Fall Hygiene Tips for Protecting Your Classroom Headphones

Fall is here, which means two things: kids are back in school, and cold and flu season is upon us. For teachers, this means an extra effort is needed to ramp up cleaning, sanitation and disinfection of high-touch surfaces and common-use supplies. Classroom headphones, which may be used by multiple students in a single day, can be a breeding ground for a number of viruses and bacteria that are responsible for getting kids and teachers sick, especially during the winter months when people tend to stay indoors.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that there are a number of products on the market that can help you combat the spread of nasty germs and bugs from kid to kid without harming classroom headphones and other shared electronic devices in your classroom. You can help keep germs at bay all school year long with consistent cleaning practices, and it doesn’t have to take a huge chunk of time out of your busy school day. Here are some guidelines for protecting your students and faculty against colds, flu and COVID-19 and helping kids have more healthy days in school by keeping your classroom headphones clean and sanitary with each student use.

Stay vigilant about sanitizing

The 2022-2023 school year is the most normal-looking one we’ve had since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to let our guard down against the virus. To keep COVID and other viruses like colds and flu at bay, it’s essential for faculty and staff to continue to adhere to cleaning and sanitation guidelines put in place during the pandemic.

Fortunately, staying vigilant about sanitizing classroom headphones and other common-use supplies doesn’t have to be an ordeal, thanks to a number of effective cleaning tools on the market. Bulk disinfecting wipes are 99.9% effective at killing bacteria and a number of viruses in just 15 seconds, and are inexpensive enough to be placed in every classroom in a handy wall-mounted dispenser. This ease and convenience gives teachers the freedom to quickly clean and sanitize classroom headphones and other surfaces with each use. Best of all, these wipes are free of benzyl-alcohol, citrus, bleach and penol, making them safe on all surfaces as well as safe for students to use.

If you’re looking for an even safer, greener and more effective solution, consider investing in electronic sanitizers like the HygenX Vray Portable UV Sterilizer from HamiltonBuhl. This high-intensity UV-C sanitizing wand is portable and cordless, making it a breeze to safely and effectively clean and disinfect virtually any surface, including large toys and playground equipment, computer keyboards, instrument panels, touchscreens and more. The HygenX sterilizer uses UV-C light to kill 99.9% of bacteria and can either be shared throughout your school or purchased in bulk to give each teacher a safe and effective way to fight everyday germs in their classroom without breaking the bank. The HygenX UV sanitizer features a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that achieves a full charge in just two hours, along with a patented safety sensor that turns the unit off automatically when it is tilted 30 degrees in either direction to prevent ultraviolet exposure to skin and eyes. If you’re looking for a safe, high-tech way to kill germs and bacteria in your school, this portable UV sterilizer may be just right for you!

For headsets with microphones, disposable microphone covers can also go a long way toward banishing bacteria that can in the tiny crevices of the Gooseneck mic, upping the risk for contamination among multiple users. Disposable microphone covers are a simple solution for protecting your investment while also helping your students stay healthy.

Sharing isn’t always caring

If you’re looking for a more time-saving solution to banishing bacteria and viruses from your school this fall, disposable headphones may be just the thing for you. Because bulk headphones for school classrooms are often much less expensive than those that were designed for repeated use, school administrators can afford to purchase one set for each student at the start of the school year. Students are then instructed to use their set of disposable headphones each time they use a computer or listening device, eliminating the need to share with a classmate and cutting way down on the potential of sharing germs.

Along with being a practical and effective way to keep nasty bugs at bay, getting your own special pair of headphones can be a lot of fun! Kids of all ages will enjoy receiving a set of disposable headphones and earbuds that can be used for listening centers, computer lab, testing and free-time activities. Best of all, giving each student their own pair of disposable headphones can cut down on a lot of listening-center drama. Younger students who may still be learning how to share with their classmates will be delighted to get to keep their own pair, and you can avoid the potential meltdowns and tantrums that come along with having to take turns.

Say ‘see you later’ to lice

In addition to viruses, some of the ‘bugs’ teachers have to watch out for are unfortunately literal bugs. We’re talking, of course, about head lice. The spread of lice has always been an issue among the elementary school set, and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon! You can help stop the spread of head lice, along with other everyday germs, by protecting your shared-use classroom headphones with disposable headphone covers. These single-use covers go over the ear cups of on-ear headphones to give individual listeners a clean, sanitary experience. Using disposable headphone covers gives teachers an easy and convenient way to keep their classroom set of headphones clean for each use.

Disposable headphones are also an excellent solution for reducing the spread of head lice in your classroom. By giving each student their own set of headphones, you are ensuring that they are not sharing their headphones with others, which can go a long way toward stopping a lice outbreak in its tracks.

The bottom line

These days, with the number of easy and convenient cleaning and sanitizing options on the market, it’s easier than ever to make your classroom a germ-free zone. Keep these tips in mind for a safe, healthy start to the school year, and help your students have more healthy days in attendance during cold and flu season.