Custodians' daily routine
Question: I have often wondered what the guidelines are for custodians. What are they supposed to do in terms of cleaning an office, and how often? Besides emptying the trash each day, are they supposed to dust or vacuum on some regular schedule?

Answer: Custodians' office cleaning daily tasks include: removing trash; collecting recyclable material; dust mopping floors; spot wet-mopping floor areas, as needed; and dusting uncluttered counter surfaces and cabinet tops, as needed. Due to the private environment of individual office space, custodians refrain from dusting surfaces with items on them that could be easily broken, damaged, or misplaced, such as decorations, papers, computers. However, uncluttered or clear surfaces, such as window sills and cabinet tops, are dusted weekly. Offices are scheduled for vacuuming twice a week, or spot vacuuming, as needed. Carpeted offices are scheduled for extraction (shampooing) approximately once every two years. Interior and exterior windows are cleaned less frequently. The Custodial Division staff is available to respond to cleaning requests, which can be reported by calling 685-1500.

Gene Woodard, director, Custodial Services

University Week welcomes questions from faculty and staff of the University of Washington regarding policies and practices of campus service units. Timely questions of broad campus interest will be given preference for publication. Questions should be brief. The published version of questions will be unsigned since it may be a compilation of questions from many sources. However, the answers will be signed by the appropriate department head.

All questions considered for publication will be referred to the appropriate department for a response. All copy will be edited by University Week editors for readability and length. Questions should be sent to University Week at Box 351207. ¶