Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods. When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture. (Source: EPA)

Mold can present problems in providing a clean, safe, healthy and sustainable environment. Understanding what it is (above), how it exists and how to eliminate it is important.

Ideal Conditions for mold:

• Temperatures ranging from 40- below 100 degrees Fahrenheit
• Moist Environments
• Existing Mold Spores

Products needed to clean mold:

• Gloves (latex, vinyl, nitrile)
• Buckets
• Scrub Brush
• Broom, mop
• Phenolic or pine-oil based cleaner
• Chlorine Bleach (10% solution)

Hard surfaces:Wash items such as metal, glass, solid wood, plastic, and other non-porous materials with a non-ammonia detergent and hot water. Use a stiff brush on rough surface materials such as concrete. Use a Wet-Dry shop vacuum to remove water and clean items such as studs or exposed wood framing.

Disinfect all cleaned surfaces with a 10% bleach solution. Let the solution stay on the surface for at least 10 minutes before rinsing with clear water or allowing drying. (Source: FEMA)

Porous materials: This includes upholstered furniture, rugs, bedding, clothing, curtains, books and papers, and furniture made of pressed particle materials. Deciding whether or not to keep contaminated item? Remember, when in doubt, throw it out. If an item has been wet for less than 48 hours, it may be able to be cleaned, disinfected with a phenolic or pine-oil cleaner. It should then be completely dried and monitored for several days for any fungal growth and odors– if any mold develops discard the item.

If you have questions or comments please let us know by commenting below. Or, contact us for more advice on keeping a mold-free work and home environment.

Restrooms are one of the most visible and most scrutinized areas of a facility. Plus they potentially harbor more bacteria than any other space. It is imperative to clean restrooms frequently to maintain a clean look and prevent cross-contamination and infection. (CleanLink)

How clean are your restrooms? Most people would agree their restrooms could be cleaner and better smelling. Restroom odors can exist in numerous areas:

• Toilets/Urinals that need flushing
• Sinks and drains
• Grout Lines
• Soiled toilets, urinals and partitions
• Baby Changing Stations
• Trash/Sanitary Napkin Receptacles

Clean, disinfected and odor-neutral restrooms are a must. Dr. Charles Gerba, an environmental microbiologist with the University of Arizona, who has studied restroom cleanliness for years, reports microorganisms, such as Shigella, Salmonella, Hepatitis A, E.Coli and Norovirus, are routinely found in restrooms and have been associated with outbreaks of illness.

“Effective restroom cleaning programs help minimize the spread of these infectious agents. But what makes up a good cleaning program? Following are six steps to help put the cleaning operation on the road to better restroom health.” Here are six steps to consider in properly cleaning your restroom:

1.) Use PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

2.) Focus on the Hot Spots (sinks, floors, towel, tissue and soap dispensers, sanitary napkin holders, receptacles etc.)

3.) Use disinfectants and understand the contact time needed for properly killing germs and bacteria.

4.) Tools for the job- review the mop heads, cloths, wipers that you use. Discover the advantages of micro fiber.

5.) Go touch-less- products to consider: automatic flush valves, faucets and receptacles, hand towel and soap dispensers.

6.) Police the restroom- the cleaning teams needs to make timely visits to each restroom.

For more tips on how to keep a healthy, clean environment, contact us today. Or, check out our cleaning products here to get started.

With the holidays and New Year fast approaching, make sure you equip yourself and others with tips to staying healthy. One easy step you can take is keeping your Christmas filter sanitary. The filter I’m speaking about today is carpet. In most areas of the United States, winter weather is just around the corner or at our door steps.

What is the purpose of carpet? Carpet is used for noise reduction, insulation on cold floors, ease of maintenance and for appearance. Yes, it can be used for these but it is great for trapping dust, dirt, debris and moisture.

How can I keep my carpet (filter) clean?

• First, a good floor matting system is essential. A matting system is a series of 2-3 different types of matting designed to trap dirt, debris and moisture. One style of matting to review is the Andersen Waterhog Premier.
• Secondly, a good commercial vacuum is essential. Windsor Industries has some very good choices. The Sensor S and XP models are 1-motor uprights with attachments. The Versamatic and Versamatic Plus models are 2-motor uprights featuring a vacuum and a brush motor. Check out the videos on each:  http://www.windsorind.com/Videos.aspx.
• Finally, when your carpet does get dirty, I recommend our 3 and 1. The Husky 1100 is a spotter, a pre-spray and a bonnet buff rolled into one.

With all the traffic your home and office will get, protect your carpet with our top of the line products. If you are interested in receiving a detailed, in-person training session on how to properly keep your carpets clean, click here. For more information on how to keep your work and living space clean, contact us today.

In the “12 days of Christmas” did it mention a sanitary shopping experience? In my “City Slickers Beware” blog in early November, I discussed a Kimberly-Clark study. In this study, KC dispatched a team of hygienists in large cities to discover the areas with the most germs and viruses.

Here we go again. CNN Health discussed a Health.com article “the 8 germiest places in the mall”:

1.) Restroom sinks

2.) Food court tables

3.) Escalator handrails

4.) ATM keypads

5.) Toy stores

6.) Fitting rooms

7.) Gadget shops

8.) Makeup samples

How can you protect yourself? Anytime you can thoroughly wash your hands with warm water, it’s a good thing. However, when washing your hands in a public restroom, beware of soap dispensers that you can pop the top off and pour in versus a new clean cartridge.  When tested, “the liquid soap from refillable dispensers in public bathrooms, they found that one in four contained unsafe levels of bacteria.

Protect yourself: Wash your hands thoroughly after using a public restroom: Lather with soap for at least 20 seconds, then rinse well. Use a paper towel to turn off the water and open the door. If there’s no soap or paper towels, kill germs with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, using at least a tablespoon of product.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! How to get your hands on some great germ killers for your workspace or home? Give us a call or visit our cleaning supplies page. If you have some thoughts, please share them.

Cleaning can be drag and it’s often the first thing to put off. However, if you knew the benefits of a clean, safe, healthy and sustainable environment, you may have a bit more of an incentive. The International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) tells of the value of a clean building. As a proud member of ISSA, I believe they have developed a valuable tool for calculating the effect of a clean building.

The tool is called the Value of Clean Calculator.  ISSA’s goal, “the desired outcome is a quantifiable value proposition that can easily be communicated to upper-level facility decision makers to help them appreciate the role cleaning plays in protecting occupants, increasing productivity and improving their bottom line”.

In order to calculate the value, 6 key areas must be explored and quantified:

1. Work Ticket Resolution
2. Absenteeism
3. Productivity
4. Image Enhancement
5. Asset Preservation
6. Energy

For actual training sessions on how to properly clean your home/workplace/etc, check here for more information or give us a call. In next week’s blog, we will detail these 6 components. Stay tuned…

In my last blog, we discussed the seasonal flu and how to reduce your chances of acquiring it. It’s important to keep yourself protected against bacteria and keep your immune system strong.

Want to know where to be especially careful? Kimberly-Clark Professional dispatched a team of hygienists to Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami and Philadelphia. This “team of hygienists swabbed hundreds of surfaces to see what everyday objects are breeding grounds for the worst bacteria and viruses”. Drum roll please… and the losers were: