Implementing a vacuuming routine in your facility will keep the carpet clean and help extend its lifespan. Are you wondering if your facilities’ vacuuming protocols are adequate? Michael Seaman, vice president of commercial and dealer sales with TTI Floor Care North America collaborated with his colleagues to answer some frequently asked questions about vacuuming best practices. How often should carpet be vacuumed in a public facility? It’s a good idea to vacuum daily or more often if needed. If you notice the carpet has become dirty after its daily vacuuming, don’t wait until the next day to vacuum again. Remember, you only have one chance to make a first impression when people enter your facility. And if you are cleaning a medical facility, more than your reputation is at stake. Ensure you use a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Should you increase vacuuming frequencies in high-traffic areas? Again, vacuum as often as needed. Sometimes vacuuming may be required multiple times per day in areas with heavy foot traffic. But if the area is occupied, watch out for that cord: It is a trip hazard. Having a small unit for touch ups is key for high traffic areas when you do not have time to clean the entire floor. What is the best time for vacuuming in a facility that is open around the clock, like a casino or hotel? Choose hours when there is less traffic. For a casino, that would be around 6 a.m.; for a hotel, it would be around 8 p.m. Quiet, cordless units are well-suited for these times. What are some tips for vacuuming more efficiently/quickly? Our trainers recommend a system in which you vacuum in a fishbone pattern. The system is patented and was created for backpack vacuum users. It’s called the WOW Productivity System, which stands for wear right, operate right, and work right. The premise is that if you are wearing a correctly and comfortably adjusted machine, using the correct posture, and following a methodical plan for both detail and spot cleaning, you’ll finish your work with less fatigue, without sore shoulders and an aching back. This system can result in cleaner carpets, save time, and make vacuuming more efficient and easier on the operator. Wear right: Always read the vacuum manual and carefully follow instructions on how to wear a backpack unit properly. Don’t take any shortcuts when putting it on. Operate right: Stand upright with the handle grip section of the wand parallel to the floor. Keep only one hand on the wand at a comfortable arm’s length. Move forward and away from the power source. Use easy underarm swinging motions when detail cleaning and short “stabs” when spot cleaning, always standing upright. Once you reach the end of the power cord, return to the power source. Disconnect the cord from the power outlet and wind it from the backpack to the end of the cord to reduce the likelihood of cord twists, fractures, and knots. If you have finished your work, remove the backpack by sliding the left strap off your shoulder while raising your right arm and shoulder to hold the strap in place. Slowly lower your right shoulder and gently lower the unit to the floor. Move to the next power outlet or area to be cleaned and repeat the above steps. Work right: Find the most easily accessible power outlet. This is your starting location, at the fish “head.” Your turnaround spot is the “tail.” Envision the floor areas as a fishbone. Check the room layout and the position of furniture. Check the condition of the floor. Decide which areas you should detail clean with long strokes (the backbone) and spot clean with short stabs (the ribs). Work away from the power outlet, making your way from one side of the fishbone toward the tail. Then come back to the other side, toward the head. Which areas are best suited for cleaning with backpack vacuums? Which areas are not suited for backpack vacuums? Tight spaces, areas with low-pile carpet or no carpet, and offices are great for a backpack unit. Areas with thicker carpet require airflow and agitation provided by a motor-driven brush. Backpacks will only pick up the surface dirt. Which vacuums are best for open spaces? Cordless uprights allow you to work safely and move around your workspace without the use of a cord. Plugging in a machine then unplugging it, along with tripping hazards, will result in a 20% decrease in cost savings alone, along with decreased efficiency. What are common vacuuming mistakes? Mistakes we see a lot include people sucking up items with their vacuum that they did not intend, vacuuming too quickly to effectively clean, and overlooking room corners as well as eye-catching areas. Some mistakes are harmful to the equipment, such as destroying cords by wrapping them toward the vacuum and neglecting to service equipment. Using the wrong equipment for the job can harm the facility, workers, and guests, and lead to legal issues. What misconceptions do people have about vacuuming? There is a misconception that vacuuming should be hard to do to be effective. Another myth is that bagless vacuums save money. Bagless vacuums can waste time and spread dirt. Vacuums with bags are more environmentally friendly, especially in high-traffic areas. What vacuum technology should people consider? Vacuums with brushless motors and brush roll motors, cordless models, and repairable models are required for fleet and commercial use. Robotic vacuums are the future.
What do indoor air quality (IAQ), norovirus rates, disinfectant effectiveness, and airport cleanliness have in common? As topics of concern to facility maintenance experts this spring and beyond, these issues are paramount to the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. In this issue’s GBAC STAR Report, GBAC staff members have rounded up infection prevention news on these topics. The report also offers various training opportunities targeted to facility managers and others in the cleaning industry, from webinars and courses to a lobbying opportunity in Washington, D.C. EPA Launches New List of Disinfectants Effective Against HIV and Hepatitis The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has combined and updated information from several disinfectant lists to create a new list titled “EPA-Registered Antimicrobial Products Effective Against Bloodborne Pathogens (HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C) [List S].” EPA launched this new disinfectant list to increase the accessibility, accuracy, and functionality of the information for all readers, including healthcare facility staff. The new List S combines product information from the following former lists: List C: EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products Effective Against Human HIV-1 Virus List D: EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products Effective Against Human HIV-1 and Hepatitis B Virus List E: EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products Effective Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Human HIV-1, and Hepatitis B Virus List F: EPA’s Registered Disinfectants for use Against Hepatitis C. EPA Lists C, D, E, and F are now retired and will be redirected to the new List S. CDC Data Shows Rising Norovirus Cases Cases of norovirus, a highly transmissible virus responsible for severe “stomach flu,” are on the rise nationally. Data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the end of February showed cases of norovirus rising throughout the United States, especially in the northeastern and western states. Most U.S. norovirus outbreaks happen from November to April. Each year on average in the U.S., norovirus causes: 900 deaths, mostly among adults aged 65 and older 109,000 hospitalizations 465,000 emergency department visits, mostly in young children 2,270,000 outpatient clinic visits, mostly in young children 19 to 21 million illnesses. AAAE, GBAC STAR Webinar: Elevating Airport Safety and Sustainability The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) has partnered with GBAC to provide airports with a leading solution for outbreak prevention. To date, 77 airports have achieved GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation. Check out the webinar featuring Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner, senior director of GBAC, and representatives from three airports to understand why accreditation matters, its role in current infectious disease trends, and its impact on airport sustainability and financial success. You can watch the pre-recorded webinar for free at youtube.com/watch?v=SaqFHLju3dc. 2024 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C.— April 10–11 Join ISSA in Washington, D.C., this spring to ensure U.S. legislators consider the needs of professional cleaners and facility managers. Participants will get up to speed on the pressing public policy issues for the full cleaning supply chain, receive training on how to become an effective Advocate for Clean, and network with other leaders in the cleaning industry. Then they will apply their new knowledge and skills by going to Capitol Hill and meeting face to face with their congressional delegation to advance the industry. Learn more at events.issa.com/ events/2024-issa-cleanadvocacy- summit. Course: Healthier Buildings Awareness With ISSA, GBAC, and ASL The EPA suggests that indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air. IAQ is getting worse, and the medical outcomes are increasingly negative. Public awareness of this problem is also increasing because of seasonal forest fires and “pollen tsunamis.” Healthier Buildings Awareness With ISSA, GBAC, and ASL is a 1.5- hour, online course that will increase your knowledge about IAQ concerns and building issues related to health and wellness. You’ll learn the latest science on the indoor environment and “trigger factors” for asthma and allergies. You’ll also learn how to identify commercial opportunities to create healthier building spaces and evaluate tools used to improve IAQ. The course also covers the medical challenges surrounding IAQ. This program comes to you thanks to a partnership between ISSA, GBAC, and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL), the experts in IAQ. If your facility is GBAC STAR accredited, this course serves as a vital knowledge component to that accreditation and will help you provide continuous improvement in IAQ at your facility. Learn more at learning.issa.com/courses/45633.
At Spartan Chemical, we make clean safe®. We have been pioneers of the “green” movement for over 20 years by continuously innovating cleaning solutions that not only achieve greater sustainability for our environment but also exceed expectations for performance. Fifteen of our products have received Safer Choice certification. These formulations are created with plant-based ingredients, use biodegradable solutions, and are free of harmful chemicals. What’s more, we manufacture them in facilities that efficiently reduce our carbon footprint by minimizing waste to landfills, limiting energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, and optimizing natural resources. Spartan Chemical is honored to be awarded the EPA’s 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year—recognizing our shared dedication to protecting the health of people and the planet. Together, we make sustainability simple. Learn more at: vimeo.com/867214349/92e6325c97
Operating out of seven manufacturing facilities worldwide—three overseas and four in the United States—Golden Star has the product you need in stock and ready to ship. Golden Star specializes in launderable and disposable dust mops, wet mops, mop hardware, microfiber products and systems, vertical cleaning items, and accessory products. With a long history of innovation and a reputation for excellent quality and unmatched service, Golden Star is an industry leader and continues to set the standard for safety, health, productivity, and cleanliness. Learn more at: goldenstar.com
At Ecolab, we share your commitment to sustainable and efficient solutions. We’re here to help you achieve your sustainability goals while protecting people and the planet. Helping you to meet your facility’s sustainability goals: Use science-based products that are eco-certified including Green Seal™, USDA Biobased, and EPA Safer Choice. Promoting health and environmental safety: Pursue safe and sustainable operations that advance performance while achieving positive impacts on water and waste. Reducing plastic and packaging waste: Minimize waste with concentrated products that are easy to use and packaging innovations that boost reuse and recyclability. Ecolab empowers facilities, educational institutions, and government buildings to deliver clean, healthy spaces with sustainable practices. Learn more about how we can partner with you to make a positive impact! Learn more at: ecolab.com/facility-care
According to an article on phys.org, newly developed titanium oxide nanoparticles, when added to paint, can cause walls to clean themselves, as well as the air in the room. A research team from TU Wien (also known as the Vienna University of Technology) and the Università Politecnica delle Marche in Italy has developed the nanoparticles. When added to ordinary paint, the nanoparticles use sunlight to activate the paint’s self-cleaning attributes. According to the article, the nanoparticles bind substances from the air and then decompose them afterwards. As such, a painted wall can clean the air and also clean itself. By doing so, the wall can help eliminate pollutants in indoor air, improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and combat “sick building syndrome,” a situation where poor air quality affects the health of a building’s inhabitants. “For years, people have been trying to use customized wall paints to clean the air,” Günther Rupprechter, professor at the Institute of Materials Chemistry at TU Wien, told phys.org. “Titanium oxide nanoparticles are particularly interesting in this context. They can bind and break down a wide range of pollutants.” According to the study, 96% of air and wall pollutants can be removed by simple sunlight using this technology. “We have now investigated this phenomenon in great detail using a variety of different surface and nanoparticle analysis methods,” Qaisar Maqbool, one of the study’s authors, told phys.org. “In this way, we were able to show exactly how these particles behave, before and after they were added to the wall paint.” According to the article, further study is planned, with the eventual intent of producing a commercially available paint. To view the study on the technology, click here.
Be sure not to miss CMM’s upcoming FREE webinar, Getting the Full Story on Product Safety: Separating Myths From Facts, being presented April 23 at 1:00 CT. From debunking myths to offering essential insights for cleaning professionals, this one-hour session will help you learn more about product safety and improve your ability to pick the right cleaning products for your business or facility. As an attendee, you will learn: Critical information cleaning professionals need to know about the products they use What makes a study worthy of attention or concern for product users and building occupants Understanding a cleaning product label and safety data sheet details And much more! The event’s expert panel includes: Charles Gerba, PhD—Professor of Environmental Microbiology at the University of Arizona Mark Warner—National sales manager for The Bullen Companies, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania A live Q&A session will conclude the webinar, so be prepared to present our experts with all your product safety questions, challenges, and concerns. Register for the free webinar today!
According to a press release by the Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, Sheriff’s Department, a maintenance worker died while cleaning one of the community’s water tanks. On Friday, March 23, Carlos Medina, a 30-year-old man from El Paso, Texas, was cleaning off sentiment inside the Blair, Wisconsin, city water tank using a 90-foot suction tube. Medina was wearing scuba gear and a wet suit during the work. Two co-workers who were also at the site noted that he had been in the tank approximately 45 minutes, at which point Medina stated that he was starting to feel cold yet continued to work. The co-workers speculated that Medina then entered a hypothermic state and lost strength and mobility in his hands. Ultimately, Medina became tangled in the suction tube, leaving his co-workers unable to remove him from the tank. When first responders and law enforcement arrived at the scene, Medina was found motionless, roughly six feet below the surface of the water. Together with the co-workers, they were able to remove Medina, but life-saving measures performed on him were unsuccessful. The incident remains under investigation.