then try and take them off as soon as you get home so they have a chance to air out. Keep your shoes clean by brushing, polishing or washing – they will look better, last longer and will be less likely to smell bad.
Washing your feet
Wash your feet well at least once a day. They have a tough life and need looking after! Always dry them carefully, especially between the toes. If you’re going swimming or using a public shower it’s a good idea to wear your jandals. Lots of other people are walking around and you can easily pick up fungal infections or other problems, like warts!
Washing your hair
There’s also sweat glands in your scalp – and dead skin cells come off your scalp too. The oil, sweat and dead cells all come together to make your hair look greasy and dirty unless you wash it regularly. Some people need to wash their hair every few days, while some can go a whole week. It will depend on your hair type.
Teeth
You should always brush your teeth twice a day – after breakfast and before you go to bed.

6. 5 benefits of a clean school
Promotes good health (no spreading germs)
You get to go to school more regularly (because you’re not sick!)
Helps concentration (nobody can concentrate in chaos)
Makes you smarter
Makes your teachers healthier too
Teaching notes:
Promotes good health – schools are places where germs can spread like wildfire!
Increases regular attendance – regular attendance at school, not matter the stage of learning, helps to facilitate academic performance.
Helps concentration – it’s well documented that having a messy environment makes it hard to concentrate.
Improves academic performance – in a clean school, students remain healthy and can perform better academically.
Effective teaching – teachers also experience the positive effects of a clean and sanitary environment. Less sickness for themselves, and better environment allowing you to teach in a less stressful and tidy space.

7. About cleaners
There are more than 40,000 cleaners and caretakers employed in New Zealand
They normally work in the morning or late at night when people aren’t around
They make our places clean and hygienic helping to stop the spread of germs

8. Types of cleaners
Cleaners work in schools, shopping malls, airports, offices, hospitals, retirement homes, private homes and just about anywhere else you can think of
Some have specialist jobs, cleaning places like research laboratories, and with police cleaning up crime scenes

9. Thank Your Cleaner Day
TYCD was started in 2015 here in New Zealand – it’s now a day celebrated internationally
Our cleaners do a great job – we go home for the day and when we come back in, like magic, our classrooms, toilets, hallways and other spaces are clean and hygienic!
Everyone deserves some thanks – and especially our wonderful cleaning staff
Teaching notes: