What a School Study Revealed About Classroom Germs, Teacher Desks, and Disinfecting Wipes

Study Highlights:

• Study: Real-world classroom surface contamination study, Dublin Elementary School in Dublin, CA, January 2026
• Study design: 6 classrooms (3 treatment, 3 control); two-week intervention during cold and flu season
• Key finding: Teacher’s desks and computers were the most contaminated surfaces — higher than student desks
• Result: Daily use of Disinfecting Wipes reduced surface bacterial contamination by a median of 50% (p = 0.02) over two weeks
• Result: Classrooms using wipes showed significantly lower Staphylococcus rates (p = 0.0052)
• Products tested: Clorox Disinfecting Wipes and Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes (daily on surfaces); Clorox Screen+ Sanitizing Wipes (weekly on electronics)

As we prepare for back-to-school season and make plans for how to adequately clean and disinfect the many shared spaces and high-touch surfaces, we wanted to share our recent research on school surface contamination and effective interventions to help keep school surfaces safe from illness-causing germs.

In January 2026, right in the middle of cold and flu season, we partnered with Dublin Elementary School in Dublin, Calif. to conduct a real-world study on classroom surface contamination and the impact of using disinfecting wipes daily on bacterial contamination. What we found was eye-opening, even for those of us who have spent years working in the cleaning industry. The results make a compelling case for providing teachers with disinfecting wipes in their classrooms.

How contaminated are classroom surfaces, and does daily use of disinfecting wipes help?

Our goal was straightforward: determine how contaminated classroom surfaces are during peak illness season and find out if daily use of disinfecting wipes meaningfully reduces that contamination.

To answer this question, we set up a study across six classrooms at Dublin Elementary School in Dublin, Calif. Three classrooms were provided with Clorox Disinfecting Wipes and Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes to use every day on student desks, the teacher’s desk, and high-touch surfaces (including door handles, light switches, and shared equipment). Those same classrooms also received Clorox Screen+ Sanitizing Wipes to use once a week on electronics and computers. The remaining three classrooms served as our controls; they followed their standard cleaning routine without any disinfecting wipes.

Before the study began, we tested baseline contamination from student desks, the teacher’s desk, high-touch surfaces, and the teacher’s computer in all six classrooms. Then, teachers in the wipe-equipped classrooms disinfected daily for two weeks. We swabbed all classrooms for contamination again at the end of that period to measure any changes in bacteria levels.

The most contaminated surface in the classroom surprised us

Given what we know about children’s behaviors, we expected to find contamination on student desks. Every single surface we tested, from student desks to high-touch surfaces to the teacher’s desk and computer, was contaminated with bacteria. What surprised us was where we found the most bacteria.

The surfaces with the highest average contamination levels were not the student desks. Instead, the teacher’s desk and teacher’s computer registered the highest contamination of any surfaces tested.

Here’s what the data showed:

When I shared this with the teachers at Dublin Elementary, they were genuinely surprised. Their desks and computers were the most contaminated spots in the room. But really, this result makes sense. Teachers interact with all the students when collecting their assignments or helping them at their desks. Additionally, because the teacher’s desk is a personal space and has many papers, cups and other objects on it, janitors are typically instructed to leave it be. But clearly, teachers need a way to manage the cleaning of their classrooms.

Beyond the total bacterial load, approximately one-third of all surfaces tested positive for Staphylococcus bacteria. Staph bacteria are capable of causing skin infections, respiratory illness, and in certain cases, more serious conditions. Roughly one-third of people are thought to carry Staphylococcus bacteria, which may be drug resistant (such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA)^1,2, which helps explain why we found it on one-third of surfaces, but it also raises concerns about potentially spreading this harmful bacteria to others.

Daily cleaning and disinfecting with wipes made a big difference with only a little effort

After two weeks of daily wipe use in the treatment classrooms, the data told a clear story. Classrooms that used disinfecting wipes had significantly less bacterial contamination on surfaces compared to the control classrooms: a median reduction of 50% (p = 0.02). That is a statistically meaningful result, and it was achieved with a simple, routine behavior: teachers wiping down desks and high-touch surfaces every day.

Perhaps even more noteworthy was the impact on Staphylococcus contamination. Classrooms using wipes showed significantly lower rates of Staph on surfaces compared to the control classrooms (p = 0.0052). This highlights that daily disinfection with the right products made a real, measurable, significant difference in reducing one of the more concerning pathogens commonly found in schools.

And even better, the intervention was easy: the teachers said it was easy to implement daily disinfecting with wipes, and once it became part of their routine, it only took a few minutes each day.

What this means for schools and cleaning programs

This study shows us that routine, daily disinfection of classroom surfaces using products like Clorox Disinfecting Wipes or Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes, paired with weekly use of Clorox Screen+ Sanitizing Wipes on electronics, is an effective strategy for reducing the bacterial load on school surfaces when it matters most.

For schools specifically, the implications extend well beyond one semester or one building. When students and teachers are healthier, attendance improves, learning is less disrupted, and the entire school community benefits.

A note on product choice: efficacy without tradeoffs

One aspect of this study that I find particularly meaningful is the inclusion of Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes alongside Clorox Disinfecting Wipes in the treatment protocol. As I’ve written before, there is sometimes a misconception that eco-conscious, sometimes referred to as “green” or “eco-friendly,” product formulations sacrifice efficacy for environmental benefits. Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes are EPA Design for the Environment certified, are made with a plant-based active ingredient, and have a 100% plant-based wipe cloth. This study demonstrates that products from both lines, used as directed, contributed to a significant and consistent reduction in surface contamination. Schools that prioritize eco-conscious options don’t have to choose between environmental responsibility and effective disinfection: they can have both.

Similarly, the targeted use of Clorox Screen+ Sanitizing Wipes on electronics is worth highlighting. Electronics are high-touch, high-risk surfaces that require products specifically designed to be safe to use on screens and devices. As the baseline data showed, the teacher’s computer was one of the most contaminated surfaces in the classroom. To see how dirty students’ devices are, refer to Clorox’s prior study, Clorox Screen+ Sanitizing Wipes Study.

This back-to-school season, provide teachers with disinfecting wipes for surfaces and screens

The data from Dublin Elementary School reinforce something that those of us in infection prevention have long advocated: clean-looking surfaces are not necessarily clean surfaces, and the most contaminated spots in a room may not be the ones we would intuitively clean first.

The good news is that the solution is accessible and actionable. Daily use of disinfecting wipes on desks and high-touch surfaces, combined with weekly disinfection of electronics, reduced surface bacterial contamination by nearly half and significantly lowered rates of Staphylococcus in just two weeks. That is a meaningful public health outcome achieved with practical, easy-to-implement products.

If you’re evaluating your school’s cleaning program or looking for evidence to support providing teachers with disinfecting wipes, I hope this study helps make that case. Creating healthier, safer environments for students and educators is exactly the kind of work that drives everything we do at CloroxPro.