Why Hygiene Must Be an Estate-Wide Priority
As campuses continue to grow in size and complexity, managing hygiene effectively across multiple buildings has become a strategic priority for estates and facilities teams. With 2026 shaping up to be a critical year for hygiene innovation, organisations with large estates, from universities to corporate and mixed-use developments, are being urged to rethink how infection control is delivered as part of routine estate operations. education-forum.co.uk
Traditionally, hygiene practices have been dealt with at the individual building or department level. However, modern campuses are increasingly resembling interconnected mini-cities, with high foot traffic, shared spaces, and a vast range of environmental variables. In this context, a fragmented approach won’t keep pace with the risks posed by seasonal illness, outbreaks and general cleanliness requirements. education-forum.co.uk
Estate managers must understand hygiene holistically, as an operational ecosystem rather than a series of isolated cleaning tasks. That means designing strategies that scale across all facilities, integrate with daily use patterns and respond swiftly to emerging health threats.
Building a Structured Framework
Effective campus hygiene begins with clear governance and structured planning. Large estates benefit from frameworks that define roles, responsibilities and escalation paths for hygiene incidents. This often includes hygiene champions or coordinators located in strategic zones across the campus, who serve as local points of contact for cleanliness audits and rapid response. education-forum.co.uk
Frameworks should also set measurable performance indicators, such as response times to incidents, routine cleaning compliance, and audit scoring, so that progress can be monitored objectively and improvements justified with data.
Insight Through Technology and Data
One of the most valuable assets in modern hygiene management is data. Digital reporting tools, occupancy sensors and audit management software can provide real-time insight into where hygiene challenges are most acute. Facilities teams can use this intelligence to prioritise resources, predict peak usage times and tailor cleaning schedules accordingly. education-forum.co.uk
For example, areas that see high peak traffic, such as building entrances, cafeterias and shared toilets, can be monitored more frequently and serviced proactively rather than reactively.
Adaptability: The Key to Resilience
No hygiene strategy can be static. Estates are dynamic environments influenced by academic calendars, events, seasonal illness patterns and fluctuating occupancy. As such, adaptability is essential. Flexible cleaning schedules, scalable supply chains for hygiene products and contingency plans for outbreak situations all contribute to a resilient infection control programme. education-forum.co.uk
Adaptability also involves regular review and refinement of procedures. Lessons learned from past outbreaks — including COVID-19 — highlight the value of being able to adjust quickly to changing conditions. While mass outbreaks may be less frequent now, the risk of seasonal and emerging pathogens remains, and estates must be ready to pivot when needed.
Bringing Everyone on Board
An effective hygiene programme isn’t the responsibility of the cleaning team alone. It requires buy-in from the entire campus community, including maintenance staff, security teams, building users and senior leadership. A shared understanding of hygiene priorities fosters cooperation and ensures everyone contributes to a safer, healthier environment.
Education and communication are key too — simple signage, clear reporting channels for hygiene issues, and visibility of progress against hygiene goals help keep everyone aligned and accountable.
Looking to 2026 and Beyond
By 2026, infection control will be integral to estate operations, not an add-on. The organisations that succeed will be those that:
Embed hygiene planning into core estate strategy
Leverage data and technology for insight and action
Shape flexible, responsive cleaning and control practices
Promote a culture of shared ownership for hygiene outcomes education-forum.co.uk
For large campuses, the challenge of infection control is an opportunity: to elevate hygiene from a compliance task to a strategic asset that enhances wellbeing, trust and operational efficiency. School Cleaning and Prevention solutions