Facility Cleaning & Maintenance

SERVING THE FACILIT Y CLE ANING & MAINTENANCE INDUSTRY

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

� CARING FOR CLEANING TOOLS � HOW TO LAND AN EDUCATION CONTRACT � HARNESSING THE POWER OF ICE

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Humber College’s Spencer Wood takes care of school so students can focus on their studies

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� CONTENTS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 PHOTOS BY ROBYN RUSSELL

SPOTLIGHT 10 Hired Education Eight steps to win (and keep) that school cleaning contract

by Wendy Hansen 12 Fighting School Bacteria

Knowledge, clean hands key to reducing spread of illness year-round

by Patrick Boshell

TECHNOLOGY 14 Cool as Ice New Canadian-made technology reduces water usage to redefine green cleaning

by Adam Schachner 16 Sweet Smell of Soap Success

Researchers pinpoint molecule that could change cleaning products forever

by Christoph Krumm

COVER STORY 6 Beacon of Knowledge

Humber College’s Spencer Wood leads facilities management department in quest to provide conscientious maintenance services

by Clare Tattersall

IN EVERY ISSUE 4 Editor’s Letter

School Ties 22 Expert Q+A Is Tool Care Overrated?

17 On the Right Track

Analytics software makes recycling collection more effective

by Mike Baxter

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES 18 Talking Trash The right bag means better value, less waste

by Randy Orscheln 19 Mop it Up Using the right tool helps prevent injury while floor cleaning

by John Lombardo 20 Before the Big Chill Key considerations when purchasing de-icing products to combat winter’s wrath

by Nate Clemmer

Repetitive strain injuries affect approximately 15 per cent of Canadians, or 4.5 million people, according to Statistics Canada. www.REMInetwork.com / 3

/ editor’s letter /

SCHOOL TIES

M

ore than a decade ago, on a warm spring day in 2006, I graduated from the post-graduate journalism program at Humber College. Leaving the school with diploma in hand, I thought it would be the last time I’d walk through the doors of the post-secondary institution as I was armed with the knowledge and skills to land a job in my chosen profession. However, on Oct. 13, just three days before the five-week long Ontario college strike kicked off, I found myself back at Humber. While my visit was not academically related — I was there to oversee this issue’s cover story photo shoot — I couldn’t help but wish I was a student once again at the college. Touring Lakeshore campus’s School of Media Studies and Information Technology brought back fond memories and incited (a bit of) envy — the ‘live labs’ and industry equipment are far superior than what was at the North campus, where I studied all those years ago. But the longing for times gone by was fleeting, as the thought of making the 45-minute daily drive to traverse the hallways with 30,000 other students (albeit spread across two campuses) is not really appealing. (I’ve come to savour my office of which I am the sole occupant, and that’s a short walk away.)

Humber’s director of facilities management, Spencer Wood, appreciates my lack of fondness for big crowds. While he enjoys working at an active school site, he admits that his job is a lot easier when classes aren’t in session. This is one of the many insights Wood provides in our cover story, Beacon of Knowledge.

You can read all about the various facets of his job, as well as his role in providing conscientious maintenance services and reducing the school’s carbon footprint beginning on pg. 6.

We then turn to our sector spotlight: Education facilities.

First, we delve into how building service contractors can break into this market segment. Next, we tackle the germiest places in schools and what’s key to reducing the spread of bacteria (and illnesses).

Moving on to our industry focuses — technology and equipment/supplies — we look at an innovative, Canadianmade technology that uses crushed ice to clean; a soap molecule made from natural products; and the performance and impacts of de-icing products, among other topics.

As we close out the year, I’d like to thank everyone who has submitted editorial to the publication. I’m looking forward to all 2018 has to offer, including the new products and practices that are sure to transform the cleaning and maintenance industry.

CLARE TATTERSALL claret@mediaedge.ca

Editor Clare Tattersall claret@mediaedge.ca

Digital Editor Rebecca Melnyk rebeccam@mediaedge.ca

Publisher Liam Kearney liamk@mediaedge.ca

Senior Designer

Production Coordinator

Annette Carlucci Elizabeth Nguyen elizabethn@mediaedge.ca

Sales Sean Foley seanf@mediaedge.ca

Stephanie Philbin stephaniep@mediaedge.ca

Contributing Writers

Mike Baxter Patrick Boshell Nate Clemmer Wendy Hansen Christoph Krumm John Lombardo Randy Orscheln Adam Schachner

Circulation Yeshdev Singh

circulation@mediaedge.ca

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Chris Draayer steers Commercial Cleaning Services’ growth plans in Ontario and beyond

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/ cover story /

BEACON OF

KNOWLEDGE Humber College’s Spencer Wood leads facilities management department in quest to provide conscientious maintenance services, reduce school’s carbon footprint

by Clare Tattersall

T

he changing of the seasons, from summer to fall, signals the school year is in full swing. At postsecondary institutions across the country, hallways are abuzz with chatty scholars bustling to and from classes, cafeterias are brimming with ravenous students and the excited exchange of ideas, and campus libraries and study rooms are filled with the low hum of quiet conversation.

But on Oct. 16, just six weeks into the fall semester, school sounds at colleges across Ontario fell silent. At a time when students actively begin prepping for midterms, they were instead at home sidelined by a strike. Talks between the union representing faculty at the province’s 24 public colleges and the College Employer Council broke down the night prior, putting more than 12,000 full-time and partialload instructors on picket lines and the academic year indefinitely on hold.

Though schools were effectively closed that Monday, operations didn’t

6 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

completely cease. Inside campus walls, administrative staff tended to business as usual in what was now a serene setting. At Humber College, Spencer Wood missed the hustle and bustle of working at an active school site; however, the director of facilities management was quick to admit the absence of the school’s 30,000 students made his job easier.

“We’re able to work in spaces during the day that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to if classes were in session,” says Wood.

A fixture at Humber for nearly 20 years, serving in multiple roles throughout his tenure, Wood currently oversees facilities management at the school’s North and Lakeshore campuses, as well as leads strategic initiatives related to his department. He and his team of approximately 50 in-house staff are responsible for providing a safe, clean, healthy and properly maintained environment that supports

/ cover story /

well-being and promotes excellence in teaching and learning. This is more easily achieved since the introduction of software platform Archibus in 2015. The new integrated workplace management software enables Humber staff and academic professionals to submit and track work order requests for repairs, cleaning and other general building operations concerns. Still, it’s no easy feat maintaining the college given its sheer size — 3 million square feet spread over two campuses — and the geographic location of both sites (a 30-minute drive apart, depending on traffic), so the school contracts out a number of services, including cleaning, snow removal and grounds maintenance, to name a few.

Contracts are typically put up for tender every five years. The college solicits competitive bids for services through written proposals. Humber has established guidelines that reflect its high-quality standards and outline the school’s value, price, delivery and safety requirements. Contractors are chosen through an open, fair, competitive and non-discriminatory process. Each bid is evaluated based on the technical response, including qualifications and references, and then price, explains Wood.

“Normally, the split is 70-30,” he continues. “We first assess the technical knowledge and then look at cost. If there are five bidders, for example, we rank them before opening the pricing. So, while the best contractor is the cheapest

8 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

in an ideal world, that’s not always the one that wins the bid since we’re looking more at value than lowest price.”

However, expenditures have become a major talking point of late, driven by the Ontario government’s decision to raise the minimum wage to $14 an hour in 2018, and $15 an hour by 2019, which equates to an increase of 23 per cent in 15 months. (Currently, minimum wage is $11.60 an hour.) Wood says this jump will cost the college an additional $130,000 a year for the duration of its cleaning contract alone. Other contracts will also be affected, given that many were signed years prior to, and without knowledge or expectation of, the government’s minimum wage hike announcement in May.

“The cleaning contractor can’t absorb this type of increase because their contract is essentially all labour other than cleaning supplies, so Humber will have to pay the difference,” says Wood.

Going forward, however, Wood says the college will examine whether to include a wage rate price adjustment clause in its contracts, whereby the contractor will incur any costs related to a minimum wage increase, and/or give price greater consideration in the bid evaluation process, so long as it doesn’t impact quality of service.

Humber isn’t the only post-secondary school faced with assuming the burden of the cost increases related to the province’s planned minimum wage hike.

And like most education institutions, it’s under budgetary pressures and has been for quite some time. To save money longterm, Humber has invested in a number of energy conservation initiatives that align with its sustainability goals to minimize the college’s environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions, and help conserve the world’s nonrenewable energy resources.

“Our goal is to become a Canadian leader in energy efficiency,” says Wood, who is a certified energy manager, or CEM, a designation he earned in 2001 from the U.S. Association of Energy Engineers.

Since 2005, Humber has reduced energy consumption by 11 per cent while retiring deferred maintenance, cut down on greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent and decreased water consumption by 50 per cent. At the same time, the school’s student population has increased by 48 per cent and floor area by 23 per cent. Humber’s target is a 50 per cent reduction in energy usage by 2034.

To help achieve this objective, “We performed building envelope projects on four buildings at the North campus this past summer, essentially changing all the windows to triple pane and reinsulating or adding five inches of insulation to the buildings to reduce air infiltration,” says Wood. “The results aren’t in yet because we haven’t gotten to winter but the models are saying we’re going to save about 30 per cent of the heating energy.”

Wood’s department is also in the process of installing more than 700,000 square feet of new LED fixtures with wireless controls across both campuses. When complete, Humber is expected to save more than 60 per cent on lighting energy.

On the water front, the school has changed all urinals to 500-millilitre models and most washrooms now have motion-sensored auto shut-off taps. In 2014, facilities management partnered with the Humber student federation Ignite to install 100 new water refill stations across the Lakeshore and North campuses. According to built-in meters, the initiative has resulted in the avoidance of the use of more than 2.1 million plastic bottles to date.

Humber is also continuously working to reduce, reuse and recycle. Every year, the school conducts a waste audit in order to better understand its waste streams and improve the management of its waste. In 2016, the school diverted 63 per cent of its waste from landfill. The goal is to achieve 70 per cent by 2019.

But of greater interest, at least according to Wood, is how the college is tying key concepts in sustainability into core course content to affect longterm change. While generally not a facilities management role, this task falls under Wood’s leadership. He and his sustainability staff take time to educate students and faculty in various programs on how they can be more energy-efficient in their future careers.

In hotel management, for instance, one of the most environmentally impactful areas of operations — laundry — can be improved by using lower temperature settings for the wash cycle, investing in Energy Star rated appliances, installing laundry ozone systems, and so on.

“If Humber reduced its energy usage to zero tomorrow, the impact would be relatively small in the grand scheme of things,” he says. “But getting at those students so that they bring sustainability with them when they go off and find employment, that could change the world.”

Something Wood is looking forward to resuming now that the strike is over and classes are back in session. /

> SOCIAL MEDIA COLUMN Sponsored by MediaEdge

Showing your social media ROI

By Steven Chester As the year winds down, a big challenge for many of us in the social media field arises as we produce our analytics reports and show our worth.

Simply saying “I’ve gained 50 Twitter followers a month for the year” doesn’t translate to the business owner who needs to understand how these efforts are furthering their bottom line.

The first step is to understand your goals.

Was your business looking to sell a product online, acquire customers, gain brand awareness, drive traffic to a sign-up page, or increase overall traffic to your website? If the answer to this loaded question is “yes,” then you’ll have to look at several metrics and ensure you’ve built campaigns around each goal.

Then, you’ll need to assign a value to those goals. Think of your hours spent – which you absolutely must be logging for ROI to work – and assign a value to each of those metrics. This is tough, but consider items such as cost per impression and clicks if you were to buy an advertisement.

You’ll be able to track your referral traffic and other goals via your site’s Google Analytics dashboard, and most social platforms have decent internal analytics where you can delve a bit deeper into your numbers. There are a handful of great third-party tools that you can also use, which will provide even more insight.

This is one of the more complex topics that can’t be fully covered in this space.

As always, I invite you to stay social and continue the conversation via my contact info below. Happy holidays, and all the best for 2018.

Steven Chester is the Digital Media Director of MediaEdge Communications. With 15 years’ experience in cross-platform communications, Steven helps companies expand their reach through social media and other digital initiatives. To contact him directly, email gosocial@mediaedge.ca, or follow him on Twitter at @ chestergosocial.

HIRED EDUCATION

Eight steps to win (and keep) that school cleaning contract

by Wendy Hansen

W

hether an elementary school, college or university, all education facilities face funding pressures at one time or another. Often, the easiest place to make budget cuts is the building services department, which opens the door to cleaning service contractors.

Education facilities, however, don’t typically like to change their custodial crew. As a visible and constant presence, cleaners are generally viewed as ‘family’ or ‘friends’ of faculty and students, and a part of the school community. They are also seen as an extra set of ears and eyes, providing an added level of security to those who work and study at the school.

So, from a client perspective, a cleaning service contractor has to make a compelling case as to why it should be considered when a contract goes out for tender.

A well-written bid proposal will provide a competitive advantage when vying for an education contract. Here are eight ways to make yours stand out from the rest of the pack (and ensure you keep this big-ticket job after the fact).

1 Illustrate a compatible fit. Show a willingness to ‘partner’ with the education facility and become part of the school community by, perhaps, being flexible with work hours to accommodate after-school activities, such as intramural sports, and partaking in sustainability efforts like recycling programs.

Demonstrating a vested interest in the school community will go a long way to building a long-lasting relationship.

2 Include pertinent company information, including size and employee turnover rate. Education facilities typically like big-

10 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

ger businesses that can supply enough staff to ensure the cleanliness of these large learning environments, and fully manage their cleaning crew, including interviewing, hiring, firing, training and supervising all employees. They’re also looking for long-term custodians that come to understand the school and its specific requirements, not a steady stream of new people in and out of the facility. To facilitate this, an education institution may request that the cleaning contractor pay a fair living wage to its employees.

3 Provide several references, particularly from long-term clients. These references will paint a picture of customer satisfaction. Be sure to include the names of other education institutions, if cleaning services have been provided to these types of facilities.

4 List additional service offerings.

This may include window cleaning, landscaping, snow removal, carpet and upholstery cleaning, HVAC maintenance and power washing, among others. Be sure to separate their costs from the main bid and/or provide a discount for bundled services. The more services provided to a facility, the less dispensable the contractor.

5 The safety of students, faculty and visitors is of utmost concern. Offer to screen all employees that will be onsite, including temporary workers that might have to fill in for custodians who are sick or on holiday. This includes verifying previous employment and checking references, obtaining a certified criminal background check from local law enforcement and administering drug tests.

6 Education is the focus of these types of facilities so it should be a priority for the cleaning contractor, too.

Detail the types of instruction employees will receive and frequency. Training in cleaning methods and standards, health and safety requirements, tools and equipment, and chemicals should be conducted at regular and ongoing intervals to keep employees abreast of industry changes. For cleaning practices, training should not only address ‘how to clean’ but also ‘why to clean this way.’

Random school inspections should be performed by supervisory staff to ensure what’s been instructed is actually being put into practice as this is often a source of complaints.

7 Green cleaning is particularly important to schools, as is cleaning for health. Cleaning contractors should outline which cleaning chemicals, equipment and practices they use to minimize impact on the environment. Basic

green practices may include proper disposal of chemicals, utilizing hand towels and toilet paper with a significant percentage of recycled or recyclable material, cleaning with microfibre cloths instead of disposable paper towels, and so on. Value-added practices may include participation in recycling and composting programs. Taking it a step further, cleaning contractors should outline how they will lessen the impact cleaning has on building occupants and reduce the spread of bacteria. This may include the use of backpack vacuums with HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters, which help reduce allergens by trapping small particulates that are not normally recovered by standard air filters; coloured-coded microfibre cloths and mops for specific tasks and areas in the facility to prevent cross-contamination; and odourless cleaning products for the scent-sensitive. A good way to track the success of such initiatives (and return on investment) is to look at student and teacher absenteeism rates before and after implementation.

8 Communication is key to unlocking client satisfaction and, ultimately, the success of any cleaning contract. If using janitorial management software, relay this to the education facility along with its benefits. These types of programs help facilitate communication between contractors and customers as the client account can be accessed anywhere, anytime from a mobile device. Typically, clients can issue and monitor work orders, review audits and inspection scores, among other activities; contractors can receive and analyze feedback from clients in order to provide better service, and compile statistical information for inclusion in professional reports and presentations to school boards to illustrate the value of their services. /

After working with industry expert Brent Bourne for more than 10 years, Wendy Hansen is now the owner of Servitech Training Ltd. Servitech has been providing training and consulting for the commercial cleaning industry since 1989. Wendy has worked in the building service industry for more than three decades, and has many years of supervisory, management and facility cleaning experience. She can be reached at 250-592-1000.

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Did you know that in an average 22 day work month, more than 26 lbs. of dirt can be tracked into a facility by just 1,000 people going through an entrance? By putting a proper floor care program into place, adopting best practices and choosing the correct floor care products for your business needs you can put forth a great first impression.

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FIGHTING SCHOOL BACTERIA Knowledge, clean hands key to reducing spread of illness year-round

by Patrick Boshell

A

s halls and classrooms flood with students and staff, a clean school can quickly transform into a breeding ground for bacteria and germs. This can lead to illness outbreaks and frequent absenteeism, which negatively affects student performance and a school’s reputation, and makes it crucial to take the necessary steps in limiting germ transmission.

But how can school staff and custodial managers create a safer learning space for students?

The simple answer is clean hands.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, proper handwashing is the most effective way to protect against and prevent the spread of germs since hands, big or small, are responsible for spreading 80 per cent of all common infectious diseases. Having effective and accessible soaps and sanitizers

at school is equally as important in combatting the issue.

HIDDEN TRUTHS

To keep students healthy, school staff and custodial managers must first understand which surfaces are most susceptible to germs.

Unlike students playing a friendly game of hide-and-seek, germs are often impossible to spot, even when they’re right out in the open. The germiest places in a school are water fountains, cafeteria trays and plates, faucets, computer keyboards and toilet seats, according to a National Sanitation Foundation study that measured the number of aerobic bacteria per inch on common school surfaces.

Another place germs like to hide are on surfaces commonly used by teachers, including their phones, keyboards and desktops.

12 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Perhaps the most shocking find is that the average student’s hand holds 1,500 germs. When one student catches a cold, the flu or something worse, it’s easy for those germs to spread at any point throughout the school day, infecting other students and staff. Without frequent handwashing, students are at a constant risk of catching and spreading illnesses.

ERASING GERMS

Since it’s impossible to monitor student handwashing behaviour, it’s important that school staff implement a hand hygiene compliance program. Students should be reminded to wash their hands before and/or after they prepare and eat food, use the toilet, cough or sneeze, and handle garbage, as well as taught how to erase germs from their hands.

When it comes to lunchtime, some students run from the playground and

/ spotlight /

dive straight into their lunch. Enforcing a regularly scheduled stop at the restroom to have students wash hands before and after eating will ensure students keep their healthy meal healthy.

Whether it’s peer influence or sheer forgetfulness, many students walk out of the restroom without washing or drying their hands properly. To remind students, schools should place fun, informational hand hygiene posters on stall doors and mirrors.

When one student comes down with the flu or a cold it can quickly spread through shared pencils, crayons and high-touch surfaces like desks and door knobs. Since students often can’t wash their hands every time they cough or sneeze, hand sanitizer should be made readily available and used until they can rinse hands with soap and water.

Classroom projects, snack time and other events throughout the school day can be messy and result in a heap of trash. For students handling germy garbage, ensure proper handwashing

Proper handwashing involves scrubbing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. takes place before they move on to the next activity.

Proper handwashing involves scrubbing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Students can easily remember this rule by singing a song in their head as they scrub and rinse their hands. For example, if students sing the ‘happy birthday’ song twice, they have washed their hands for the required time.

In order for handwashing to be effective, students must understand that

soap has to completely cover their hands and fingers, and then be completely rinsed off. Hands should then ideally be dried with clean paper towel. Air dryers don’t often dry hands completely, and germs can transfer more easily and quickly through water, making paper towel a more hygienic choice. Students can also use paper towel to open the restroom door, ensuring no germs come in contact with their freshly washed hands. /

Patrick Boshell is the Canadian director of marketing at Deb Group, the world’s leading skin care company for the workplace. Deb provides dedicated skin care programs for a wide range of industries and organizations that value their employee health and customer well-being.

KÄRCHER 2017 A YEAR IN REVIEW A MACHINE FOR EVERYCLEANING NEED

This year, Kärcher has continued our long standing tradition of innovation.

We have released several new machines to server the cleaning needs of a variety of industries: -

New Compact and Ride-on Scrubbers Powerful Industrial Sweepers Innovative Battery Powered Backpack Vacuums Revolutionary Dry Ice Blasting Equipment Ergonomic Floor Machines Convenient Hot Water Pressure Washer Trailers Streamlined Electric Cold Water Pressure Washers

We would like to thank our dedicated dealer network and loyal customers for their support, and we are looking forward to an exciting 2018 as a market leader providing complete solutions for all your cleaning needs.

www.REMInetwork.com / 13

COOL AS ICE New Canadian-made technology reduces water usage to redefine green cleaning

by Adam Schachner

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/ technology /

W

ater is one of the most essential human needs. Yet, for something so key to life, hundreds of millions of gallons of H2O are wasted each year on industrial cleaning applications. The ecological impact of this type of consumption is a real concern and has led to the development of an innovative cleaning technology that could potentially replace high-water usage cleaning methods, such as pressure washing, as well as expensive and environmentally detrimental technologies like dry ice blasting and chemical cleaning for certain applications.

This technology was recently employed at a hockey arena in Port Alberni, B.C. Home to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs Junior A hockey club, the Alberni Valley Multiplex features two NHL regulation ice surfaces and holds 1,850 spectators. The bleachers stretch toward a towering ceiling spanned by steel beams from which the team’s banners proudly dangle, spoils of past championship victories. The athletes often feel like stars on the ice but the glory of the game quickly washed away when they hit the showers, where 15-year-old wall paint was blistering, splotchy and desperately needed to be redone.

Over the years, arena maintenance staff tried to repair the shower walls by painting overtop existing layers of paint. While this provided a temporary fix, it also resulted in a buildup of paint. Unhappy with the results, staff decided in 2016 that it was time to strip all the paint down to the bare concrete and start anew.

Armed with scrapers, wire brushes and grinders, the cleaning team set to work; however, the task proved more difficult than originally anticipated because there were so many layers of paint on the walls.

Complicating the removal process was the paint had been rubberized to prevent water from penetrating the finish and stop mould growth. After a few hours, the cleaning team had made no visible progress beyond exposing a tiny rectangle of concrete. At this pace, they estimated it would take two months or longer to clean the showers in all nine dressing rooms.

A NEW OPTION

The cleaning crew considered a variety of methods to complete the job.

Sandblasting was first proposed but quickly dismissed. Large quantities of waste sand would have to be contained, removed and disposed of, and then there were the hazards associated with the abrasive blasting technique. Operators would have to wear stifling, heavy suits and respiratory equipment to protect against inhaling airborne contaminants.

Dry ice blasting, unlike sandblasting, would produce minimal cleanup waste.

However, paint stripping is not the forte of this cleaning technology, and it comes with high media costs and safety concerns.

CO2 gas, expelled in large quantities as the dry ice blasting pellets sublimate, can accumulate in confined spaces like a shower, resulting in asphyxiation at even relatively low percentage levels of air.

A standard pressure washer also wasn’t powerful enough to remove the deep layers of paint. Additionally, the shower drains had been covered to prevent paint chips from clogging the pipes, so use of a pressure washer would cause flooding.

Arena maintenance staff were at a loss of what to do until they heard about a new industrial cleaning technology that uses ice made from water as the blasting media. The ice blasting technology works by loading standard ice cubes (purchased from ice cube suppliers or produced onsite with a standard ice-making machine) into the hopper of the machine that’s no larger than a dry ice blaster. The ice cubes are then broken down into smaller, rice-grain-size pieces as they pass through a crusher mechanism, before being fed into a pressurized airstream and blasted at high speed out of a nozzle aimed at the surface to be cleaned.

The machine uses a maximum of three to five pounds of ice per minute, which is the recommended rate when removing tough materials like paint or caked-on resins.

(For general cleaning purposes, such as removing mud and dirt from floors, walls, escalators and hard to reach corners, lower rates of ice usage may be sufficient.) This

translates into the use of 0.36 to 0.6 gallons of water per (gpm) minute. Comparatively, a small pressure washer, such as those commonly used for household purposes, uses 3.5 gpm, with nowhere near as much cleaning power.

The ice blasting technology works best against thick grease, loose/primerless paint, biological growth, dirt and mud, resins, nuclear decontamination and hazardous materials. Its use at the Alberni Valley Multiplex removed the paint on the dressing room shower walls in just two weeks, with the help of a single operator instead of an entire cleaning crew.

H20 VERSUS CO2

Water-ice is the only media that uses all three physical phases to advantage during blasting: its solid phase knocks off contaminants with maximum impulse and scrubs the surface; its liquid phase dissolves and washes away ionic compounds, as well as helps to suppress dust; and its vapour phase evaporates, leaving behind minimal residue.

During blasting, much of the ice melts on impact and becomes a mist around the work area. Blasted off particulates are damp and heavy, which thereby drags them to the ground and leaves low levels of airborne contaminants. Due to minimal water usage and evaporation from impact energy, the only waste left behind is a neat, slushy pile of contaminant easily captured in a tarp placed beneath the blast zone. This makes ice blasting ideal for hazardous material removal, such as asbestos abatement, although proper protective equipment must still be worn.

Water-ice is also harder than dry ice, giving it much more aggressive cleaning power, while still being soft enough so as not to damage most surfaces being cleaned, only removing the layer of contaminant built up on top of it. In an enclosed space, sticky/ oily substances like grease tend to re-adhere to adjacent walls after dry ice blasting. But with water-ice, the grease is contained within the water, does not re-stick and instead falls to the ground. /

Adam Schachner is an ice engineer at Coulson Ice Blast, a company known for creating revolutionary industrial cleaning equipment with a focus on using ice as the blasting media.

Coulson Ice Blast is a subsidiary of the Coulson Group of Companies, a diverse organization that spans many industries, including aviation, gaming, manufacturing and logging. Adam can be reached at 250-724-7600 or adam.schachner@coulsongroup.com.

www.REMInetwork.com / 15

SWEET SMELL OF SOAP SUCCESS

Researchers pinpoint molecule that could change cleaning products forever

by Christoph Krumm

W

hen facility managers think about ‘clean,’ a spotless floor or uniform is no longer the only image that comes to mind. Organizations are looking for green products that will meet their environmental goals and maintain their ‘clean’ image, too. Formulators of cleaning solutions have responded by offering products that are concentrated and that contain increased bio-renewable content and fewer harmful or dangerous ingredients. However, bio-renewable ingredients are often plagued by limited function and poor shelf-life, ultimately causing users to consume more product.

Now, a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota believe they may have a better solution to today’s green cleaning products with the creation of a new soap molecule. Called oleo-furan surfactant (OFS), the invention utilizes bio-renewable feedstocks to produce molecules with superior cleaning performance.

REALITY CHECK

Surfactants, or surface active agents, are the main cleaning and emulsifying ingredient in laundry detergents, floor cleaners, degreasers, and many other products. Despite widespread use and decades of development, new technologies have focused primarily on making petroleum-derived

surfactants with bio-renewable materials, such as coconut oil and sugars. This enables formulators to obtain consumerdesired certifications for bio-renewable content without substantially reformulating their products. However, direct replacement with bio-renewable content comes at a higher cost, limiting market penetration only to those users who are highly motivated to use ecofriendly products.

A unifying trait that plagues both conventional and bio-renewable surfactants is hard water stability; calcium and magnesium ions naturally present in water bind to surfactant molecules, inactivating them. As a result, formulators of cleaning products incorporate co-formulated chemicals, called chelating agents — for example, EDTA and citrates — to boost product function.

These chemicals add volume and cost in detergent formulations. Moreover, many chelating agent structures have been shown to biodegrade poorly.

MODERN INVENTION

OFS is made from renewable starch derivatives, called furans, and natural oils, such as those from coconut and soybean.

The new molecule touts improved detergency, better cold water performance and, most importantly, hundredfold improved hard water stability. Whereas conventional surfactants bind strongly to metal ions present in hard water and form solid precipitates, OFS is designed to maintain its surfactant performance in hard water conditions up to 50,000 parts per million, which is approximately 20 times higher than anywhere in the U.S. Through its substantially increased hard water tolerance, the OFS class of molecules will allow formulators of detergent products to make chelant-free products, thereby reducing overall product volume, cost and formulation complexity.

The researchers also designed the OFS structures to be highly tunable, making them useful in applications ranging from floor cleaners to laundry detergents and even emulsifiers. /

Christoph Krumm, PhD, is co-founder and CEO of Sironix Renewables, a startup company that combines plant-based ingredients with functional chemicals to create safer products.

Christoph led the development of the oleo-furan surfactant (OFS). He seeks to continue its advancement along with other technologies to make cleaning solutions more sustainable, with the goal of having OFS in products in the next two years.

16 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

/ technology /

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Analytics software makes recycling collection more effective

by Mike Baxter

I

n an age when everything is moving online, it was only a matter of time before recycling and waste management measures made the leap from the physical to digital world. Today, analytics software programs are helping organizations more accurately track and report collection efforts, with the goal of improving recycling rates, reducing contamination and becoming more sustainable — all while lowering operating costs.

Analytics software enables users to receive real-time information about their recycling rates. These programs can also be used to showcase data diversion rates, money saved, stream compositions, net program cost, trees saved, and more.

One of the advantages of using analytics software is it provides insight into a col-

lection program’s effectiveness, including where improvements might be made.

A waste audit is an essential first step in seeing what material is going where and the level of contamination occurring at the bin level. After collecting this information and tracking it with analytics software, it becomes much clearer where a collection program needs improvement. Not enough bins, poor location of containers, lack of and/or confusing signage, inadequate education — these are some of the many factors that can pre-

vent a recycling program from operating at peak efficiency.

Once changes have been made to better a collection program, analytics software can be used to monitor outcomes, which may lead to further improvements.

For example, a company that sees an increase in its recycling rate will likely notice a decrease in its waste rate. A predictable pattern could then be tracked and possibly used to manage collection frequency by the company’s hauler, which could potentially lead to long-term cost savings. /

Mike Baxter is the marketing manager at Busch Systems, which has been a designer and retailer of recycling, waste and composting containers for more than 30 years. Located in Barrie, Ont., the company recently launched the Resource Centre, an innovative collection tracking application. Mike can be reached at 1-800-565-9931.

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/ equipment & supplies /

TALKING TRASH

The right bag means better value, less waste

by Randy Orscheln

E

ssential for sanitation and waste management, garbage bags are an unavoidable spend for businesses and institutions. As a result, opportunities for substantial cost savings and improved sustainability practices can be easily overlooked.

There are numerous ways to get more value from garbage bag expenditures and generate less waste without sacrificing quality. Measures include conducting a facility audit, using the right-size bags for the job, and choosing bags that contain fewer raw materials and more recycled resins.

THE RAW DEAL

Every garbage bag begins as raw material, or plastic resin. The raw material is a key factor in the price of each garbage bag, large or small, heavy-duty or lightweight. Generally, it represents 50 per cent or more of a garbage bag’s total cost. A bag that hangs more than four to six inches over the rim of a receptacle is wasted raw material. Resources are also wasted if a bag is far heavier or stronger than necessary for the application.

BAG CHECK

A garbage bag audit is ideal for customers who use a large quantity of bags on an annual basis. Conducted by a knowledgeable person who is equipped with the right tools, the purpose of the audit is to ensure the facility is using the rightsize bags and they’re of suitable strength and material, too. This is where savings can really add up.

SIZE MATTERS

LEAN WASTE STREAM

Twenty-three-gallon and 44-gallon receptacles are two of the most popular waste receptacle sizes today. While it may seem easier for maintenance staff to use the same-size bag for both, tying off the bigger bag to make it fit the smaller receptacle means more than 40 per cent of the raw materials used in the bag will go to waste, along with money spent on the bag.

Choosing the correct-size garbage bag involves three steps.

First, establish the proper bag type (material) for the application: linear low-density or high-density. Linear lowdensity bags are often produced at heavier gauges, generally more opaque and have a thicker feel. These types of bags are best-suited for waste that may contain sharp objects since the material is less susceptible to tearing if punctured.

High-density garbage bags are typically thinner in gauge and feel, and can hold more weight. This makes them a good choice for light, medium or heavy waste that’s free of sharp objects.

Next, determine what size receptacle the bag needs to fit. In most cases, gallon capacity is printed on the receptacle.

Finally, decide how much weight the bag needs to hold. This involves weighing the collected garbage bag and comparing it to the bag’s strength rating.

With up to 25 million tonnes of waste going to landfills each year, according to data collected by Environment and Climate Change Canada, it is important to consider source reduction when choosing the correct garbage bag for the application.

For some time now, Canadian manufacturers of garbage bags have been utilizing recycled resins in production to reduce costs and provide an environmentally responsible product. Most manufacturers utilize both post-consumer and post-industrial resins. Postconsumer resin is created from plastic material that has completed its life cycle as a consumer item and is removed from the waste stream. Post-industrial resin is material, such as scrap, from the manufacturing process that is diverted from the waste stream. Typically, third party certification of the recycled content is available from most manufacturers.

Compostable garbage bags are recommended for food scraps and organic waste. These bags are generally not intended for landfills and go to a composting facility. Compostable garbage bags must meet the stringent requirements of ASTM D6400, with third party certifications. Commercial degradation is 10 to 45 days, and biodegradation is less than six months. /

Randy Orscheln is director of the janitorial and sanitation business unit at Inteplast Group, a leading manufacturer of garbage bags in North America. Randy has more than 25 years’ experience in the industry.

18 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

/ equipment & supplies /

MOP IT UP

Using the right tool helps prevent injury while floor cleaning

by John Lombardo

T

he majority of a custodian’s time is devoted to floor care, providing lots of opportunities to develop repetitive stress injuries (RSI) — the second leading cause of cleaning-related injuries. The term RSI encompasses injuries that affect bones, muscles, nerves and tendons due to overuse. These types of injuries cause continual and recurring pain and, as a result, employers have a duty to their workers to find a better way to complete this important cleaning task.

While there are many factors to consider when deciding how to best service facility floors, the most important is finding the right tool for the right job. The tool should be designed to complete the task quickly and efficiently while keeping the custodian safe. All too often tasks are performed by products designed for one purpose and utilized in a different way.

Unfortunately for those that clean, strip and finish floors, the evolution of mopping has been slow. Variations of the cotton string mop are still being used throughout the cleaning industry, despite advancements in materials. This is especially concerning because when wet, a string mop can weigh up to three times its dry weight, making it extremely hard on the wrists, hips and back. Add a bucket of water that can tip the scales at 40 pounds and suddenly floor cleaning becomes a herculean task.

Add a bucket of water that can tip the scales at 40 pounds and suddenly floor cleaning becomes a herculean task. compensation. So, if floor cleaning is a key service in business operations, it’s imperative to reduce or remove the possibility of repetitive motion injuries by choosing the appropriate, ergonomically designed tool for the task at hand.

Microfibre mops are ideal for floor cleaning because they require less water and chemicals than traditional cotton string mops, making them significantly lighter.

(They weigh approximately two pounds, including handle, when wet.) Microfibre mops are also versatile, easy to clean and have longer life cycles than other mop materials in the marketplace. If the user is properly trained with the S-motion mopping technique, microfibre mops can quickly cover expansive areas with significantly less repetitious motion to the hips.

Reduced weight also puts less strain on the worker’s back and prevents fatigue over time.

Mops with telescoping handles are ideal for cleaning processes because they enable the user to customize the tool to their appropriate height. If the handle isn’t

suited for the worker, their hands cannot be correctly positioned to properly move the cleaning tool, which leads to awkward posture and ultimately causes high static shoulder muscle load. Mopping should be performed with a handle height that is relatively level with the user’s chin. This helps maintain proper form to avoid strain.

Higher can cause poor or limited motion control, and also requires the user to extend too far from the body, resulting in pain in the lower back.

Handles should also be smooth with ergonomic grips to enable the user to guide the mop in the S-motion with limited rubbing, which can lead to blistering.

The use of a single cavity bucket limits proper cleaning because the solution is contaminated with the soiled rinse water.

Dual bucket systems not only prevent cross-contamination but they are also significantly lighter when full because only half of the bucket is filled. Buckets should also be fitted with quick release valves for wastewater dumping to prevent awkward lifting into sinks. /

THE SAFETY OF OBJECTS

RSIs don’t only affect workers. These types of injuries result in significant financial loss to organizations in time, production efficiency and worker’s

John Lombardo is vice-president of sales and marketing at Unger Enterprises LLC. For more than 50 years, Unger has created the tools professionals trust to clean and maintain facilities across the globe. www.REMInetwork.com / 19

BEFORE THE BIG CHILL Key considerations when purchasing de-icing products to combat winter’s wrath

by Nate Clemmer

T

he 2018 Canadian Farmers’ Almanac is forecasting a return to a colder, more normal winter from Quebec east to the Maritimes, with many locations experiencing snowier than normal conditions. Ontario is expected to see periods of mild temperatures and tranquil conditions mixed with occasional spells of tempestuous and very cold weather. British Columbia can expect below normal precipitation, though it won’t be immune from storms that sweep off the Pacific Ocean and cold weather that pushes south from the Yukon, while the Prairie provinces are anticipated to see above normal temperatures and moderate amounts of snow.

For decades, the almanac has become a closely watched predictor of winter weather; however, many meteorologists question its long-term forecasts. After all, it’s difficult enough to predict the

weather five days in advance, let alone several months. Regardless of whether this year’s predictions come true or not, one thing is certain: Now is the time to prep for snow and ice removal because come winter it’ll be too late.

There are various products on the market for managing the season’s worst, which can make choosing a de-icing material a difficult task. To assist with the decision-making process, here are five key performance criteria that should be considered when evaluating this type of product.

CRITERION ONE: POTENTIAL FOR TRACKING RESIDUE ON FLOORS

Ninety per cent of granular ice melt tracked into a facility is the result of pedestrian traffic within the first 15 feet of the building entrance.

Sodium chloride granular de-icers

20 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

leave a white residue that can dull the finish of floors and fade the colour of carpet, while calcium and magnesium chloride-based products coat floors with an oily, slippery residue that damages wax and urethane finishes, posing a safety risk to employees and visitors.

The neutral pH formulations of formic technology de-icers eliminate tracking, reducing near-term labour costs associated with manual cleaning, estimated at $50 per entrance per day, according to the International Sanitary Supply Association’s (ISSA) Clean Management Institute. In the long-term, this reduces the need for full strip and recoats, which is a significantly higher expense.

CRITERION TWO: ECO-FRIENDLINESS AND NON-CORROSIVITY

Calcium, sodium and magnesium granular chloride products are all hydroscopic,

/ equipment & supplies / meaning they draw moisture from the atmosphere. Such materials are harmful to pets if swallowed, and certain chloride-based products like calcium chloride can seriously burn the paws of animals. In addition, chlorides will dehydrate turf and ornamentals and cause desiccation. If leached into waterways, they reduce the available oxygen levels, leading to the death of fish and aquatic plants. Chlorides are also corrosive to metals and, to varying degrees, concrete, and will reduce the functional life of structures like railings and doors.

Formic technology de-icers are 100 per cent chloride-free and readily biodegradable. They are safer for pets, plants, metals and concrete.

CRITERION THREE: SPEED OF MELT

While chloride-based granular deicers take a minimum of three to five minutes to achieve an acceptable melt — and as much as 10 minutes — liquid de-icers based on formic technol-

ogy quickly and reliably remove thin layers of ice and prevent new snow and ice from accumulating. In fact, some formic technology de-icers have a speed of melt of 30 to 50 seconds by reducing the freezing point to approximately -53 C.

push spreaders may be utilized; however, liquid applications are far more efficient. Liquid tanks fill very quickly and today’s liquid applicator technologies (sprayers) are accessible and easy-to-use, providing for very precise application rates.

CRITERION FOUR: EASE OF APPLICATION

CRITERION FIVE: COST-EFFICIENCY

Ease and speed of application combined with reduced transport and loading costs make using liquid de-icers extremely attractive from a labour perspective. Utilizing granular products can be very labour intensive, slowing the application process and negatively impacting safety in high-traffic pedestrian areas. In many areas, such as stairwells, applicators have to carry heavy bags and spread material by hand. In larger areas and walkways,

The low quantity of liquid required to produce an adequate melt combined with the ease and speed of application typically makes liquid de-icers more cost-effective than granular products.

Most users will achieve a lower application cost per 1,000 square feet with liquid over granular de-icers. And because liquids achieve a melt three times more quickly than granular products, they create a longer-lasting, safer walking surface. /

Nate Clemmer is CEO of Secure Winter Products, makers of Entry de-icing and anti-icing fluid.

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/ equipment & supplies /

IS TOOL CARE OVERRATED? Q+A: Proper maintenance ensures best cleaning results

A

kitchen sponge has more bacteria than a toilet, says a recent study into the kitchen cleaning staple and their microbial inhabitants. Conducted by a pair of German researchers, the study found a regularly cleaned sponge contains no less bacteria than an uncleaned sponge and therefore suggested the cleaning tool be replaced each week.

Sponges aren’t the only cleaning staple that can suffer from a buildup of dirt, grime and germs, making cleaning efforts far less effective and a potential health hazard. Here, the CEO of Master Care Janitorial and Facility Services, Terry Laferté, discusses the importance of taking proper care of cleaning tools, as well as cleaning frequency, proper care procedures and tell-tale signs that it’s time to replace a tool.

Why clean cleaning tools?

Mostly because clean tools clean better. Dirty vacuum filters impede maximum airflow. Clogged brushes prevent bristles from fully penetrating carpet fibres. Full (dirty) cloths and mops don’t allow adherence of dirt particles to fibres, rendering the tools ineffective and, at some point, nothing more than a spreader of dirt and germs.

Tools that are consistently cleaned will also last longer than those that aren’t.

Without proper care, mops, cloths, vacuums and brooms will harbour dirt,

debris and bacteria that can breakdown fibres, causing premature wear.

Maintaining cleaning tools is as important as the cleaning services provided. Tools that are properly cared for are most effective, resulting in efficient cleaning services, reduced costs and happy customers.

How frequently should tools be cleaned?

Tools should be cleaned after every use unless they’re being discarded. This not only prevents the build-up of bacteria but provides for more pleasant storage and re-use. If cleared of debris, rinsed and stored properly after every use, the janitor supply closet should not smell dirty, damp or musty. If it does, it is time to do some deep cleaning.

Mops and brooms should be deep cleaned every month to three months, depending on usage. Cleaning cloths that are used daily should be laundered once a week and then hung to dry. Vacuums should be inspected and maintained once a month. If repair is required, it generally involves a simple component replacement.

What is the best way to clean these tools?

Most sponges, cloths and mops can be soaked in detergent or laundered on the hottest water cycle and then hung to dry.

Do not use fabric softener with these tools or put them in the dryer as it will decrease their effectiveness and reduce their lifespan.

22 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Microfibre cloths and mops have special care instructions — do not use hot water or put in the dryer — to maintain their unique cleaning properties and keep the fibres from filling up with debris. Microfibre tools should be washed in temperatures that do not exceed 180 F and only with other lintfree textiles. Proper care of microfibre will keep the wedge-shaped fibres from clogging up and rendering the cloth ineffective.

When should cleaning tools be replaced?

As soon as they fail to clean correctly or when they can no longer be cleaned properly.

Brushes, bristles and cloth fibres wear down with use. Since these are essential for the mechanics of loosening dirt from surfaces, they need to be replaced when the brush, bristle or fibres are noticeably short or missing.

Cloths and mops should also be discarded when they become permanently stained (dyed) since it becomes impossible to tell if the mop has been properly cleaned.

Keep a supply of new cloths and mop heads in the janitor’s closet to promote this timely requirement.

Some components and materials last longer than others. Vacuum cleaners have manufacturer recommended lifespans.

When it comes to cloths and mops, microfibre can last a lot longer than other material blends (when properly maintained) and are worth the premium price. /

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