September 30, 2009 - When North Colonie students walked into their respective schools on September 10, they entered a clean and spotless building. The desks did not have markings on them. The chairs did not have gum under them. The floors were all freshly buffed. Without the work of the custodial staff, under the direction of Director Mark Wiegert, all of this would not be possible.

“We start by stripping the floors in every building and go from there.” said Wiegert, of what he and his staff have to accomplish over the summer months.

A few years ago, Wiegert introduced a new cleaning system, called the “Twister System”. This new system is designed to strip the finish on floors and polish them to a natural shine. Most importantly, it is cost-effective and completely green; no chemicals are used in the process. After the floors are stripped and polished, Wiegert and his staff move on to high dusting and the cleaning of all furniture in the classrooms.

Wiegert oversees a staff of about 60 workers and could not be prouder of his crew.

“We do the nitty-gritty work,” he said. “A lot of people don’t know what we do, but I think we do a very good job.”

Sometimes, the work goes beyond “nitty-gritty”. With the potential spread of the H1N1 flu virus, Wiegert and his staff have taken the necessary precautions to help prevent its spread and ensure that every building is as clean and sanitary as possible.

In addition to the general cleaning that takes place daily in the school buildings, North Colonie has implemented a regular disinfecting program on all hard surfaces. These include desks, floors, door knobs, handles and many other surfaces that are frequently touched.

“We implemented this program toward the end of last year and know that is imperative that we continue it this year.” Director Wiegert said.

The chemicals used in this enhanced disinfecting cleaning agent, called Carpe Diem, destroy all bacteria in about sixty seconds. Compared to other disinfecting chemicals that take anywhere from ten to twenty minutes to destroy bacteria, Carpe Diem will ensure that North Colonie schools are as clean as possible in a very short amount of time.

In addition to the use of the disinfecting agent, the district is continuing to move forward in placing hand sanitizers in rooms without sinks. They are also going to be adding them in the entrance ways of each school building. North Colonie currently has hand sanitizers in all cafeterias and disinfecting wipes in the high school fitness center.

“The hope is that our students use these sanitizers in order to prevent any spread of germs,” Wiegert said. “It’s another line of defense.”