Classrooms might look clean, but what about the air students and teachers breathe every day? Even with regular cleaning, hidden contaminants can build up, impacting health, attendance, and focus. Managing indoor air quality (IAQ) is one of the biggest challenges schools face — one that isn’t always visible but has a lasting impact.
Even with routine cleaning and maintenance, overcrowded classrooms, aging ventilation systems, and airborne contaminants make maintaining IAQ — and keeping students and staff healthy — a constant challenge.
Fortunately, improving air quality doesn’t require an expensive HVAC overhaul. Small, daily improvements, along with commercial air purifiers like the HEPAFORCE® GermBuster series, can create a healthier, more productive environment for students and staff.
Have you noticed more student absences or lower energy levels in your school? It might not just be cold and flu season—your school’s air quality could be a factor. When indoor air is filled with dust, allergens, and airborne viruses, sick days increase, learning is disrupted, and overall school performance takes a hit.
However, it’s not just students who are affected. Teachers and staff also feel the impact when it leads to more sick days, driving up the need for substitute teachers and increasing operational costs. Schools often spend more on cleaning and sanitation to combat ongoing air quality issues. Over time, these challenges strain budgets, disrupt staffing and make it harder to maintain a productive learning environment.
Even in well-maintained schools, indoor air pollution builds up unnoticed—until students and teachers start experiencing allergies, fatigue, or frequent illnesses. With so many people sharing the same indoor spaces, ventilation and filtration play a crucial role in keeping classrooms safe.
Some of the most common airborne contaminants in schools include:
Additionally, air quality challenges shift throughout the school year. During colder months, poor ventilation allows germs to linger longer, increasing the spread of colds, flu, and respiratory illnesses. In spring and summer, rising humidity can lead to mold growth and higher pollen levels, making it harder for students with allergies or asthma to stay healthy and focused.
If you’ve noticed more absences, allergy-like symptoms among staff, or a general drop in classroom energy, your school’s air quality may be playing a more significant role than you realize. The good news? With the right strategies, you can improve air quality, reduce sick days, and create a healthier learning environment.
Improving air quality in your school doesn’t require a costly HVAC overhaul. Small, daily actions can have a lasting impact on student health, attendance, and overall classroom performance. By making air quality a priority, you can reduce airborne contaminants, improve ventilation, and create a healthier learning environment for students and staff.
Here are five simple yet effective strategies that can be easily integrated into your school’s daily routine:
Adjust your HVAC settings to bring in more outdoor air while keeping classrooms comfortable. Regularly inspect air vents and ductwork to ensure they are clean and unblocked, allowing air to circulate freely. In areas like restrooms and cafeterias, use exhaust fans to remove stale air and prevent pollutants from building up.
Many cleaning supplies release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause headaches, nausea, and irritation. Switching to low-VOC disinfectants keeps your school’s air cleaner while still effectively eliminating germs. To minimize exposure, schedule cleaning after school hours so any lingering fumes dissipate before students return.
Keeping indoor humidity between 30-50% helps prevent mold growth and reduces dust mites. Using dehumidifiers in damp areas like basements and locker rooms can stop excess moisture from creating mold-friendly conditions. Fixing leaks and water damage quickly prevents mold spores from spreading through your school’s air.
Encouraging frequent handwashing reduces the spread of airborne germs. Placing hand sanitizing stations in high-traffic areas like hallways, cafeterias, and classroom entrances gives students and staff easy access to hygiene resources. Regularly disinfecting desks, door handles, and shared equipment helps minimize surface contamination.
Using HEPA-filtered vacuums traps fine dust, allergens, and pet dander rather than spreading them back into the air. Dusting with microfiber cloths instead of dry dusters prevents particles from becoming airborne. Cleaning your school’s HVAC filters and vents regularly stops dust and mold from circulating, keeping indoor air fresh.
Following these daily air quality strategies helps reduce respiratory issues, allergy symptoms, and the spread of airborne illnesses, leading to fewer sick days and better student performance.
However, even with the best maintenance practices, some pollutants and airborne germs remain in the air — especially in high-traffic areas like classrooms, cafeterias, and hallways. That’s where advanced air purification becomes essential.
Your daily air quality practices can significantly reduce respiratory issues, allergy symptoms, and the spread of airborne illnesses. However, in high-traffic areas like classrooms, cafeterias, and hallways, some pollutants and germs still linger.
To keep the air as clean and healthy as possible, advanced air purification can add an extra layer of protection — working alongside your daily efforts to create a safer, healthier environment for your students and staff.
Not all air purifiers are created equal, and choosing the right one for your school requires careful consideration. The best system should remove airborne contaminants, operate efficiently, and fit within your budget and maintenance schedule.
Here’s what to consider before making a decision:
The right air purifier reduces airborne contaminants, improves classroom air quality, and keeps your students and staff healthier.
The HEPAFORCE GermBuster series meets these needs with high-efficiency filtration, quiet operation, and energy-saving performance. It is a practical solution for your school’s air quality challenges.
Even with strong daily air quality practices, some contaminants still linger in the air—especially in crowded classrooms with limited ventilation.
The HEPAFORCE GermBuster series is designed for your school’s high-occupancy spaces, providing real-time air filtration to keep students and staff healthier. Unlike basic air filters, GermBuster actively captures and removes harmful particles, helping the air in your classrooms stay clean throughout the school day.
For schools needing extra protection against airborne viruses and bacteria, the GermBuster Room Air Purifier with UV-FORCE® model adds another layer of defense. Using FAR-UVC technology, it disinfects the air six times per hour in rooms up to 3,200 cubic feet, making it an ideal solution for your school’s high-traffic areas like classrooms, cafeterias, and hallways.
The air in your school plays a critical role in student health, attendance, and academic success. Simple daily improvements, combined with high-efficiency air purification, can significantly reduce airborne contaminants without major infrastructure upgrades.
Every day, students and teachers breathe in air filled with unseen contaminants. Taking action now means fewer sick days, better focus, and a safer learning environment.
Download our Ultimate Guide to Indoor Air Quality and take the first step toward cleaner, healthier classrooms today.