The demand for more sustainable buildings is growing. The combined effects from growth in environmental legislation and the demand from tenants and shareholders to reduce environmental impacts are requiring property managers to both understand and take responsibility for the environmental performance of their facility. The best way to benchmark and report your building’s sustainability performance is through LEED Certification. In this article, we define LEED Certification, review the benefits of LEED Certification, and go over how to achieve LEED certification.
As summer comes to an end, college students will be moving into their dorms for the new school year. Students, as well as their parents, are excited and expecting a clean dorm room with minimal dirt, odors, or stains. This means you’re likely preparing your custodial staff or contracted cleaning crew to do a deep clean of the campus dorm facilities. The impression your facility leaves on students and parents is critical to ensuring they have a positive first night on campus and are satisfied with their new “home away from home”. Parents and students invest a lot of time and money deciding on the best college for them. If they arrive to a dirty dorm, this will lead to unhappy students and can even cause students to transfer. The few weeks before school starts are likely one of the only times, if not the only time, dorm rooms can be deep cleaned.
Almost all commercial facilities have carpeted floors somewhere in the building that will be affected by dirt and stubborn stains. Even with the best entry matting system and routine vacuuming schedule, your facility's carpet will need to be spot cleaned and restored. The best way to perform periodic spot cleaning and remove deeply embedded dirt is with a carpet extractor. Using a carpet extractor to perform periodic spot cleaning or deep cleaning will save you time and money.
Floor burnishers are an important addition to any facility’s floor maintenance program. They are used to polish or burnish a floor to bring out its original shine. Shiny floors lead to a great looking facility and happy guests. Like any purchase, you are likely curious how much one is going to cost you. Depending on what you are looking for, and the needs and budget of your facility, a floor burnisher can cost anywhere from $1,300 to $20,000. For some, the cheapest burnisher will be all you need, but for others, a more expensive option will be the best fit for the facility.
Carpets can have a large impact on the way your facility is perceived. If your facility's carpets are worn, stained or dirty, people will notice and leave with a negative impression of your business. Commercial carpeting, especially in high traffic areas, will experience noticeable wear and damage if it is not properly maintained. Once damaged, there is no way to hide it. Unlike in homes, you can’t just move a sofa or table over the bad spots. The only way to hide damage is to prevent it. Carpets are easily damaged by soils and require preventative, routine, and deep cleaning to protect them from the effects of liquids and abrasive soils. The best way to preserve the appearance of your carpet, extend the life of your carpet, and protect your commercial carpet investment is with a comprehensive commercial carpet care program.
Facility managers are continuously looking for ways to increase cost savings, improve worker productivity, and achieve better cleaning results. Janitorial cleaning equipment is designed to remove dirt and soils with more efficiency, ultimately providing you with a safer and cleaner building. Yet, it often seems that equipment tends to break down during the busiest time, when you can least afford to be without it. To ensure your equipment is working properly when you need it, you should be servicing your equipment on a regularly scheduled basis.
Slips and falls are the number one accident problem in commercial kitchens. Slips and falls are also a leading cause of workers’ compensation claims. 85% of worker’s compensation claims are attributed to employees slipping on slick floors. Greasy kitchen floors are a major contributor to this problem. Commercial kitchen floors present special challenges and require unique care to provide a safe and clean walking surface. In addition to an increased risk of injury and higher insurance premiums, dirty and slippery floors can lead to negative sanitation and safety reviews, both of which can easily ruin a food operation’s reputation.
Plastic foam or polystyrene is one of the most widely used types of plastics due to its low cost, moldable qualities, and its capability to generate its lightweight counterpart EPS (Styrofoam). Its various desirable performance attributes such as heat tolerance and retention and it's low-cost, has made it the preferred takeout container for many restaurants and businesses. Until recently, that is. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the negative effects of foam on the environment and human health, and are demanding more sustainable options. As a result, state and local bans and regulations have been enacted to reduce the use of polystyrene products. Regulations, legislative pressures, customer demands and the trend towards sustainability are requiring businesses that use Styrofoam foodservice products to source more sustainable options.
Foul odors from dumpsters or compactors can turn a tenant or guest’s good experience into an unpleasant one. Offensive odors will create the wrong image of your facility, leaving guests with a negative impression of your business’ cleanliness. Any facility that is discarding waste in a dumpster or compactor is going to experience foul odors at one point or another, but when summer heat comes around it is likely intensifying the problem.
Industry-certified custodial training and certification is key to setting yourself apart from others in the commercial cleaning industry. If you are a manager, supervisor, lead custodian, or if you are looking to advance into a leadership role within your cleaning team, attending custodial training will provide you with the knowledge and skills to tackle a facility’s cleaning and maintenance challenges.
Adding a commercial floor buffer to your facility’s cleaning and maintenance program will increase worker productivity, improve cleaning results, and extend the life of your floor.
