Every day, students and staff walk the halls, use the restroom, eat in the cafeteria, eat in the hallways, and throw trash away. By the next morning, the floors are clean, the trash is empty, and the cafeteria tables are spotless. Ask yourself: when was the last time you thought about how everything stays as c
lean as it is, or who cleans it? Chances are, it scarcely crosses your mind. It’s quite likely that most students have not even spoken to any of the custodians.
From clogged toilets to syrup on the floor, there are numerous challenges that our custodians face in their everyday duties. However, the most difficult aspect of cleaning can vary with each custodian.
Custodian Dave Thomas says that the most challenging aspect of being a custodian is “managing our time properly in terms of getting certain things done while also being ready to run and handle an emergency at any moment.” We see that the job of a custodian consists of maintaining a balance between routine tasks and being prepared for unexpected emergencies. Being flexible and quick to respond are key qualities required as a custodian.
Many misconceptions exist about custodians. As Thomas explains, “a lot of people assume that [bathroom cleaning] is what we do all day long and do things like that, but it’s actually not as often as people may think.” There are many other things that come with being a custodian. Although it isn’t extremely common, Thomas does say bathroom jobs are “by far the worst thing.”
Abandoned trash has been another problem in past years, whether it is in the hallways or on lunch tables. Each day after lunch ends, numerous spills and pieces of garbage are scattered around the school. Cleaning up lunch messes is one of the most common tasks for the custodial staff. Thomas believes that the students do not always just leave it on purpose, but rather forget. Thomas explains, “For the most part I always say that I never truly mind cleaning up a mess made by a kid, it’s just when it’s intentional or you’re doing something on purpose to make more work for me.”
When asked what students can do every day to make custodians jobs easier, Thomas instructs to just “try to be conscious of the trash, food, or whatever goes on in the school.” This could mean keeping our bathrooms clean, being respectful towards the equipment in school, or anything else you believe would help. When you leave behind garbage or a mess, think about who is going to have to clean up after you. The reason for this forgetful way of acting might be due to the lack of recognition that our custodians receive.
When thinking of underappreciated roles in our society, one would likely think of those who work behind the scenes. In this case, these workers are all of our custodial staff here at LM. As Thomas says, “oftentimes you don’t really notice the things the custodians are doing unless you need their help with something or it’s an emergency. All of the sudden, the custodian’s role becomes very valuable.”
Every day after school, our custodians work to maintain the best possible conditions for students to learn. At the end of the school day, our floors are often riddled with trash and the tables where we eat are left with spills, food scraps, and garbage.
The next time you see trash and think, “I won’t clean it up since it isn’t mine,” remember who you are leaving that job to. Always try to be as considerate as possible toward our custodians, whether you are eating lunch, going to the restroom, or getting a drink of water. Sometimes those who we never notice are the most essential to the flow of our society.
