Take the time to appreciate your cleaning staff. Share this post with your students to raise awareness about kindness.

Remember that time you threw up in kindergarten? You probably remember feeling uncomfortable and nervous, then it finally coming up without your control, followed by tears and a trip to the nurses office and embarrassment. What you likely didn’t realize was who was cleaning up the mess.

And that’s normal – you were a kid and had bigger things on your mind. But now that you’re a bit older, you should recognize and show the respect that janitors deserve.

Here are six reasons why you should be nice to these hard-working, respectable individuals.

• Janitors are cleaning up after you. Plain and simple. Your messes that you either unintentionally or intentionally leave behind are picked up by the janitors in your building so you can work and learn in a clean environment.
• Janitors are keeping you healthy and comfortable. They’re wiping up germs, collecting dust, changing garbages, sanitizing, and even more – all for your happiness.
• Janitors are actually some of the hardest workers there is. It’s not just about changing the trash and vacuuming. Janitorial work takes physical labor and practically non-stop movement. Whether in a school, office building, or any other building, cleaning up after several people is not an easy task.
• Janitors put up with a lot more than we may realize. They’re cleaning up spilled soup and cracker crumbs – or worse – bodily fluids, (mostly) without a complaint. Janitors are used to people leaving things behind for them to pick up. They’re used to being degraded and looked down upon by the very people they’re helping.
• Janitors are making your job easier every day. Just imagine if you had to clean up after yourself and the lazier ones around you all day at work or school. It might not seem like a big deal, but chances are your environment would be a lot less sanitary and enjoyable if there were no janitors.
• People are watching you. This one is mostly for your own benefit and can be applied to any situation. Whether at work, school, or visiting a museum, if you’re rude to someone, especially one who is helping you out, you’re not going to look good to the people around you. Your boss will be taking a mental note the next time you disrespect the janitor.

In the end, it comes down to the fact that you never know what someone has to go through on a day to day basis. Janitors should be respected just as much as everyone else, if not more.