Schools Case Studies

Challenge

This busy high school, home to over 2,000 students, was under pressure to maintain hygiene and presentation across high traffic areas on a limited budget. Safety focused surfaces such as Altro and other porous flooring were particularly difficult to keep clean. Washrooms and canteens were also a source of constant labour demands.

Daily cleaning alone was not delivering the desired result, leading to an over reliance on out of hours and expensive deep cleans just to maintain minimum standards. Scuff marks and spills on the Altro flooring and skirtings added further to the challenge.

"Our budget is constantly under pressure. We need to provide a clean and safe environment, but the hours required to deep clean floors and washrooms were becoming unsustainable."

Facilities Manager 

The school was facing two core operational challenges:

• Labour and Cost Pressure: A large share of the limited cleaning budget was being spent on the labour and chemicals required for deep cleaning. This reactive approach left no room for proactive work and placed strain on the in house team and client relations.

• Inconsistent Appearance and Performance: Despite high input, the floors and washrooms often looked worn between cleans. Surfaces were vulnerable to staining and damage, which impacted both presentation and hygiene.

Solution

Nordic Chem began by conducting a joint audit of the most labour intensive areas.
The main zones identified were:
• Washrooms
• Canteen flooring
• Main corridor floors
• Carpet flooring

The cleaning team received hands on training to ensure a smooth and effective application of the coating. The aim was to reduce the need for deep cleans and protect surfaces from wear, while simplifying the ongoing cleaning process.

Results

The Nordic Chem application led to:
 • 158% increase in productivity (sqm cleaned/hour)
• Over 100 hours of labour reallocated each week
• £41,100 in annual cleaning cost savings
 • Lower and more consistent ATP hygiene scores

“The daily clean is now quicker and more effective. The deep cleans have dropped off significantly, and the school looks better day to day. The team feels more in control.”

Facilities Manager

The outcome is a more sustainable and effective cleaning system. Surfaces now resist wear, staining, scuff marks, and chemical damage, extending their usable life. The result is a cleaner environment for students and staff, and improved use of resources across the board.