L'ANSE -- Wash, rinse and repeat…that's the drill for Bruce Harju and other helpers who've taken on the task of disinfecting L’Anse schools, one desk or doorway at a time.

"Basically we have to wipe everything down with bleach that anyone would possibly touch," said Harju.

The district closed school for the week Monday morning after more than 20 percent of the student body was out sick.

Early Tuesday morning, a team of janitors and other volunteers started their clean sweep of the building and the buses - scrubbing every nook and cranny where germs could hide.

"It’s taken on a life of its own,” said Superintendent Ray Pasquali.  “We're dealing with an extraordinary virus that has infected people worldwide, and we have an obligation to our community to make sure we're doing our part."

Of course the scrub down is just one part of the problem.

L’Anse and other schools, like nearby Sacred Heart, who've closed for five days, will use up almost all of their 30 hours that the state allows for emergency closure.

"We’re going to have to deal with our approach to the rest of the year in terms of potential make-up days as a result of additional sickness or snow days," Pasquali said.

Pasquali also said that the schools will reopen next Monday, but he's urging parents to use common sense and asking that students stay home until they've fully recovered from the virus.