Why Summer Is the Best Time to Add GermBusters to Your Air Quality Strategy

Summer break may pause the school day, but it doesn’t pause your workload. For many facility managers, this is when the real work begins: maintenance, inspections, system updates, and planning for a better school year ahead.

It’s also the ideal time to address one of the most persistent challenges schools face: indoor air quality. Even in well-managed buildings, airborne contaminants can affect student health, increase absenteeism, and disrupt learning. And with aging infrastructure, limited ventilation, and crowded classrooms, those risks only grow over time.

This is your opportunity to make meaningful changes without disruption. With the right tools in place during the summer, you can reduce airborne pathogens and create a cleaner, safer environment before students return.

Why Schools Struggle with Air Quality

As you know, improving indoor air quality isn’t as simple as opening a window. In fact, many schools, especially older ones, face structural and environmental challenges that make it difficult to maintain clean, healthy air. The good news is that summer is the perfect time to tackle them.

Common issues include:

• Outdated HVAC systems that are not built for today’s classroom sizes or occupancy levels.
• Limited air exchange in tightly sealed or poorly ventilated rooms.
• Allergens and mold spores from aging infrastructure or past water damage.
• Off-gassing from renovation materials, new flooring, or harsh cleaning chemicals.
• Respiratory droplets from students and staff that linger in shared indoor spaces, especially in colder months when windows remain shut.

These problems are not limited to the traditional school year. Summer school programs, year-round education schedules, teacher training days, and community events hosted in school buildings all benefit from cleaner, safer air, no matter the season.

5 Things School Facility Managers Can Do This Summer to Improve Air Quality

We know summer break isn’t really a break for facility managers.

This is when the deep cleaning happens. It’s when HVACs are evaluated, repairs are scheduled, and classrooms are rearranged for new programming. It’s also when buildings are still buzzing with activity: summer school sessions, enrichment camps, teacher workshops, sports conditioning, and more.

The question you may be wondering is: What can you do right now to improve your school’s indoor air quality, without tearing out ductwork or overhauling your budget?

Here are five practical, high-impact steps you can take now to improve indoor air quality and create a safer environment for everyone who walks through your doors.

1. Reprogram or Update HVAC Systems

With rooms unoccupied, now is the time to take a closer look at your HVAC system’s performance. Are you maximizing the amount of outdoor air your system is pulling in? Can you turn off energy-saving settings that limit air circulation? Small adjustments to airflow scheduling or damper controls can increase fresh air intake, improve ventilation, and reduce stagnant air, without replacing the system entirely.

2. Replace Filters and Inspect Ductwork

Summer is ideal for swapping out old filters and inspecting ducts for dust buildup or obstructions. In aging school buildings, years of accumulation can severely limit airflow and contribute to poor air quality. Schedule duct inspections while you have open access to classrooms and ceiling space, and set a fresh filter replacement schedule that lines up with the school year ahead.

3. Address Moisture and Mold Concerns

Have there been reports of musty odors, unexplained allergies, or ceiling stains during the school year? Summer gives you time to investigate the source, whether it’s a slow pipe leak, an HVAC condensate issue, or poor sealing around windows and doors. Mold and moisture problems won’t go away on their own, and the longer they go untreated, the harder they are to remediate later.

4. Rethink Room Layouts to Support Better Airflow

Classroom layouts are rarely designed with air circulation in mind. If you're moving furniture or rearranging rooms this summer, take the opportunity to consider how airflow moves through each space. Avoid placing large bookshelves or partitions in front of vents. Keep circulation paths open between intake and exhaust points. Even small changes can improve the effectiveness of your existing HVAC system or portable air purification units.

5. Test Portable Air Purification Solutions While It’s Quiet

With fewer students on campus and flexible room usage, summer is the perfect time to pilot portable air quality solutions. You can try placing a unit, like the HEPAFORCE® GermBuster Room Air Purifier, in a summer school classroom, a cafeteria used for camps, or a nurse’s office preparing for fall. This gives you the chance to measure impact, observe noise levels, and train staff before the school year starts, so when it's time for full occupancy, you already have a plan in place.

Why GermBuster Is a Smart Summer Solution

If you're looking to implement one upgrade this summer that checks the boxes for air purification, pathogen control, and long-term value, GermBuster is a smart place to start.

Here’s what makes GermBuster worth considering this summer:

Easy to Set Up, Ready to Work

Summer is the ideal time to introduce new equipment, especially when flexibility matters. GermBuster units are compact, quiet, and built for mobility, so you can move them where they’re needed most, whether that’s a summer school classroom, a nurse’s office, or the cafeteria.

Multi-Layered Filtration

Each GermBuster unit uses a layered approach to remove and neutralize airborne contaminants:

• HEPA filtration captures 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, including pollen, mold spores, and respiratory droplets.
• UV-FORCE® technology exposes air to far-UVC light that breaks down pathogens at the molecular level, rendering viruses and bacteria non-infectious.
• Activated carbon filters help remove odors and VOCs from cleaning products, renovations, or older building materials.

Together, these components work continuously to improve indoor air without the need for constant oversight.

Built to Fit a Variety of School Spaces

GermBusters can purify air in a 3,200 cubic foot space six times per hour. For reference, that’s the size of a typical classroom or meeting space. Larger models or multiple units can easily serve libraries, dining areas, and multi-use rooms. With various sizes and configurations, GermBuster adapts to your facility, not the other way around.

Quiet Enough for Learning Environments

No one wants a loud machine running during a test or staff meeting. GermBusters operate quietly, with adjustable fan speeds that keep air circulating without creating classroom distractions. Summer is the perfect time to test placements and get staff feedback, without interrupting the school day.

Designed for Durability, Built for Simplicity

The GermBuster delivers long-term value without adding strain to your maintenance schedule. Each unit is built to last, requires only basic filter changes, and can be managed without the need for specialized technicians. Its energy-efficient design also operates up to 40% more efficiently than similar models, contributing to ongoing utility savings over time.

Start the School Year Ahead of the Curve

Summer is the best time to get ahead. With fewer students in the building and more flexibility in your schedule, this is the moment to make changes that will have a lasting impact.

Improving indoor air quality is a vital part of creating a healthier, more reliable learning environment all year long. From HVAC adjustments to portable air purification, every step you take now helps make your school safer, your workload lighter, and your building better prepared for what’s next.

GermBusters offer a proven, low-disruption way to take action. They're portable, effective, and built to support your school’s air quality goals, whether you're managing summer programs or preparing for the fall semester.

Want to take the next step toward a long-term air quality strategy? Download the Ultimate Guide to Indoor Air Quality and get practical insights to build a safer, healthier school year.