Spring Cleaning
No matter what time of the year, keeping a sanitary living space is vital for staying healthy in prison
Our grandmothers used a system of spring and fall house cleaning. They started with deep scrubbing, washing curtains and beating rugs, and finished with a sparkling house just in time for holidays or company. Our “system” at Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) is somewhat different.
On A Yard, where new arrivals are housed, the routine established by prison procedures is: one string mop and grungy bucket per room, every other day or so. That’s for bathrooms and cells.
The hallways and day rooms may be mop-slopped front to back, usually with the same bucket, sometimes with soap from our rooms. That may be detergent, dish soap, shampoo or body wash. There are usually stinky yellow rags involved.
Wasn’t it wonderful to leave that low standard behind and bounce over the wall into a General Population (GP) unit with mop sticks, brooms, spray bottles, scrubbies and Comet all on hand? Cleaning towels that aren’t shredded rags! Toilet and shower brushes! Rubber gloves! Sadly, this turned out to be a false hope for most units.
Still, a lot of effort goes into cleaning our cell properly and many of us believe our way is the right (only) (best) way. In some cells, cleaning starts at 4 a.m. and is done twice a day. Why? Because this prison is not sanitary.
We disinfect at every opportunity because dirt is tracked in, wheeled in, coughed or sneezed in on every body part, but especially on our hands. Wherever we put our hands should be cleaned thoroughly.
For floors, only 16 brooms and four mop sticks are available for units of up to 175 residents. Many of the straw brooms are crusty stubs. Mop sticks are in disrepair. But with a towel wrap, the floor can be cleaned to some extent. Note about string mops: Even if they are available, the fabric is a germ factory.
Mops must be soaked in a disinfectant and thoroughly dried after each use. Remember you will be using the same mops and brooms other rooms have used, so sanitize your tools to control cross-contamination. Let staff know when it is time to replace worn-down or broken, unsafe cleaning tools.
It is also important to keep sinks and showers dry, as many germs love to breed on moist surfaces.
Contaminated air is another concern, especially in two-person cells or crowded eight-person cells. Use your fans to minimize virus breeding and keep some circulation going. Germs have a harder time reproducing and the air may be drier. Inside air quality results in a layer of thick dust from vents.
Daily dusting of locker tops, beds, and door frames is helpful in the war on dirt. Be sure and clean vent covers, too.
Incarcerated person Pearl Coleman has worked in medical environments and for Healthcare Facilities Maintenance (HFM). She has observed a great need for accurate information and better training to improve cleanliness in the facility.
“A lot more should be done to keep ahead of sanitation problems like germ buildup on hard-to-reach surfaces, as well as common areas like dayrooms,” said Coleman. “The obvious goal is to prevent disease and stay healthy. We did a lot more cleaning during the COVID pandemic and we had very few deaths as a result. More awareness is key.”
We have Cell Block for the basic disinfectant. It consists primarily of ammonium chloride, a caustic and potentially harmful chemical used in many products, even shampoo. Another excellent cleaner is the blue All-Clear, which is made up of surfactants and soap.
Surfactants are cleaning agents that attach themselves to dirt particles and keep them suspended until they are rinsed away. Generally harmless, they can sting your eyes if someone is spraying in the air.
Remember to utilize the “Right-toKnow” binder in your building if there are any questions about how much to dilute or what to do if an accident occurs.
Even more information can be found in the library non-fiction section. One excellent resource is the book “Totally Organized” by Bonnie McCullough.
This author is a recognized expert in cleaning techniques for every situation. One good tip: Be flexible about when and who does the chores, but be sure someone is assigned who can do the job. Some ADA workers can help an incarcerated person who has difficulty cleaning.
Generally, cleaning is done by assigned chores or a day per roommate. There is usually enough bickering about who does what and how to make cleaning a major cause of disputes.
Our quadruple-plus programming schedules present a big challenge to daily cleaning. Work starts at 7 a.m. and cleaning supplies are not available until 9 a.m. The roommates who don’t program usually are the ones who have disabilities or limitations.
Some old-school techniques have to be used in order to maintain a safe, healthy room. If all you have is soap, cleaning rags and water, the jobs can still get done.
Some of my roommates have “walked” a towel around the room, moved lockers and tables, climbed up to get lights and window ledges, then showered and left for evening programs and classes. That is self-motivation and ingenuity.
One last tip: Cell Block can be toxic when mixed with other cleaning products. Be sure to follow the correct dilution, it should be very pale yellow. The chemicals in Cell Block can build up over time creating a thick film (actually called grunge) that attracts dust and fosters bacterial growth.
So, be sure and rinse after using the product.
Cleanliness can be complicated in this environment. It is critical for our health and well-being and necessary for safety and for many of us, peace of mind.
