Desks, Keyboards and Shared Devices: A Classroom Cleaning Routine for Flu Season

October 12, 2026Workplace Safety & Compliance6 min read

Teacher spraying cleaner and wiping a student desk with a microfiber cloth beside a cart of closed laptops

Thirty kids. Thirty desks. One class set of Chromebooks, a bin of shared markers and a door handle everybody grabs on the way in from recess. In flu season, a classroom is a busy place for germs.

Teachers and custodians don’t have time for a deep clean every hour. They need a routine that’s quick, gets done every day, and uses the right product for the right job. Here’s a classroom cleaning routine based on CDC’s school cleaning guidance.

Cleaning and disinfecting are two different jobs

This is the part that trips people up. CDC treats them as separate steps:

Cleaning uses soap or detergent and water to lift dirt and germs off a surface. It doesn’t necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading them. CDC says cleaning alone removes most types of harmful germs from surfaces.
Disinfecting uses an EPA-registered disinfectant to kill the germs left on a surface. It doesn’t clean off dirt, and dirt makes disinfectants work less well. So you clean first.

For everyday use, CDC says to clean high-touch surfaces regularly and clean other surfaces when they look dirty. Disinfect when someone has clearly been sick in the space, for example after a child vomits, or when your district’s plan calls for it during an outbreak.

The daily routine: clean the things everyone touches

Start with the high-touch list. In most classrooms that’s:

Desktops and tables
Chair backs
Door handles and light switches
Shared keyboards, mice, tablets and Chromebooks
Pencil sharpeners, scissors and shared supply bins
The sink handle and the water bottle filler

For this daily cleaning, I.C. Workstation Cleaner is a mild, low-ionic, general-purpose cleaner for desks, tables, chairs and other non-porous surfaces. It’s alcohol-free, ammonia-free, odorless and non-flammable, and it wipes off streak-free. It’s a cleaner, not a registered disinfectant, so it belongs in the cleaning step.

Pair it with a good cloth. The I.C. Antibacterial Microfiber Cloth is treated with AEGIS antimicrobial technology, which resists the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew on the cloth itself between washes. That keeps the cloth from getting sour. It doesn’t disinfect the surface you wipe.

How to do it

Spray the cloth, not the device. For screens and keyboards, spray the cloth and wipe. Never spray liquid into a keyboard or a charging port. CDC says to follow the device maker’s instructions for cleaning electronics.
Wipe in one direction. Going back and forth just moves dirt around. Fold the cloth and use a clean side as you go.
Go from clean to dirty. Do desks before door handles, and the sink last.
Swap cloths. Use a fresh cloth for each room, or at least for the sink and bathroom area. Wash used cloths.
Do it at the same time every day. The last bell works well. The room is empty and surfaces have time to dry before morning.

When someone gets sick: the disinfect step

When a student vomits, has diarrhea in the room, or your district says it’s outbreak time, cleaning isn’t enough on its own. CDC’s school flu guidance describes the order:

Clean the surface first with a cleaner to remove the soil.
Then apply an EPA-registered disinfectant that lists the germ you’re dealing with on its label.
Leave it wet for the full contact time on the label. That’s the part people skip, and it’s the part that does the killing.
Rinse if the label says to, especially on desks where kids eat.

Follow your custodial team’s product and procedure. Some disinfectants need gloves or ventilation, and some aren’t meant for use around kids. Never mix bleach with ammonia or other cleaners. It can make dangerous fumes.

Don’t forget hands

Clean desks help, but hands are what carry germs from the desk to the face. Get kids washing with soap and water before lunch, after the bathroom and after recess. CDC says hand sanitizer may not work as well when hands are visibly dirty, so soap and water come first when kids come in muddy.

For more on how a school day affects hands and what helps, see our education page and the education Field Notes.

What to watch for

Kids handling cleaning products. Keep every cleaner and disinfectant out of reach. Let staff do the cleaning.
Your own hands. Wiping down a room every day with wet cloths dries your skin. Wear gloves if the product label calls for it, and use hand lotion after.
Allergies and asthma. Strong-smelling products can bother some students. Ask your nurse or district which products are approved for occupied classrooms.

Who does what

A routine only works if everyone knows their part. A simple split that works in a lot of buildings:

Teachers: a quick wipe of desks, shared devices and supply bins at the last bell, using the cleaner and cloths kept in the room.
Custodial staff: door handles, light switches, restrooms and floors every day, plus the disinfect step when someone gets sick.
School nurse: lets custodial know right away when a student is sent home sick, so the room gets disinfected that day.
Front office: keeps supplies stocked so no one runs out mid-week.

Write it on one page and post it by the supply closet.

FAQ

Is I.C. Workstation Cleaner a disinfectant?

No. It’s a general-purpose cleaner that removes dirt, dust, fingerprints and grime from hard surfaces. When you need to disinfect, use an EPA-registered disinfectant after cleaning, and follow its label.

Does the antibacterial cloth disinfect desks?

No. The AEGIS treatment protects the cloth itself from the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew. It doesn’t disinfect the surfaces you wipe.

How often should we clean desks during flu season?

CDC says to clean high-touch surfaces regularly. Once a day is a good baseline. Clean more often when surfaces look dirty, and disinfect after someone has been sick in the room.