Surviving Allergy Season

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Joe

It is about that time of year when allergies start affecting those who suffer from them.  When an office isn’t cleaned properly a large amount of allergens tend to collect.  An allergen is a small particle that can cause irritation if inhaled.  These particles are carried through the air or can settle on surfaces and floors.  Larger debris such as pollen, dust mite and cockroach debris tend to settle faster.  Surface allergens can be easily disrupted even by dusting!  Once these particles are disrupted and are back in the air supply, those in the vicinity can breathe them in causing a variety of health problems.

Allergens affect a building’s IAQ (Indoor Air Quality).  When an office has poor IAQ those who are present in that building will suffer.  Adults who work full time jobs are at the office for the majority of their waking hours, making it almost a home away from home.  When allergens are inhaled there are immediate effects such as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat;  allergens can also make someone suffer from asthma.  Long term effects from poor IAQ are more serious and can range from respiratory disease to heart disease and even cancer!  James Sublett MD, Asthma and Allergy Specialist, found that allergies are the number two reason why adults miss work.  Even if one suffering does not miss work, their symptoms can cause low productivity.

When trying to eliminate pollutants and raise the IAQ the most important factor is finding the source.  Eliminating the source is the most efficient way in clearing the pollutants from the air.  Hiring a professional cleaning company can greatly help the fight against allergens!  Envision Commercial Cleaning uses green cleaning techniques to efficiently eliminate airborne and surface allergens, using environmentally friendly cleaners that do not contain VOC (volatile organic compounds) therefore helping improve IAQ.  (Take a look at this green clean infographic for more information on VOCs and the dangers of conventional cleaners!)

Hiring a professional crew such as Envision Commercial Cleaning will help maintain good IAQ in the long run but there are steps you can follow on your own that will help the cause.  Vacuuming on a weekly basis helps remove dirt and dust particles that can build up over time, eventually even ruining your carpet.  Try and limit the number of plants in the office; plants provide a perfect environment for mold and bacteria to grow.  Prevent moisture around areas such as sinks and bathrooms.  Most importantly, remember to change the building’s air filter frequently!  The bottom line is, keeping the workplace as germ free and allergen free as possible is important to the success of your business and the health of your employees.

Sources:

An Introduction to IAQ | Indoor Air Quality | US EPA

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America – Information About Asthma, Allergies, Food Allergies and More!

Tips to Hiring a Professional Cleaning Crew

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Joe

There are many things to keep in mind when it comes to hiring a professional cleaning company.  It may seem overwhelming if you have never gone through the process before.  Listed below are a few questions to make sure you ask a potential company before hiring:

1. Does the company have their own liability insurance?

2. What kind of reputation does the company have- can they offer any reviews or testimonials from other clients?

3. How long has that company been in business?

4. What other kind of services do they offer- is it just a janitorial company that only cleans?

5. Is it the same people each time they come out and clean a location?

6. How quick are they to resolve issues?

7. Do they supply their own equipment and products?  Is there anything that you need to supply?

8. Is the company local or national?  Big or small?

9. Do your personalities match? An open line of communication is critical to the success of a cleaning program.

10. If green cleaning is a priority for you, inquire about their standards and cleaning practices.  Are they a green cleaning company?

11. How does the company train the crew that will be cleaning your property?

12. Does the company have a performance or money back guaranty?

When you are inquiring about a company’s services that they provide, you want to keep the future in mind.  If they offer window cleaning, floor care services, construction clean up, etc. then you end up saving money in the long run because you only need to hire the one company instead of having to hire an additional one or two or even three companies to fulfill your needs.

Just as there are things to remember to do when hiring a professional cleaning crew, there are also things to keep in mind NOT to do.   One of the most important things not to do when hiring a crew is to accept a quote over the phone.  There is no way for that to  be accurate because a cleaning company needs to see the actual area to be serviced so they can properly see how much work it will be to clean.  When the cleaning representative comes out, do not rush the walk-thru.  You need to make sure to include as many details as possible and to be very specific when it comes to your janitorial needs (it is always helpful to make a list before the initial walk-thru.)

If your business is in need of professional cleaning or cleaning advice, please contact Envision Commercial Cleaning today for a representative to come out and provide a complimentary walk-thru and a personalized bid with your cleaning needs in mind!  Now that you aware of what to keep in mind when hiring a crew, you can rest assured that Envision will do what they can to provide you with a comprehensive evaluation and quote to fit your properties needs.

The Magic of Microfiber (Part I)

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Joe

What many do not know is the secret behind microfiber that helps allow Envision Commercial Cleaning to be so successful in what we do.  Microfiber is a manmade material that is a combination of two different fibers: polyester and polyamide.  Polyamide is a nylon by-product.  The two fibers are split in a ratio of 80/20: 80% polyester which is for scrubbing and cleaning purposes, and 20% polyamide which is for absorbing and quick drying purposes.  There are 200,000 microfibers per square inch!  A single strand of microfiber is so small that it is almost invisible to the naked eye.  There are two types of microfiber cloth. The first is a “terry style” which is used for general cleaning purposes, whether it be domestic or industrial.  The other is a “suede style” which is used for polishing surfaces like glass or electronic screens.

Features and Benefits:

Microfiber cloths can be used either wet or dry – with chemicals or without chemicals.  The nature of the cloth is to scrape dirt form the surface trapping the particles in the tiny loops that the microfibers create.  Most conventional cloths just push the dirt around leaving a streaky residue behind on the surface. Microfibers lift and trap the dirt leaving a clean dry surface behind.  This process makes the effort to actually get surfaces clean a lot less than the effort needed with regular cotton cloths.

Very environmentally friendly, microfiber reduces the need for chemical cleaners and reduces disposal waste.  According to an independent study conducted by “Royal Roads University” in Victoria, British Columbia when used with only tap water microfibers are “99.94% effective in removing bacteria from smooth surfaces” as compared to conventional cloths and mops used with bleach which were “only 91.89% effective”.  Microfiber cloths and mops are five times less expensive to clean and due to their light weight they can be washed in large quantities reducing the water and energy use required to wash them.  They can also be reused a minimum of 500 times!

Microfiber cloths are durable and reusable.  They save time and energy both while being used and in washing. Washing of microfiber towels and mops is as simple as putting them in a washing machine with normal detergent on a cold cycle.  Just remember not to use heat as this will melt the individual fibers, or specific detergents that will become trapped in the fibers making the products less effective.

This blog article only scratches the surface when it comes to revealing the magic behind microfiber.  Be sure to follow our blog for there is more to come on this fascinating topic!

 

Sources:

“Microfiber Training” GCI- Janitorial Education.  2007 The Green Clean Institute .

Cleaning For Health: Making Your Priorities Our Priorities

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Joe

We’re in the business of making your workday a little better than it could be. No, we cannot talk to that tough-to-crack upper level for you or fill out this form and that form. But what we can and will do is provide you with a peace of mind that your surroundings are clean and in good hands.

Our green cleaning practices insure that your place of work is both visually and hygienically clean. We avoid cross-contamination of surfaces by using a clever color coding system – a red cloth that cleans a toilet will never clean a counter. The use of microfiber mops and cloths reduce the yearly purchase of the same products by 95% and the annual use of chemicals by 87.5%. We’re confident our practices provide you with a safe and clean environment to work in without concern.

In fact, we are confident enough to offer you a 100% satisfaction guarantee – If you aren’t pleased with what we have done, send us your complaint by e-mail or mail and we’ll respond within 48 hours. If this does not happen, we’ll promptly credit you for the period involved.

And if the complaint happens more than twice. The month is on us.

We take our responsibilities to you seriously – your satisfaction with our work is the number one priority.

Germs and Bacteria: Exactly where are they lurking?

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Joe

When you think of the area in a workplace that harbors the most germs and bacteria you might first think of the toilets: Wrong! Surprisingly enough, the keyboard contains the most germs and bacteria per square inch than any other surface in the workplace. When you step back and think about all the eating that goes on, over and around the keyboard, how many people share them, and how infrequently they are washed, it makes sense that it is a perfect spot for bacteria to thrive. Similar environments are found on office phones. Coffee spills, food crumbs, and greasy finger prints all contribute to a thriving environment for bacteria and the transfer of viral illnesses via the phone receiver: 25,127 germs per square inch!

Still dirtier than the office bathroom is the desktop. Research conducted by University of Arizona found that the average office desk held up to 400x more bacteria than the average office toilet. Lead Scientist Charles Gerba reported that on average, there were 20,961 germs per square inch found on your desk versus only 49 per square inch on your toilet! Even scarier, bacteria levels increase from 19 to 31% by lunchtime unless they are wiped down with a disinfectant.

While it may seem shocking to some, a copy machine is another place for bacteria and germs to flourish.  When someone has germs on their hands and they come in contact with other surfaces, they leave a trace of these germs and bacteria behind which then multiply and reproduce. If the environment is right, what starts off as a few germs can quickly turn into a tiny ecosystem.  If someone else touches that same spot, they pick up that bacteria and transfer it to themselves and to others. Imagine the “copy” button on your office machine, and then imagine how many fingers press it – on a day to day basis – multiple times. Keeping this in mind, it’s not surprising that this is one of the dirtiest areas in your office.

Does this information have you completely grossed out? No need to fret because there are always actions to take that can help reduce office germs. To avoid working in a bacteria-infested environment, take proactive steps to a work in a cleaner office space.

 

Sources:

http://articles.cnn.com/2004-02-09/world/globaloffice.germs_1_germs-bacteria-levels-office-workers?_s=PM:WORLD

http://www.maintenance-one.com/

Keeping Kids Cold and Flu Free: Day Care Cleaning

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Joe

Keep kids cold and flu free with day care cleaning

A chance for new friends and exciting experiences give daycare and preschool parents plenty of reason to do what they do for their kids. But with the fun times of crafts, learning and friends comes the darker side of germs, germs and more germs. As you may guess, your typical day care is an ideal place for harboring the things that can make your child sick, no matter how well maintained. Luckily, a few things can be done by you and the staff – little things which will go a long way to help keep your day care or preschool experience as safe and germ-free as possible.

1.    Sanitize. Sanitize Everything

Every toy, chair, heck even the walls are potential homes for germs. It’s important for the staff of your son or daughter’s class to make big efforts to disinfect things like toys as close to daily as humanly possible.

2.    You can help, too

Is your daughter feeling under the weather? Keep her home! For the most part, kids are very social with one another. By keeping a sick child home, you drastically reduce (or even eliminate) the chance of spreading sickness-causing germs to others.

3.    It starts at home

Hand washing is an easy thing to look over. Tip: do NOT look over it! The hands are the obvious #1 contact point for kids and adults alike. By keeping your child’s hands washed regularly, you eliminate many of the germs that otherwise would be spread around the room.

In addition to this, teaching your child proper “sneeze etiquette” will also help to contain germs. Have them use a tissue, covering the entire mouth and nose during a sneeze. We all know kids share – maybe their new sneeze trick will spread instead of germs!

We do offer day care cleaning services!

Do you and your family practice these tips already? What other practices do you believe battle the spread of germs?

Tips on How to Keep Your Office Clean and Clutter-free

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Joe

When it comes to office cleanliness, always keep in mind that just because an area is neat and tidy does not make it clean.  Germs and bacteria can be lurking anywhere and everywhere.  As it is always best to hire the Professionals to do the heavy duty scheduled cleans, there are always steps to take on our own behalf to keep a clean working environment on a day to day basis.  Here are a few tips that really help keep the germ count low!

For starters, it is always easiest to clean an office that is free of clutter- look into furniture that has a de-cluttering purpose like filing cabinets, book shelves, or desktop organizers.  Removing the mess in everyone’s peripheral vision will help boost productivity as well, so you end up killing two birds with one stone.

Stress the importance of hand washing!  Think of all the areas that multiple employees come in contact with on a daily basis- the copy machine, office phones, conference areas, eating areas, and a whole slew of other places.  Every surface you touch transfers germs onto your hands, and these germs can spread to other areas or even infect yourself if you touch your nose, mouth or eyes.  The next time you go to press the “Copy” button, think about all the thousands of germs that may be lurking invisible to the unaided eye.  That scary thought should be motivation enough to start washing hands!

Always keep sanitizer and disinfecting products handy.  Something as simple as spraying a disinfectant spray morning and night can greatly reduce germ and bacteria levels.  By keeping things simple, employees are more likely to participate and help the cause – Try placing disinfecting wipes in common work areas.  Having wipes readily available makes employees more likely to wipe down their own areas.  In one Clorox study, wiping down desks was found to cause a 99.9 percent reduction in bacteria levels!  Also important to remember, hand sanitizer is a quick fix to germy hands!  The more places you keep it, the more employees will use it.  Try placing them in areas of high traffic, like the copy room or the break room.  When you purchase cleaner or wipes, make sure to buy ones that specifically say “sanitizing” or “disinfecting” on the label.  Products that are just anti-bacterial do not kill viruses such as influenza.

Above all else, when it comes to cleaning- HIRE THE PROS!  Envision Commercial Cleaning can pledge that we will do our best to provide a healthy environment for you and your employees to work in on a day to day basis!

 

Sources:

http://www.clorox.com/about-us/press/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/germs/ID00002

Office cleanliness is money in your pocket!

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Joe

For many reasons, having a clean office will positively impact the success of your business.  Just as having a dirty house would warn off house guests, having a dirty office scares off potential clients.  A 2011 study conducted by The Bradley Corporation found that 91 percent of respondents said an “unclean public restroom” had a negative effect on their perception of the entire establishment or business.

Your customers and clients are not the only ones affected by office cleanliness.  Employee morale and productivity levels are lower in an unclean environment.  The vast majority of a full time employee’s time is spent at their office, so you want it to look as visually pleasing as possible, which includes providing a clean and safe work environment for employees.

One of the biggest reasons to have a clean office is to reduce employee sick days.  Having a clean work place means having less germs and bacteria; having less germs and bacteria means having healthier employees.  One survey of 100 U.S. office buildings found that 23 percent of office workers frequently experienced “Sick Building Syndrome” symptoms such as respiratory infections, allergies and asthma.  These workers had more sick days, lower productivity, and higher medical costs.  Bacteria can cause workers to miss an average of 1.5 days of work, costing $20 billion in lost productivity.  Studies show you can reduce the incidence of colds by 85 percent, allergies by 65 percent and asthma by 23 percent just by having a clean office.

Just remember, when it comes to cleaning your office it is always best to leave it to the Professionals!  It is better to hire a professional crew who knows exactly what to do and isn’t merely “pushing around the dirt and bacteria” but instead properly disinfecting equipment and furniture, and disposing of trash.  Professional cleaning companies have the equipment, products, man power and training to properly clean any and all types of businesses.

Clean Floors: Before & After

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Joe

Before and After Floor Cleaning

Here is a great picture that shows how clean a floor can look using the proper supplies.  Our clients never thought that it would be possible to get their floors looking like this after years of high traffic, spills, etc.  Now if only they could keep it looking this clean all the time! ;o)

 

 

The open house went extremely well and I am very pleased with how the building turned out. We heard three hundred positive comments about the building. Definitely thank your people for me; they all did a very professional and outstanding job, from Chris to Dan and the couple that clean the building and the carpet cleaners, everyone stepped up and I/we here at Melink are very grateful for your support. This event would not have been as successful without all of your outstanding work. Thanks again.

- Philip Yockey , Melink Corporation