Facility Cleaning & Maintenance

SERVING THE FACILIT Y CLE ANING & MAINTENANCE INDUSTRY

APRIL/MAY 2017

� CARING FOR FRAGILE FLOORS � MALL GERMS: TOP FIVE HOT SPOTS � REMEDYING FOUR COMMON CARPET PROBLEMS

SCENT OF

SUCCESS Whiterose Janitorial Services’ Albert Crimi savours more than three decades of achievements

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� CONTENTS APRIL/MAY 2017

SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOS BY ROBYN RUSSELL

10 Dine or Dash Poor food court cleanliness can leave unsavoury taste in shoppers’ mouths

by Shannon Buzek 13 Mind the Mall Germs

Top five bacteria-laden spots

by Zuzana Bleha

FLOOR CARE 16 Handle with Care How to properly clean fragile floors

by Lee Senter 18 Tackling Common Carpet Care Challenges Dents, shadows, soils and spots

by Robert Kravitz 20 Gone with the Wind

Air movers work fast, get the job done right

by Mark Cornelius

COVER STORY 6 Pure and Simple

Whiterose Janitorial Services’ success rooted in respect for customers, employees

by Clare Tattersall

IN EVERY ISSUE 4 Editor’s Letter

Spring Awakening 14 Expert Q+A Floor Pads: Hue the Only Cue? 22 Clean Matters

Prepared to be Floored

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Trilux is a family run company offering you a reliable ONE STOP SHOP source to acquire high quality products at competitive prices in sanitary maintenance, floor and carpet care, floor equipment and a full service repair center.

Serving you since 1982.

(800) 361-2545

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info@trilux.ca

www.trilux.ca

/ editor’s letter /

SPRING AWAKENING Spring is here again, at least technically as the weather has been less than favourable in many parts of the country. Still, flowers are beginning to bloom and trees are starting to bud so it’s only a matter of time until the temperature rises and consistently remains in the double digits. Until then, I’ll take advantage of the unseasonably cool conditions and long periods of rain to do some much-needed spring cleaning.

Though often thought of as a domestic duty, this annual ritual is not just for homes. It’s good practice for cleaning industry professionals to clean out and reorganize what’s generally considered their ‘centre of operations’ — the janitor’s closet — at this time of year, as well as meet with clients to review their facility’s cleaning program to see what’s working, where attention is needed and where changes can be made. This type of communication with, and consideration of, customers’ needs has served many professional cleaning contractors well, one being Whiterose Janitorial Services Ltd. The Toronto-based company, headed by Albert Crimi, prides itself on putting its clients above all else, which has resulted in more than 30 years of success in a highly competitive industry. You can read all about Whiterose’s rise to the top in our cover story, Pure and Simple.

From here, we turn to our sector spotlight: Retail facilities. The ubiquitous shopping mall takes centre stage this issue. First, we delve into the importance of food court cleanliness and what it takes to keep these highly trafficked areas in pristine condition. Next, we look at the top five germiest places in the mall.

We then move on to our industry focus: Floor care. We tackle floor pads in our Expert Q+A, where Impact Products’ director of product development addresses what you should consider before you buy this indispensable supply; provide insight and tips on how to care for fragile floors; and discuss the role of air moving equipment in the carpet drying process, as well as the different types of products available to building service contractors.

Continuing with the floor care theme, this issue’s Clean Matters looks at three of the most innovative floor cleaning machines to hit the market in the last year.

If you have a product that is innovative, would like to see a topic covered in a future issue or are interested in participating in our Expert Q+A, I’d love to hear from you.

CLARE TATTERSALL claret@mediaedge.ca

Editor Clare Tattersall claret@mediaedge.ca

Digital Editor Rebecca Melnyk rebeccam@mediaedge.ca

Publisher Tristan Cater tristanc@mediaedge.ca

Senior Designer

Designer

Annette Carlucci Jennifer Carter

Production Manager Paula Miyake paulam@mediaedge.ca

Sales Sean Foley seanf@mediaedge.ca

Stephanie Philbin stephaniep@mediaedge.ca

Contributing Writers

Zuzana Bleha Shannon Buzek Mark Cornelius Robert Kravitz Lee Senter

Circulation Aashish Sharma

circulation@mediaedge.ca

Facility Cleaning & Maintenance is published six times a year by:

5255 Yonge St., Suite 1000 Toronto, Ontario M2N 6P4

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/ cover story /

PURE AND

SIMPLE

Whiterose Janitorial Services’ success rooted in respect for customers, employees

by Clare Tattersall

T

he 1980s are often remembered for big hair, synth music and power suits with over-exaggerated shoulder pads, but the decade was about more than just pop culture. It was a time of entrepreneurship, when people left their nine-to-five office jobs to run their own business. Some said goodbye to the security of a regular paycheque on their own accord, motivated to take the risk in order to be their own boss; others were pushed by company layoffs and mergers during the global economic recession of the early ‘80s. Then there were those like Albert Crimi who, from his earliest recollections, always wanted to launch his own company.

It was while Albert was in college that he gave starting a new business serious thought. At first, he contemplated opening a fast food franchise, which seemed like a natural progression having worked in the industry for four years. But upon greater consideration and some sage advice from then-girlfriend, now wife, Sandra, he set his sights on the cleaning industry.

“Sandra and I have always valued cleanliness and order, rooted in our strong

6 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL/MAY 2017

beliefs that they aid in living a healthy lifestyle, so it made sense,” he explains.

In 1986, one year after graduating from Humber with a diploma in business administration, Albert combined his interest in improving people’s well-being with his passion for entrepreneurship and launched Whiterose Janitorial Services Ltd. By day, he worked as an accountant for what’s now the world’s largest package delivery company, UPS. At night, he handed out business cards in the hope they would drum up interest in Whiterose and eventually land him an account.

Albert’s dedication and perseverance soon paid off. Just two months into his new business venture he inked his first contract with Amerella of Canada Ltd., a leading importer and distributor of fashion apparel. To mark the occasion, Albert bought a key ring “to hold all the keys of the properties I’d soon be cleaning,” he says, adding he still has it to this day, stored away in a lockbox at his house for safekeeping.

“I told Sandra about the key ring and she thought I was a bit of a dreamer back

/ cover story /

�

WHITEROSE JANITORIAL SERVICES’ PRESIDENT AND CEO, ALBERT CRIMI, WITH HIS WIFE AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, SANDRA.

then,” he continues with a laugh. “But I was serious. I was very ambitious.”

Within two short years, the key ring was full — thanks in part to Albert’s partner in life and work, who not only supported his business aspirations but worked closely with him to keep the company going in its formative years. Today, Sandra serves as the company’s vice-president of operations, overseeing the day-to-day operations to support Whiterose’s growth and add to its bottom line. Albert remains focused on the company’s big-picture goals — a strategy that has worked for him for more than three decades, though it was a juggling act in the beginning.

“I spent my evenings and weekends managing sales and marketing whilst cleaning in

the commercial sector,” reminisces Whiterose’s president and CEO. “I’ll never forget the countless days I’d spend driving around with my kids’ car seats in the backseat and cleaning supplies in the hatchback.”

By the early ‘90s, the company had grown to a point that Albert was comfortable enough to stop straddling two jobs and plant both feet in his blossoming business. Around this time, he stepped away from his role as sole cleaner, hiring someone to fill his shoes so that he could focus on running and further developing the company. Then, in 1997, he received a phone call that unbeknownst to him at the time would change the course of the business.

“A condominium requested a quote for a cleaning contract, which was a first because

8 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL/MAY 2017

Whiterose was focused on the commercial, retail and industrial markets,” explains Albert. “We got the job and our reputation for providing top-quality cleanliness led to another and another. The company took on new life and has seen successive growth year after year for the past 20 years.”

Today, Whiterose’s core business involves providing cleaning and live-in/live-out superintendent services to the condominium sector. The company maintains numerous condos in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton area (totalling millions of square feet of cleanable space), including the two tallest in Canada — Aura, which rises 79 storeys in Toronto’s downtown core, and the nearly completed and partially occupied One Bloor (previously One Bloor East) located in

“I have always seen myself and each employee of Whiterose as part of a team, where the company as a whole is only as strong as each individual working in it.”

Yorkville, one of the country’s most exclusive shopping districts.

THE SECRET TO OUTSTANDING SERVICE

Like all successful cleaning companies, Whiterose’s commitment to delivering topnotch customer service has been key to its longevity. For Albert, excellent client care involves being proactive, not reactive; listening carefully to customers’ needs; ongoing communication; and providing proper instruction to, and supervision of, its workforce.

“I have always seen myself and each employee of Whiterose as part of a team, where the company as a whole is only as strong as each individual working in it,” he explains. “With this in mind, I have focused on improving training and supervision amongst staff.”

Early on, supervision involved weekly site visits to ensure the job wasn’t just done but it was done right. While regular inspections are still an integral part of the company’s quality assurance program — Albert himself routinely walks through the properties the company maintains and even personally performs the ‘white glove test’ for dust as part his hands-on approach to the business — Whiterose recently implemented a customized software program that provides real-time GPS tracking of employee movements, including attendance, hours worked and time spent on specific tasks. The cloudbased platform is also a crucial operational tool that assists with inventory control, processing work orders, personnel management and worksite scheduling.

“We customize work schedules for every site and regularly review the needs of each site, updating as required, so it’s going to make us more efficient,” says Albert about the software program. “It’s also going to strengthen our relationships with our customers.”

Soon to be accessible through Whiterose’s website, the platform will be an information

and communication hub for clients. It will allow them to monitor their portfolio 24-7, providing complete transparency of contract service delivery, and, with mobile integration, enable clients to directly contact a supervisor/ superintendent, if the need arises.

A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY

Now in its thirty-first year of operation, Whiterose has come a long way since the company was a one-man show run out of Albert’s home in Woodbridge, Ont. Today, it boasts more than 500 employees, including seven supervisors, and an office in the heart of downtown Toronto. Whiterose also now offers a full range of turnkey cleaning and building maintenance services, though Albert consciously chose not to diversify the company’s offerings beyond its area of expertise because “a jack of all trades is a master of none.” However, it does provide its customers carpet, garage and window cleaning as a convenience, upon request.

“I strongly believe that it is our obligation to alleviate the day-to-day cleaning tasks so that our clients can focus on what really matters to them,” says Albert, who acknowledges that this commitment to putting customers’ needs above all else couldn’t be achieved without the company’s dedicated staff.

“The strength of our business is our people,” he adds.

To maintain a positive work environment, Whiterose provides competitive compensation and benefits. Albert also makes a point of recognizing and rewarding employees for their hard work, often handing out prepaid gift cards.

“It’s a small thing but it goes a long way,” he says. “That’s one of the three (pillars) that make a business successful … If you treat your employees with respect and dignity, remember where you came from and are humble at all times, then everything else will fall into place.” /

> SOCIAL MEDIA COLUMN Sponsored by MediaEdge

Make your audience intelligence count

By Steven Chester Now that we’ve identified your social media goals, it’s time to figure out which platform is best for you.

Start with the big three: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Using the search feature, look into each platform and search out industry terms, names of companies you’re interested in, clients, and especially your competitors.

Here are some tips to make that audience intelligence count: • Are there lots of active Twitter conversations for your search term?

Take a look at those conversations, are you noticing recurring hashtags? Then dig a little deeper, and take note of those hashtags and what they mean – you’ll need them later.

• With LinkedIn, search out companies and check out what’s being said via their profile page. But don’t forget Groups – LinkedIn may have discussion groups related to your business interests with tens of thousands of participants already chiming in. Join the groups and look at the participants – see anyone you want to connect with?

• If you think Facebook is just a way to connect with friends and see what your teenaged niece ate for lunch, think again. Search terms via Facebook will dig up company pages, news feeds, comments from users, photos, places and events, all related to that search term.

Now gauge which platform has the most of the above, then rank which platform(s) deserve the most attention.

Next up, we’ll talk about that all-important content strategy.

Steven Chester is the Digital Media Director of MediaEdge Communications and helps companies expand their reach through social media and other digital initiatives. To contact him directly, email gosocial@mediaedge.ca or call 416.512.8686 x224.

/ spotlight /

DINE OR DASH Poor food court cleanliness can leave unsavoury taste in shoppers’ mouths

by Shannon Buzek

A

s e-commerce continues to grow, traditional bricks and mortar retail sites face the increased challenge of attracting and retaining shopping guests. To compete with online shopping, many malls are implementing measures to enhance the customer experience and their revenue stream. In addition to renovations, strategies include non-retail attractions and vendors, free Wi-Fi, complimentary strollers, motorized scooters, electric vehicle and electronic device charging stations, water bottle refill stations, special events, celebrity visitors, comfortable rest areas and modern food courts.

Whether new or old, a wellmaintained, clean food court can have a major positive impact on guest visits and ensuing revenue, and the retail complex as a whole. A dirty food court, on the other hand, puts the health and safety of patrons at risk. Infrequent and improper cleaning can result in potential illness and have a resounding negative effect on the customer experience — possibly causing guests to not return and, even more damaging, post negative comments and pictures on social media, resulting in steep monetary costs.

A MATTER OF TIME

The food court is a central social hub for many regular (sometimes daily) guests so cleaning and monitoring of this area needs to be a priority for the mall owner/manager and cleaning contractor. Food vendors are generally responsible for cleaning their own areas and meeting health and safety regulations; however, it’s the overall appearance of the food court that is usually used as a key indicator by customers of how appealing and safe the food is.

Cleaning specifications are typically defined in writing by the mall owner/manager and often largely based on budgetary considerations. The cleaning contractor generally has to work within the hours the facility owner/manager is prepared to pay. The contractor may have no input into the hours or specifications. This, however, is not ideal.

The ultimate client-contractor relationship is one that is built on trust and mutual respect for each party’s experience and expertise.

Recommendations from both sides, open communication and frequent review of the contract and hours allocated to cleaning results in continuous improvement of the specifications and frequencies.

When it comes to food court cleaning, time dedicated to this comparatively small-

10 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL/MAY 2017

sized area can represent as much as 40 to 45 per cent of total mall cleaning hours and even more during the Christmas shopping season. Contracts often allow for extra paid hours to increase staffing levels during the holiday season and/or at other peak, hightraffic times of year.

The most effectual contracts have a budget that allows for multiple staff members to cover the most popular times and days. These cleaners are only allocated to the food court and each person is assigned a specific section of the seating and floor area. Cleaning staff must be thoroughly trained, have written job tasks and frequencies, and clearly understand how to react to and prioritize critical and/ or spontaneous incidents, such as spills, to ensure optimal cleaning results.

As with any cleaning contract, ample supervision and frequent inspections of the area ensure that quality services are consistently being delivered, cleaning staff are performing duties effectively and customer satisfaction is being met.

ON THE JOB

The most important food court cleaning tasks are disinfecting food contact surfaces, mopping up spills and tending to garbage and recycling.

/ spotlight /

Proper protocol and procedures are crucial and must be in place for disinfecting tables, counters and trays after each use to kill germs and/or effectively remove spilled/ spoiled food, which has the potential to spread bacteria, such as E. coli, salmonella and listeria, and viruses.

Cleaning spills promptly is essential to protect guests and employees from contamination and slip and fall injuries. Addressing spills immediately and maintaining a log (that details where the spills occurred, when they were identified and what was done to clean them up) also provides the cleaning contractor and mall owner/manager with coverage against a potential liability lawsuit should an accident occur.

Garbage and recycling containers should never be allowed to overfill. The inside chamber and waste/recycling deposit door should be cleaned daily.

Other regular once per day tasks include thoroughly cleaning all floors, tables, including bases, chairs and benches, hand railings and tenant-restricted hallway floors. Many of these tasks occur after business hours to allow for more thorough cleaning.

Cleaners in food courts are also responsible for many non-cleaning duties, such as redistributing non-stationary furniture like highchairs and booster seats after each guest use.

CALL OF DUTY

Mall food court traffic and litter can vary greatly so cleaners need to be highly responsive and quickly clean areas as soon as they are vacated. This approach is very different from cleaners that work after business hours with little or no activity around them. A night cleaner can usually focus solely on the tasks at hand and work from point A to B, whereas a mall food court cleaner has to adopt an ‘on demand’ approach and be flexible with their duties to address issues as they happen.

Unlike many cleaning jobs that are performed at night, food court cleaners are

also highly visible. They therefore need to be mindful of how they perform their tasks as guests may be scrutinizing cleaning methods.

Cleaners should be trained to squirt chemicals onto wipers instead of directly onto surfaces or atomizing into the air, which can potentially contaminate food and/or the air that guests are breathing; not to use visibly soiled cloths, mops, carts or other tools; and to audit recycling containers, if needed.

A fairly unique challenge for mall food court cleaners is they need to strike a balance between conversing with customers and meeting the demands of their duties. As well, unlike their nighttime counterparts, food court cleaners sometimes have to act as mall ambassadors on behalf of the owner/ manager and provide general information or help to shopping guests. It is therefore important that they are both polite and presentable at all times. /

Shannon Buzek is vice-president of Domclean Ltd., an ISO 9001:2008 registered Canadian building service contractor that is proudly celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2017. Shannon can be reached at sbuzek@domclean.com.

CSSA ENTERS A NEW ERA Five must-know facts about how ISSA Canada will impact you ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, and the Canadian Sanitation Supply Association (CSSA) have joined forces to create ISSA Canada to better serve the country’s cleaning and janitorial community. The merger, which took effect April 1, had been in development for more than a year.

“With approval from our members to move forward with ISSA Canada, we are in a much better position to provide a broader range of benefits and services thus creating greater value for our members,” says ISSA Canada executive director Mike Nosko, formerly executive director of CSSA. Here are five facts about the newly formed ISSA Canada.

1. All CSSA members who are current with their dues will be automatically transferred to the new ISSA Canada membership category. CSSA members will have access to the wealth of ISSA benefits, including expanded educational programs, services, networking opportunities, market exposure, business tools and data, and other industry information, as well as the privileges provided by CSSA, such as Canpar Freight, Petro Canada Points and national car programs. Membership kits are currently being prepared for ISSA Canada members. They will be shipped as soon as completed.

2. The former structure of CSSA has changed. There is no longer an executive board or chapter chairs. The CSSA executive board

of directors has become the ISSA Canada council. Headed

by Nosko, the council will continue to provide direction and oversight of Canadian programs and benefits, as well as make recommendations on growing the ISSA brand in Canada. In the absence of chapter chairs, there will be representatives within each province to communicate with ISSA Canada.

3. Maintaining a Canadian identity was an important element in reaching an agreement between CSSA and ISSA. “ISSA Canada will invest heavily in its operations and infrastructure to help ‘Canadianize’ these programs and services for its members and their customers,” explains Nosko. Also, since Canada has two official languages, ISSA Canada recognizes the importance of initiating and delivering education programs and services to the country’s French speaking population. Nosko says this will take time to fully develop but it will be an ongoing priority.

4. Unlike CSSA, which had its own website, ISSA Canada will have a portal on the ISSA website. The ISSA website receives more than 40,000 unique visitors and up to 370,000 page views each month. By creating a dedicated portal, ISSA Canada can leverage that reach and the digital efforts ISSA implements regularly to increase site traffic.

5. ISSA Canada will continue to host the popular Canada Night during ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America.

For more information, please contact the ISSA Canada office at 905-665-8001.

MIND THE MALL GERMS Top five bacteria-laden spots

by Zuzana Bleha

S

hopping malls aren’t just teeming with people. They’re filled with bacteria and viruses, too.

While handwashing is the best way to curb the transmission of contagious germs — scientists believe 80 per cent are germs are spread by hands alone — studies show only one in five people regularly wash their hands and of those that do, only 30 per cent use soap. As a result, malls are one of the most common places to pick up a cold, flu or stomach bug (and even something worse).

As with any building, though, some places in a shopping centre may be germier than others. Here are the five most bacteria-filled spots in the mall.

1 It should come as no surprise that public restrooms made the list. However, what’s believed to be the most bacteria-ridden area — the toilet — is actually often the cleanest.

One study undertaken by the bacteria testing department at BioCote found the toilet seat harbours, on average, 150 units of bacteria compared to the worst offender — the sink — which has approximately 50,000 units per square inch of bacteria.

Other bacteria-ridden spots in the restroom are faucets and handles, which are one of the first surfaces people touch after using the toilet, soap dispensers and the restroom door handle.

Air dryers are also a source of contamination.

There is the potential risk that a person standing in front of an air dryer may acquire bacteria emitted into the airflow. The bacteria may be inhaled or deposited on skin or clothes, making the person a potential mobile source of infection.

2 Wherever food is present, there is great risk of cross-contamination and the potential for foodborne illness caused by E. coli, salmonella or listeria. But of all places to eat at the mall, the busy food court is the greatest source of germs. In 2015, CBC Montreal Investigates/RadioCanada conducted a study with a team of microbiologists from McGill University that involved testing food court tables, trays and garbage bin flaps for bacteria in four Montreal shopping centres. While there was no evidence of bacteria that could cause serious foodborne illness, the team found a large variety of bacteria present. Most was detected on the flaps of garbage bins and food trays.

Other known transfer points for harmful bacteria in the food court include napkin and condiment dispensers since many people don’t wash their hands before eating.

3 Automated teller machines, or ATMs, are generally the easiest and quickest way to get cash on the go. They’re also a great way to contract a nasty bug. Several studies of these cash machines have revealed that the keypads are often as dirty as public toilet seats. A 2011 swab test study of ATMs in England found them to be heavily contaminated with bacteria that cause diarrhea and other illnesses. More recently, a similar study of 66 ATMs in New York City revealed an abundance of bacteria on keypads, with most of the microbes

coming from human skin, household surfaces like televisions, restrooms, kitchens and pillows, and food. This suggests that microbes from a meal can remain on a person’s hands if not washed properly and be transferred to ATM keypads.

4 Though accidents are uncommon, escalators have been the cause of physical injury. They also may be at the root of many illnesses. Scientists have studied the hard rubber cover that makes up the handrail and discovered these surfaces don’t just look filthy, they’re downright disgusting. Research has found food, E. coli, urine, feces, mucous and blood on escalator handrails. Elevators don’t fare much better with their germ-infested buttons.

5 While shopping baskets are more commonly found in supermarkets and big box discount stores, some mall retailers, particularly cosmetic chains, have introduced them to improve the customer experience. However, the added convenience they offer may prove a hassle in the long-run. A study of 85 random shopping carts conducted by microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba found that 50 per cent carried E. coli and 72 per cent contained fecal bacteria. Though the study did not specifically test shopping baskets, the findings suggest that they may be just as germ-laden and have the potential to make people sick. /

Zuzana Bleha is the marketing and communications manager at Deb Canada, the world’s largest occupational skin care company. www.REMInetwork.com / 13

/ floor care /

HUE THE ONLY CUE? Q+A: Floor pad considerations go beyond colour

C

leaning professionals need the right tools for the job at hand. One that is often overlooked in floor care — as to its importance — is the floor pad.

Many people think the only difference between floor pads is their colour. However, the colour of the pad only suggests how it is to be used (for cleaning, buffing, burnishing, scrubbing or floor stripping).

Here, Dennis Knapp of Impact Products, a leading manufacturer of floor pads, discusses the benefits of a high-performance floor pad, provides tips for selecting such a pad and offers insight into the most environmentally friendly options on the market.

Why should cleaning professionals select a high-performance floor pad?

A quality, high-performance pad can make a floor care job easier, faster, far less labour intensive and more profitable.

floor pads. While all pads have some percentage of thinner fibres, long-lasting, high-performance floor pads are made with a greater percentage of heavier fibres to ensure longer service life.

Most floors have imperfections with some areas higher or lower than others. A resilient floor pad is able to adjust to these imperfections, providing effective floor cleaning without damaging the pad. A simple way to test a pad’s resiliency is to pinch its edges between your fingers. If it bounces back quickly, it’s a high-performance pad with resiliency.

A pad’s aggressiveness is based on a combination of factors: the use of highquality fibres; binders that help put a shine on the floor; and resin, which binds the materials together. While it is always best to use the least aggressive pad possible to do the job, when you need an aggressive pad, you want it to be there.

What should cleaning professionals look for when selecting a high-performance floor pad?

What’s the difference between traditional and ‘green’ floor pads?

There are four things: open web design, fibre denier, resiliency and proper aggressiveness.

An open web design allows soils to collect between the pad’s fibres, completely removing them from the floor. This design also makes it much easier to wash soils from the pad and it dissipates heat so the pad will last longer.

Denier refers to the thickness of the pad’s fibres. Higher quality fibre is the most important criterion when selecting

Most traditional floor pads used for stripping, scrubbing and burnishing are manufactured with polyester, derived from non-renewable sources such as fossil fuels and petroleum byproducts. Further, these are non-renewing sources, meaning the pads typically end up in landfills where they take years — even decades — to degrade.

Unlike traditional floor pads, ‘green’ pads leverage renewable resources.

They have proven to be as effective, if not more, than traditional counterparts.

14 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL/MAY 2017

However, not all are biodegradable so some products are ‘greener’ than others.

What are the most common types of ‘green’ floor pads?

Floor pads made of post-consumer recycled terephthalate (PET) fibres, natural fibres and plant-based materials.

How do these ‘green’ floor pads measure up?

PET floor pads are made from 100 per cent post-consumer recycled terephthalate fibres, derived from plastic water and soda bottles. While these pads are made from recycled materials, PET pads are usually not recyclable themselves; they can be remelted and used again but only if resin and mineral adhesives were not added in the manufacturing process.

Pads made of natural fibres like hog hair or a blend of hog hair and polyester are ideal for burnishing and polishing. The smooth material is very effective for removing marks and creating a high-gloss finish. But while hog hair is a renewable resource, the pad may take years to biodegrade if it has been blended with polyester.

Floor pads made from plant-based materials like sugar, corn, feedstock and other renewable resources can be used for polishing, stripping, scrubbing, buffing and burnishing. What sets them apart from other ‘green’ products is plantbased floor pads biodegrade relatively quickly so they do not accumulate in landfills. /

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George Boutsalis Director of Business Relations Impact Cleaning Services Ltd.

SERVING THE FACILIT Y CLE ANING & MAINTENANCE INDUSTRY

SERVING THE FACILIT Y CLE ANING & MAINTENANCE INDUSTRY

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

APRIL/MAY 2017

❯ BATHROOM ODOUR BLUES

❯ MALL GERMS: TOP FIVE HOT SPOTS

❯ LAUNDERING MICROFIBRE

❯ REMEDYING FOUR COMMON CARPET PROBLEMS

❯ VACUUM CLEANER COMPARISON

SUCCESS

❯ CLEANING WITH COLOURS

T H E

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CFS’s John Tsertos strong proponent of transparency, openness in cleaning industry

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HANDLE WITH CARE How to properly clean fragile floors

by Lee Senter

W

hen maintaining floors in a facility, it’s important to understand the characteristics of what’s underfoot since some materials don’t fare well when abrasively cleaned. Extra care must be taken with laminate, bamboo, cork and linoleum. These flooring options are considered fragile because most traditional floor cleaners are too harsh for them and they therefore require specific cleaning products.

They are also often moisture sensitive and prone to damage from aggressive agitation.

LAMINATE

There are many grades of laminate flooring.

The latest generation of laminates are made with a vinyl coating and easy to maintain.

However, most laminates are constructed with a backing material, MDF or HDF (medium-density or high-density fibreboard) core, design layer (photographic image of wood, stone, brick or ceramic) and wear layer, which is a clear top coat that protects the floor from stains and fading. The wear layer is durable but it often scratches easily.

While many manufacturers define a scratch as a mark that has penetrated through the wear layer — an almost impossible feat — most end users view it as a straight line on the flooring surface caused by a dragged item. Either way, it is vital to keep gritty dry soils off this style of flooring to avoid abrasions to the surface.

Due to the ultra-thin wear layer of laminate, any amount of moisture beyond a light mist can easily penetrate into the seams of the flooring and cause delamination and edges to curl. Most manufacturers suggest the flooring be cared for with a laminate or

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/ floor care /

hardwood cleaning product. The typical methodology is to mist a maximum area of two metres wide by two metres long with the cleaning agent and then use a flat mop with microfibre cover to clean the floor.

Tough oily, sticky or greasy spots can be removed by using a cotton or rayon pad dipped in acetone.

There are some specialty products made by niche manufacturers that enhance wear layers on laminates. These products can be especially effective for flooring that soils quickly from left behind cleaning residue as a result of poor cleaning solutions or applications.

While it might be tempting to use a steam cleaner on laminate because it’s exceptional at getting dirt and grime off this type of flooring, do not. The intense heat and moisture it uses to get the job done can wreak havoc on the adhesive used on the flooring product.

BAMBOO

Most bamboo flooring today is constructed with a durable, diamond hard urethane or aluminum oxide urethane finish. It is also more water resistant and resilient than hardwood because bamboo is a type of grass. However, since it is a natural, organic material, too much moisture will cause bamboo to warp and expand, resulting in cracks in the finish. The flooring is then more highly prone to moisture infiltration and the finish will further flake and peel.

The rule of thumb for cleaning bamboo flooring is to follow the manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations implicitly.

When in doubt, clean it as if it was hardwood

flooring. For interim maintenance, use a flat mop with microfibre head and a hardwood cleaner or a mixture of one part vinegar to four parts water. Ensure not to over-wet the floor with the cleaner and, as with laminate, do not use a steam cleaner since it will cause damage.

The urethane finish on bamboo flooring will eventually show wear. To restore to its original state, consider using a Dirt Dragon.

Recently introduced to the marketplace to clean hardwood, the machine uses minimum moisture to apply the cleaning solution to the floor surface and then brushes and extracts it up seconds later, leaving the floor dry.

CORK

Cork is a very popular commercial floor covering. It is usually well-coated with several applications of polyurethane finish or a wax specified for cork flooring. So, basically, the maintenance program revolves around cleaning the top coat.

Maintaining cork is much the same as bamboo except care must be made to never allow moisture to penetrate the seams of the flooring. If it does, there’s a good chance the cork will no longer properly adhere to the substrate.

Whenever deep cleaning is performed on cork, it is wise to apply an additional top coat to the existing finish. This can be accomplished by chemical etch, light screening or adhesion products followed

by a polyurethane finish or additional wax coat.

LINOLEUM

Linoleum has been around for more than 100 years but it has only recently made a comeback after falling out of favour in the 1990s. The flooring material is comprised of many natural ingredients such as linseed oil and wood flour, with each manufacturer having its own linoleum ‘recipe.’

When cleaning linoleum, the rule of thumb is to use a neutral pH product, preferably the one recommended by the flooring’s manufacturer. Simply mist the cleaner on the linoleum and scrub with a swing floor machine equipped with a red buffer pad. Afterward, rinse away any residue.

Many linoleum products come with a proprietary finish that is very durable.

However, since this flooring material can last a long time, it is not uncommon to apply additional top coats after the factory finish has worn away. When doing so, it is important not to clean, spot clean or use stripping chemicals with a pH of 10 or greater prior to recoating the floor. It is also recommended to use products suggested to restore linoleum to its original state because of its natural ingredients. Otherwise, the surface is bound to dry out, cracks will develop and the flooring will experience colour loss. /

James (Lee) Senter is acting president of the Canadian Flooring, Cleaning and Restoration Association (CFCRA). He is also owner of Fresh & Clean and Shine in Toronto, and a certified flooring inspector and industry instructor. He can be reached at leesenter@senterprises.ca.

www.REMInetwork.com / 17

TACKLING COMMON CARPET CARE CHALLENGES Dents, shadows, soils and spots

by Robert Kravitz

P

icture this: A tenant’s lease is almost up and it has decided not to renew.

The office unit shows well — it is light and airy, has a nice view, is newly carpeted and the walls are freshly painted — so it’s an easy ‘sell’ to prospective building occupants. In almost no time, a new lease is signed and the current tenant moves out.

During the course of a regular post-occupancy walk-through inspection, the facility manager discovers ‘dents’ all over the carpet. These indentations are caused by office furniture — desks, chairs, file cabinets, cubicles, bookcases, and so on — that has been atop the carpet for a long period of time. Replacing the carpet is not ideal because of the cost. Plus, it was only recently installed. But what’s the alternative?

FURNITURE FRUSTRATIONS

There are inexpensive ways to help remove carpet dents. However, results may not come overnight. Many of the most commonly used carpet fibres lack the resiliency to

bounce back after the furniture item that’s caused the dent has been removed.

Cleaning the carpet with a powerful, heated carpet extractor can help. Just be sure that the cleaning solution selected is designed to restore and revitalize the carpet.

If very noticeable and unsightly imprints persist, a combination of vacuuming, steam cleaning and carpet raking is recommended.

Vacuuming should be performed before any other activity. While it will not help remove the dents, the goal of vacuuming is to remove any dry soils and fluff up the carpet.

Steam cleaning the carpet will lessen the appearance of furniture dents. An industrial steamer is ideal since it produces higher heat than a machine designed for residential use. Move the steamer back and forth over each dent for a couple of minutes. The heat and moisture will help lift the carpet fibres.

Steam cleaning works best on nylon carpet but is effective on other carpet types.

After extraction and once the carpet is

18 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL/MAY 2017

dry, a carpet groomer or rake can be used to gently ‘comb’ the problem areas. This lifts the carpet fibres and eventually the worst of the dents should come out.

It’s important to remember that removing carpet dents requires patience. It took a while for those dents to become imprinted in the carpet, so it’s going to take some time for them to disappear.

Over time and with foot traffic, the dents should slowly go away. If the process is moving too slowly, consider having the carpets extracted again in approximately three to six months.

NATURAL OCCURENCES

When it comes to carpet care, other challenges are likely to arise throughout a tenant’s occupancy. These include pile reversal, soiled pathways and carpet spots.

Pile reversal is often first noticed after the carpet has been cleaned, though it has nothing to do with the cleaning itself.

It occurs when the pile of the carpet has

/ floor care /

changed or reversed direction. Light reflects differently on the reversed pile, resulting in a shaded effect in some areas of the carpet. It may even look like the carpet is still wet. Unfortunately, little can be done to eliminate pile reversal. Once it has happened, it is typically permanent. In some cases, it may become less noticeable over time due to foot traffic.

Soiled pathways are a common occurrence that develop as a result of moisture and soil being tracked inside on building occupants’ shoe bottoms.

The centre area of a walkway, such as a hallway, is dark and soiled due to foot traffic, while the outer areas are clean and even look brand new. With time, the soiled pathways can begin to show excessive wear and tear. To prevent this, it’s best to call in a carpet cleaning expert.

Mike Watt of Avmor, a leading North American cleaning chemical manufacturer based in Canada, recommends increasing

shampoo or bonnet cleaning frequencies to deal with the soiled pathways.

“This removes top-layer soils, fluffs the carpet, can help slow the darkening and blends the different sections so there are fewer dark and light areas,” he explains.

Watt also suggests hot water extraction after every two to three bonnet cleanings to remove deep-down soils.

“Make sure a cleaning solution specifically designed to clean heavily soiled walkways is used (during this process),” he says.

To protect the carpet from future resoiling, Watt advises placing floor mats wherever hard flooring and carpeting meets.

The mats will collect soils and moisture, helping to prevent their transference from one surface to another.

Spots are another inevitable occurrence of any carpet’s life. They come in various

colours, forms and chemical compositions.

If addressed promptly, they can be removed from the carpet. However, if left untreated for 24 hours, spots can become stains, which may be difficult if not impossible to remove.

When it comes to carpet spots, “the secret to removal success is the cleaning solution used,” says Watt.

He suggests cleaning solutions that are designed to loosen and break up a wide variety of stains, including oil, tar, shoe polish, grease, tracked-in soils and even food spills.

“In most cases, what is termed an ‘allpurpose spotter’ will be able to remove most carpet spots,” he says.

Regardless of product selected, Watt stresses the importance of first testing the solution on an inconspicuous spot to ensure colour fastness. /

Robert Kravitz is a frequent writer for the professional cleaning and building industries.

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GONE WITH THE WIND Air movers work fast, get the job done right

by Mark Cornelius

T

he carpet is cleaned and now it’s time to wait for it to dry. Depending on carpet type, cleaning techniques used, humidity and air temperature, this can take anywhere from one to 24 hours. Not only is this an inconvenience for facility managers, but carpet that remains damp for too long can attract more soils, harbour unpleasant odours and is at risk of mould growth.

The use of air movers can significantly speed up the drying process, allowing the carpeted area to be put back into service sooner. Air movers also ensure the carpet and underlayment contain no trapped moisture, minimizing the likelihood of fungal contamination.

OUT TO DRY

Air movers utilize rotating blades or fins to produce and circulate a current of air for evaporation, cooling or ventilation.

In the cleaning industry, this specialized

equipment is used to accelerate the drying of wet materials, such as carpet, area rugs and upholstery, through the introduction of high-velocity air movement across the textile surface. There is more to the drying equation than just copious volumes of airflow, though. Humidity and temperature also influence the overall drying time for a project.

FAN CLUB

There are different types of air movers available to reduce carpet drying times, all of which come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. This was not the case 10 to 15 years ago when there was basically one type of this specialized equipment — centrifugal.

Traditional centrifugal air movers are often referred to as blowers or fans. The actual air mover sits on top of the floor covering and blows air directly over the carpet surface. Units are typically large,

20 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL/MAY 2017

often weighing more than 30 pounds, and can pull high amperage, some from 5 to 8 amps. However, these air movers also displace a large footprint of air, which makes them ideal for drying larger rooms and wide open spaces like long hallways or office areas. Due to their size, fewer of these air movers are required when drying carpet as opposed to smaller air movers.

There are newer centrifugal air movers on the market today, most of which offer 1.3 to 5-amp draw and come with built-in outlets for daisy chaining, where multiple units are wired together in sequence to speed up the drying process. Newer models of centrifugal air movers draw air from several sources and produce powerful, focused air movement that is ideal for spot treatment. They also have the ability to push airflow in larger rooms. Some can be adjusted to provide airflow at multiple angles, which allows them to be used for different drying needs.

/ floor care /

Compact air movers are just that — compact. These centrifugal fans typically weigh between 10 and 20 pounds, offer 1.1 to 2.5-amp draw and can often be used for both large floor areas and spot drying.

Their small and lightweight design also makes them ideal for drying small, tight spaces like closets and corners. Besides their versatility, compact air movers are stackable and take up little floor space, which is ideal for storage.

Like centrifugal air movers, axial air movers are designed to move large amounts of air across a wet surface to promote evaporation and can be ideal for top-down drying treatments on carpet.

Unlike some centrifugal blowers, though, axial air movers often draw less amperage and displace air in more of a cone pattern.

In some cases, axial air movers can also produce a greater velocity of airflow.

However, most axial blowers only move air horizontally, whereas centrifugal air movers

can direct air in several directions. As a result, evaporation rates aren’t as great in larger rooms, especially close to the unit.

To combat this issue, manufacturers have begun to design models that angle down.

Downdraft air movers are a type of axial fan. The primary difference between a downdraft and traditional axial air mover is that it pulls air from above and drives it down across the floor surface. The smallest downdraft blower is low-profile, pulls 1.1 amps, weighs in at approximately 10 pounds and has built-in power outlets. As a result, it can be easily moved from place to place and is ideal for use in tight spaces. On the flipside, a downdraft air mover displaces a small footprint of air.

ELEMENTS THAT MATTER

Choosing the right air mover for the job is important to obtain optimum results.

A variety of factors should be taken into consideration, including motor size and speed, amperage, airf low, textile surface texture, configuration and size of the room. For instance, an air mover with a higher horsepower motor will provide maximum airf low; however, it can be noisier than an air mover with a lower horsepower motor.

As well, if planning to stack or daisy chain air movers together, amp draw is an important consideration. Therefore, it is important to tailor the air mover to each project. /

Mark Cornelius is a consultant with B-Air, a leading water damage restoration manufacturer.

For almost two decades, B-Air has developed and manufactured air movers, dryers, blowers, dehumidifiers and ventilators for commercial and retail use.

SPACE SAVER Pancake-style centrifugal air movers weigh in at approximately 21 pounds, provide a moderate sized footprint of air and sit much lower to the floor since they incorporate an impeller instead of a drum to produce thrust. Their compact design is a big storage advantage on a building service contractor’s truck.

GT 0162 17 FCM Mar/April R1.indd 1

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1

PREPARED TO BE FLOORED Floor cleaning equipment has come a long way in the last 10 years, and there seems to be no end in sight to the introduction of ingenious offerings. While this is good news for building service contractors, the plethora of innovative products on the market can also make it difficult to decide which to choose and use. Enter the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA). Each year, the worldwide cleaning industry association celebrates leading-edge products and services through its annual Innovation Awards program. In 2016, several floor cleaning machines were recognized for their impact, practicality, sustainability, profitability/cost savings and originality, three of which were voted as the most innovative by ISSA/INTERCLEAN visitors.

BRC 40/22 C from Karcher is the cleaning sector’s first walk-forward carpet cleaning machine with a 200-degree rotating brush and vacuum head. Traditional carpet cleaning machines operate backwards so this new development brings about significant productivity gains. According to the company, not having to clean backwards like traditional extractors can reduce cleaning time by up to 30 per cent.

MotorScrubber Force by MotorScrubber is touted as a world first in adaptive cleaning. Users can seamlessly move from large open areas to tight spaces by simply clipping off the MotorScrubber to clean around secure fixtures, steps, restrooms, hard-to-reach places and even walls. Simply clip the small machine back on to continue cleaning with the automatic scrubber.

NSS Enterprises’ eForce Scrubber’s joystick drive system and touch screen controls put everything operators need right at their fingertips. The joystick makes the scrubber simple to control and less fatiguing to drive, while the controls allow operators to dial in exactly what they need for their application. Other highlights include a built-in operation manual and conservation mode, which minimizes the amount of water and power used as well as noise generated.

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BRC 40/22 C. Visitor’s Choice Award, ISSA/INTERCLEAN Amsterdam 2016.

Karcher.

2

MotorScrubber Force. Visitor’s Choice Award, ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America 2016. MotorScrubber.

3

eForce Scrubber. Visitor’s Choice Award, ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America 2016. NSS Enterprises.

22 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL/MAY 2017

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“ I COULD

NEVER LIVE WITH SOMETHING HAPPENING TO MY TENANTS. Ensuring my staff and I always hire Licensed Electrical Contractors for electrical work isn’t only good for business, it’s good for my peace of mind. Hiring a ‘guy’ may seem cheaper, but doing it legally saves my tenants downtime, and saves me from sleepless nights.”

-Mark Levinson Property Manager

Mark manages nine commercial properties and is considering using ESA’s time saving Continuous Safety Services. To learn more about your legal obligations and the benefits of CSS, visit esasafe.com/propertymanagers