Archive for the ‘Cleaning Chemicals’ Category

Janitorial Supplies Michigan – Amerisource Industrial Supply 

Modified from Rochester Midland Corp publication

THE ROLE OF CLEANING AND CLEANERS

 Why does the chemical cleaning product industry exist?  In other words, why is it necessary to clean?  There are many important reasons such as preventing the spread of disease and making our environment a safe and healthy place to live.   Perhaps the best historical example is the Black Death, the terrible plague that swept through Europe during the Middle Ages.  During a short period of time, over 60 million people died, almost one quarter of the world’s population.

 Today, chemicals like disinfectant cleaners and other products that are available, could have prevented a significant number of those deaths.  Due to the fact that sanitation and personal hygiene are such an integral part of our daily lives, we take them for granted.  Yet it is the prime reason why we live in a world in which life expectancy in now double what it was just 200 years ago.  Although there are perhaps hundreds of specific reasons to clean and disinfect, there are eight primary reasons.   They are:

1.  Health (pathogenic bacteria live in soil)
2.  Functionality (some tasks, such as repair, are impossible without cleaning first)
3.  Safety (dirty, slippery equipment and/or facilities are dangerous)
4.  Economics (dirty facilities wear out faster and perform less efficiently)
5.  Product Quality (in some industries, product quality is difficult or even impossible to maintain without cleaning and sanitation – for example, cleaning electronic circuit boards) 
6. Government Agency Requirements (in some industries, for example food processing, the USDA requires cleaning at regular intervals) 
7. Pride and Aesthetic Values (keeping floors and work areas clean, improves worker productivity) 
8. Comfort

 Chemicals provide the major means for most cleaning operations.  One or more of the eight reasons listed above come into play in our every day life.

 A simple definition of the term soil is physical matter out of place.   What distinguishes soil from other physical matter is that it occurs or exists in a location where it is not wanted.  Soils can generally be described as heavy or light, organic or inorganic (or mixtures of both), solid or liquid, viscous (syrupy) or fluid, soluble or insoluble.  Soils also are strongly influenced by heat and other environmental factors.

 Organic soils are derived from living matter – people, plants, animals, foodstuffs, or petroleum.  They are typically residues derived from living things or petroleum – greasy soils (oil), residue from plants or animals (food stuffs), and human matter (blood, urine, bacteria).

 Inorganic soils are primarily composed of dirt and sand.  Mineral deposits, planting soil, hard water deposits, cement, fiberglass residue, and dust are all examples of inorganic soil.  Many soils are mixtures of both inorganic and organic soils.

 A simple definition for a cleaner is a chemical solution that helps to remove soil.  The type of soil encountered and the surface upon which the soil is deposited will be major factors in determining the type of chemical cleaner and the cleaning conditions required for soil removal.  There are a variety of cleaners formulated to remove a variety of soils. 

 TYPES OF CLEANING SOLUTIONS

 When considering cleaning, it is useful to think in terms of what is actually being accomplished.  Consider a hard surface upon which soil is deposited.  In order to remove or clean this soil from the surface via the use of conventional chemical cleaning techniques, three successive actions must occur:

1. The soil must be physically separated from the surface being cleaned.
2. The soil must be broken up and suspended in the chemical cleaning solution.
3. The soil must be physically removed, usually via rinsing or wiping from the surface.T

The primary types of cleaners used for removing soils are listed below:

1.  Detergents
2.  Alkaline Cleaners
3.  Acid Cleaners
4.  Disinfectants
5.  Bacteria and Enzymes
6.  Solvent Cleaners
7.  Emulsion Cleaners
8.  Abrasive Cleaners

 DETERGENTS: Detergents (or surfactants – surface active agents) perform several important functions.  First, they reduce the surface tension for aqueous (water based) solutions that allows for faster penetration of cleaners into soils.  Next, they provide emulsifying action, they chemically attach themselves to the surface of soil particles, solvents, greases, and waxes and keep them suspended (usually in water), so that they can be easily rinsed away.  A detergent cleaner performs four basic functions in order to penetrate and remove soil:  penetration, wetting, dispersion, and emulsifying.  The strength of each of these properties determines the efficacy of a detergent.

 The penetration function of a detergent allows the cleaning solution to flow into the pores of a surface and reach under and around embedded soils.  While surfaces appear smooth, they are actually composed of pores, pits, and crevices, in which soils become entrenched.  Lack of penetration power makes soil removal from surface crevices and pits extremely difficult.

 The surface tension of water and other aqueous solutions acts as a thin, fairly strong, barrier that prevents it from penetrating porous materials like cloth and surfaces.  Detergents increase the wetting ability of water by reducing the surface tension and in turn improving its ability to penetrate surface pours.  Without improved wetting, aqueous solutions would be repelled by surfaces that they are trying to clean.

 Dispersion is the process of breaking up and suspending solid masses of soil above the surface in the cleaning solution so that can be easily removed.  Soil suspension is important because it prevents soil from being redeposited on to the surface, ensuring that it is rinsed away with the cleaning solution.

 Due to the fact oil repels water, the emulsification property of detergents works to break up oily, greasy materials into tiny particles so that they are more easily dissolved in water.  Emulsifying agents actually make water and oil compatible so that greasy soils can be suspended in the aqueous cleaning solution, instead of being redeposited on the surface.

 pH is a term that describes the degree of alkalinity or acidity of a product.  The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, in which 7 is assigned to representing neutrality.  The range below 7 (approximately 0.5-6.5) represents the acidic scale, with 0.5 rating highly acidic and corrosive, and 6.5 rating slightly acidic.  The lower the number, the stronger the acid.  The range above 7 (approximately 7.5-14.0) represents the alkaline scale, with 14.0 rating highly alkaline and corrosive, and 7.5 slightly alkaline.  The higher the number, the more alkaline.

 pH numbers are also logarithmic.  For example, a pH of 9 is ten times more alkaline than a pH of 8.  A pH of 10 is 100 times more alkaline than a pH of 8.  On the acidic scale, a pH of 2 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 3 and one thousand times more acidic than a pH of 5.

 The advantage of neutral pH cleaners (or cleaners closer to a neutral pH) are that they tend to be safer for the end user and the environment.  For example, neutral pH floor cleaners have the least negative impact on floor finishes.  A high pH can actually yellow or remove floor finish.  Hand soaps are also neutral pH cleaners. 

 ALKALINE CLEANERS:  Alkaline cleaners enhance and speed up the cleaning process.  They often contain either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide which have a strong affinity for surfaces and in turn will work to modify the soil (make it more soluble).  Alkaline cleaners modify insoluble soils to render them easier to suspend and in turn rinse away.  The also make proteins and other alkaline susceptible organic soils dissolvable in water based solutions.  Please note that the majority of, but not all, soils are alkaline susceptible.  Therefore, the majority of cleaners are alkaline.  The alkaline pH range is approximately 7.5 (the least alkaline) to 14.0 (highly alkaline and corrosive).

 ACID CLEANERS:  Although the majority of soils are susceptible to alkaline agents, some are more susceptible to acids.  Acid cleaners are effective against tough inorganic stains like mineral deposits (lime and milk stone), soap film, certain molds, and rust because of their descaling ability.  Descaling involves the removal of soil in layers, the acid eats away at the layers of inorganic matter.  Acid cleaners usually contain either hydrochloric acid, which is good for heavy duty cleaning, or phosphoric acid which is considered to be safer and milder on surfaces than hydrochloric acid.

 DISINFECTANTS: Disinfectants kill or reduce bacteria, fungi, and viruses which cause disease on surfaces, leaving a residue that continues to kill microorganisms.  The chemistry is complex and many varieties are available.  We frequently use quaternary ammonium halides which attack bacteria cell walls.  It should be noted that many other sanitizers with different types of chemistry and chemicals structure are also available. 

 Disinfectant detergents work to destroy harmful bacteria while assisting with the soil removal.  The detergent component has certain ingredients that lift the soil away from the surface so it can be wiped away more easily, while the disinfecting component kills or reduces the bacteria population to acceptable levels.

 Disinfectant detergents (or any other type of cleaning chemical) should not be used simultaneously with the use of another chemical.  For example, a disinfectant cleaner used with an enzyme digester renders both products ineffective.  Mixing products that contain bleach and ammonia can release a toxic gas that could be harmful to the end user.  Products should only be mixed with water.  If two products are necessary to remove the soil one should be used and rinsed away and then the other, they should never be applied or mixed together.  Furthermore, because of the potential to render disinfectants ineffective, federal law prohibits the mixing or use of disinfectants in a manner that is inconsistent with label directions.

 The term hospital grade disinfectant refers to a disinfectant that is effective against a select number of bacteria, in particular Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonellla choleraesius, and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as a variety of other pathogenic organisms.

 Quaternary disinfectants or Quats are good all-purposed disinfectants.  They combat a broad spectrum of disease and odor causing organisms, are low in toxic or irritation properties, and provide odor control.  Additionally. Quats allow for a broader range of fragrances than most other disinfecting agents.  The quaternaries also possess some penetrating and wetting properties that increase the effectiveness of detergents and allow them to better dissolve into solutions.  Quats also tend to be less expensive than other types of disinfectants.

 Phenolic disinfectants or Phenols are also effective against a variety of gram positive and gram negative organisms. As well as the bacillus (type of bacteria) that causes tuberculosis, but are higher it toxicity and irritation properties and have a distinct odor.  Phenols also lack detergency properties and thus do not contribute to the wetting and penetrating functions of a product.

 Phenols are, however, preferred in many health care settings where blood spills and other infectious bodily fluids are more commonly encountered.  Due to the fact that Phenols are tuberculocidal, they are recommended to help people meet the OSHA Occupational Exposure to Blood Borne Pathogens Standard.  OSHA’s Blood Borne Pathogen Standard states that spills of regulated body fluids must be decontaminated with an appropriate disinfectant (which is defined as a tuberculocidal disinfectant) to prevent infection by blood borne pathogens, primarily Hepatitis B and AIDS.

 Although Tuberculosis in not spread through contact with hard surfaces (it is spread by inhalation of airborne particles), OSHA bases the standard on the presumption that killing Tuberculosis indicates that a disinfectant or chemical may have a greater capability for killing Hepatitis B.

 ENYYME AND BACTERIA CLEANERS:  Enzyme and Bacteria cleaners are composed of nonpathogenic (will not cause disease), living bacteria or enzymes that will break down and liquefy organic soils like fats, proteins, carbohydrates and grease, while simultaneously eliminating malodor.  Enzyme and Bacteria cleaners present an alternative to harsher chemical solutions like solvents and strong acids or alkalis, because they are more environmentally sensible, and more user friendly that products with extreme pH.

 The process by which enzyme and bacteria cleaners work is important to understand.  When a bacteria product is applied, the microorganisms are dormant.  They begin to grow and digest the waste that is present (their food source) and in turn multiply.

 Since bacteria don’t have mouths, they break down and metabolize waste by producing enzymes.  The waste that has been broken down is now small enough to be transported or absorbed through the bacteria cell wall.  Once the waste particles are inside the cell, they can be broken down and used as a fuel and energy source. Allowing the cell to reproduce again and again, thus repeating the process.  As long as the organic soils are available as a food source, the process will continue.

 Straight enzyme cleaners are products that contain only enzymes that have been separated from the bacteria that produce them.   These products also break sown soils like grease, starches, and proteins.  Once enzymes have done their work, they are used up and cannot reproduce themselves; in turn they will not be able to degrade any more waste.

 Bacteria products can be advantageous because they last longer and tent to be more effective – if food is available, bacteria are always producing enzymes and multiplying to degrade waste. 

 Enzyme and Bacteria cleaners are currently used primarily for drain line cleaning and odor control.  They can be applied once for a specific odor problem or organic waste clog, or they can be incorporated into an ongoing maintenance program, to minimize waste buildup and reduce the need for costly pumping.  A regular application of an enzyme and bacteria digester can be especially effective in controlling odor problem caused by organic soil build-up in cracks of tile, around the base of toilets, and long the sides of urinals and drains.

 SOVLVENT CLEANERS: Solvent cleaners are particularly effective for the removal of organic soils, and greases, etc.  The solvent removes the soil from the surfaces.  There are a number of different solvents.  The well-known “butyl” solvent is actually glycol ether, which allows aqueous solution to remove oily soils more effectively.  Glycol ether solvents are unique because they can be dissolved in oil or water.

 In some cases, hydrocarbon solvents are used because of their ability to attack greases.  Chlorinated solvents offer even more vigorous attack on oily soils.  However, due to the negative impact on the environment and the user health, many solvent products have been restricted, banned, or planned for future phase out.

 Solvent cleaners are good for removing oil based stains like greasy fingerprints on mirrors and windows.

 EMULSION CLEANERS: Emulsion cleaners are typically solvents that are mixed with detergents or other ingredients to form a stable cleaning product in water.  They emulsify oils (break the oil particles down so that they can be dissolved in water) making the particles compatible with water. For example, furniture polish as well liquid cleansers are often emulsion cleaners that are effective against both water and oil based stains.

 ABRASIVES:  Abrasives clean by mechanically sanding or grinding down a minute layer of the surface.  Abrasives can be useful for removing tough stains, but care should be take not to wear the surface down to the point that it becomes more porous and in turn susceptible to staining.  Heavy-duty cleaners like acid detergents and emulsion cleansers that are miler on surfaces, can often take the place of abrasive powders.  Products like acid bowl cleaners and abrasive stain removers should not be used on a daily basis.

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Industrial Supplies Michigan – Amerisource Industrial Supply  
  

The Basics — What Is It And Where It Is Found?   

First discovered in 1961, these MRSA infections are fiercely resistant to usually reliable beta antibiotics such as methicillin, oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. In rare cases, mild skin infections featuring boils or pimples can transform lactams into necrotizing fasciitis (“flesh eating”) bacterial infections that can spread with horrifying speed and result in amputations or death.     

Currently, the majority of MRSA cases are in Healthcare settings. According to an October 2007 study published in “The Journal of the American Medical Association” (JAMA), approximately 85% of invasive MRSA infections occur in these environments, while 14% are categorized as community-associated (CA-MRSA) infections, or in those individuals lacking the risk factors associated with healthcare environments. As outlined in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, more individuals died from MRSA in 2005 than from AIDS.    

Transmission and Vulnerability     

SOURCES

:CDC Web site. The American Academy of Family Physicians Web site. WebMD Web site.Capriotti, T. Dermatology Nursing, Jan. 26, 2004; vol 15: pp 535-538. Johnson, L.
Infections in Medicine, 2005; vol 22: pp 16-20.
Klevens, R.M. The Journal of the American Medical Association, Oct. 17, 2007; vol 298: pp 1763-1771. R. Monica Klevens, DDS, MPH, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, CDC, Atlanta.
Elizabeth Bancroft, MD, Acute Communicable Disease Control, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
CDC Basic Statistics, HIV/AIDS Status Report, 2005. WebMD Medical News: “MRSA Rates Much Higher Than Thought.”
CDC Press Release, “CDC estimates 94,000 invasive drug-resistant staph infections occurred in the U.S. in 2005.” October 16, 2007.
Linezolid for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in children. Kaplan SL - Pediatr Infect Dis J - 01-SEP-2003; 22(9 Suppl): S178-85
Prospective comparison of risk factors and demographic and clinical characteristics of community-acquired, methicillin-resistant versus methicillin-susceptible
Staphylococcus aureus infection in children.
Sattler CA - Pediatr Infect Dis J - 01-OCT-2002; 21(10): 910-7 Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the community. Bratcher D - Pediatr
Infect Dis J - 01-DEC-2001; 20(12): 1167-8

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Industrial Supplies Michigan – Carpet Spotters
Amerisource Industrial Supply

USING A CARPET SPOTTER TO IMPROVE CARPET CLEANING 

The following is an overview of training that explains the ways that you can use a carpet spotter to improve your overall carpet cleaning success. Carpet cleaning is harder than it looks because we have all experienced two of the most common problems and wonder what is going on.  It is easier than you think because the reason for the problems is straightforward. 

The three problems we encounter time after time are:

1. You had a spot and thought you cleaned it up yesterday.  Today, that same spot is now two or three times larger and even more noticeable.
2. You cleaned your carpet with an extractor last night and it looked pretty good.  This morning there are spots here, there, and everywhere.
3. I cleaned the carpet last night and it does not look as good as I think it should

 If you have experienced either of these problems, you know how frustrating they can be.  But, more importantly, we can deal with them to minimize your frustration.

 The Spot That Grows

There are a number of different carpet spotters – we use different cleaning chemicals to clean different types of soil.  For instance, there are spotters that are most effective against beverages (usually referred to as Tannin Spotters) and there are spotters more effective against food-based soil (usually referred to as Enzyme Spotters).  Spotting kits are available that include all the necessary chemicals to remove any type of spot with use instructions. In addition, there are extracting compounds, pre-sprays, and rinses. 

For our purposes here, we are presuming that you are using the right spotting product – we just want you to understand why the spot returns bigger than ever.

Imagine spilling some coffee.  It is now seeping into the carpet until it hits the impervious carpet backing or the hard floor that the carpet was laid on.   The carpet fibers are soaked wet and there is a pool of coffee at the bottom of the spot. You do the right thing.  You blot the spot and absorb as much of the coffee as possible.  Now you some of your carpet spotter designed for coffee spills and the spot looks ok.  Maybe, you even use a carpet spotter and quickly rinsed the spot.

If you are typical, when you come back the next day, the spot is still there and it is bigger than when you started.  This happens because the coffee lying under the spill on top of the carpet has spread out when it hit the carpet backing.  Maybe it is two-inch spot on top but it is more likely a five-inch pool underneath.

As the carpet fibers dry from the top down, the coffee wicks up the carpet fibers and they cover the entire five-inch pool – not just the two-inch spill.  Doing a quick rinse with a carpet spotter usually aggravates the problem by turning the five-inch pool into an eight-inch pool.

The solution is straightforward and it involves the carpet spotter.  The entire pool of coffee lying under the carpet needs to be extracted.  To do this, all you need to do is keep saturating the spot and sucking it up until the rinse water is coming back clear.  Once the water is coming back clear, the pool of coffee is gone and when the carpet dries, there is nothing to wick back up to make the spot return.

Extracted Last Night and Spotty This Morning

This problem is closely related to the growing spot problem – just on a larger scale.  When you extract a carpet, you get it wet.  It all goes back to those pools of coffee and such that are lying under the carpet.   This time, they are dry and you are going to rewet them with the extractor.  The same thing that happened when you did the quick pass with the carpet spotter will happen when you extract the carpet. 

The spots on the carpet tell us that there is something in or under the carpet.  When we wet it without pulling all of it out of the carpet, the carpet will dry and the dirty water will wick to the surface making another spot.  There are a few ways to handle this – the right way and the cosmetic way.

The right way is to pre-treat the spots and attempt to completely remove any of the spill that has pooled and dried under the carpet.  This can be done with your carpet spotter or with your extraction machine wand.  The cosmetic way is to come back after you extract and run a bonnet over the areas that have spotted.  This will remove the surface dirt and make it appear that the carpet is clean.

Of course, there is another problem that occurs.  Often, spots will show up where there was no indication of a spill in the first place.  This happens because the original spill or spot was surface cleaned but not thoroughly cleaned.  If a spill is completely dry and we successfully clean the carpet surface with a little chemical, we are setting ourselves up for a bigger problem when we do a full extraction.  That spot will come back bigger than ever.  This happens all the time.  At this point, there are two choices – remove the source of the spot with the carpet spotter or bonnet it to clean the surface knowing it will eventually come back again.

Cleaned The Carpet But It Doesn’t Look As Good As It Should

Sometimes dirty carpet it is not what it seems.  Maybe it is:

1. Dirty and needs to be cleaned
2. Full of detergent and needs to be rinsed out
3. Alkaline as a result of too much cleaning and needs to be neutralized
4. Worn out and in need of replacement

Using a carpet spotter, a few cleaning products, and 10 minutes can tell us a lot.  To determine what you are really facing and needs to be done – just put some warm water in the carpet spotter and do some testing.  Then you will know what you need to be doing.

The first test I run is to use the carpet spotter and no chemicals at all.  If you can rinse an area repeatedly and generate soapsuds, your carpet probably has detergent in it – this is residue left from prior cleanings.  Detergent in the carpet increases the speed of resoiling so the carpet gets dirty more quickly.  It this is the case, you do not need to add more detergent to the carpet – you can extract with hot water or use a rinse agent – in either case, the idea is to get the detergent out of the carpet.

The second test I run is to use one of my general purpose spotters and work some into the carpet – then I rinse the carpet with the warm water in the carpet spotter.  This tells me if the carpet is in fact dirty and if cleaning it will produce any results.  If the first test came up empty and the second test generates results, we know the carpet needs to be cleaned.

The third test I run is to use a carpet rinse or neutralizer to determine if the carpet has a condition know as “browning.”  If neither of the other tests generated the result I was looking for, it is possible that the carpet has become alkaline from prior cleanings and has lost its luster.  Using a rinse agent which is acidic in nature will neutralize the alkalinity and restore the carpet.  To perform this test, spray a diluted mixture of carpet rinse onto the carpet, work it in, and remove it with the warm water in the carpet spotter.  If the carpet brightens noticeably, the carpet needs to be extracted using a neutralizer.

Finally, it none of the tests have generated any results – it is probably time to replace the carpet.

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Janitorial Products Michigan Tennessee Wisconsin
Amerisource Industrial Supply

Nursing Home Chemicals by Area

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Janitorial Supplies Michigan – Amerisource Industrial Supply

Truth About Swine Flu 2009 H1N1

Ms. Michele Wingfield, Branch Chief, Product Science Branch of the US EPA Office of
Pesticide Programs, Antimicrobial Division is recommending the use of any registered
product with label claim against Influenza A. If your products have an Influenza A
label claim, you can use against the current H1N1 strain. That being said, you cannot
add “swine flu” to your label just because you have Influenza A. The Administration is
currently calling this strain 2009-H1N1 flu instead of swine flu.

DO NOT BE MISLEAD! There are NO disinfectants registered through the US EPA that
can claim to be effective against the 2009H1N1 strain of “swine flu.” All current swine flu
claims refer to animal quarters.

Amerisource Products effective agains Influenza A

BIG DINSINFECTANT
150 SANITIZER

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Janitorial Supplies Michigan – Amerisource Industrial Supply

INTERIM CLEANING        MONTHLY HI TRAFFIC
                                                           ELSEWHERE EVERY OTHER MONTH

Products                                  Equipment
Dri-Way                                   Tornado Vacuum CW30
Spotting Kit                            Dri-Way Jr. Dual Brush
                                                    Pile Brush
                                                    Spotting Brush

1. Remove moveable obstructions for wall-to-wall vacuuming
2. Pick up large debris
3. Sprinkle generously Dri-Way compound on traffic lanes
4. Work Dri-Way compound into the carpet with Dri-Way Jr. Dual Brush
5. Let stand until dry to the touch. This allows for maximum soil absorption.
6. Pile Brush traffic lanes removing Dri-Way compound and imbedded soil. Always brush opposite to traffic pattern.
7. Vacuum wall to wall with Tornado Carpet Keeper. Do not be concerned; if some Dri-Way compound is left in the carpet, it acts to retard soil.
8. Identify spots refer to spotting guide for removal products
9. Apply spotter and work in to center of spot with brush
10. Allow 10 minutes for spotter to work
11. Rinse spot with Tornado Pro Spot Extractor
12. If spot persist, apply clean/dry terry towel and weight to pull out spot

Productivity    Pile Brush               2,000sq ft/hour
                              Dri-Way                  3,000sq ft/hour

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Carpet Care Chemicals

Encapsulating vs Traditional chemicals 

Traditional carpet cleaning chemicals contain detergents that are sticky by nature and are de­signed to attract and suspend dirt, separating it from the carpet fiber. The problem with these types of chemicals is that there is no known wet cleaning system that completely removes 100% of these detergents from the carpet during the cleaning process. This means that every time a carpet is wet cleaned, using traditional carpet cleaning products, chemical, along with unrecovered soil, builds up and adds to the ongoing struggle and cost of keeping carpets clean year-round.

The efficacy of traditional detergents stops there, but the encapsulating component of good cleaning chemistry will go one step further, surrounding (encapsulating) the detergent and dirt with a carpet-safe polymer. It is when the carpet dries that the secondary benefit of encapsula­tion technology is realized. Traditional detergents leave behind sticky residues that lead to rapid resoiling. But an encapsu­lating detergent dries into a hard crystalline material that fractures off the carpet fiber during the dry vacuuming process. Therefore an important benefit of encapsulation is that any residue left behind is of a non-sticky nature, and consequently does not result in rapid resoiling.

Seeing is Believing! The Difference is Crystal Clear

This demonstrates how traditional chemicals leave a sticky, soil attracting residue while the encapsulating product leaves a dry, non-sticky residue that will not attract new soil.

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What are “Green Products?”

A common misconception about “Green”, also known as Environmentally Preferred Products is that they are made to protect the environment.   And while that is true, more importantly Green Products are designed to protect the people who use chemicals for cleaning on a regular basis.   Many cleaning products we use everyday contain ingredients that are known or suspected to have possible long-term health implications.  Green Products are formulated to remove all of the potentially harmful ingredients.

Why should I use “Green Products?”

Now, more than ever, people are using “Green” products. The most common reasons are:

• To protect the health of employees and guests. There are concerns about workers long-term exposure to certain ingredients in cleaning chemicals via skin contact and inhalation. 
• Short-term costs:
  • Rising healthcare costs, loss of productivity and workers compensation premiums associated with occupational illness.
• Long-term costs:
  • Potential future liability associated with exposure to currently unknown harmful chemical ingredients.  We live in a very litigious society. This has already happened with items such as asbestos, tobacco and lead-based paint.
• The Federal government is actively promoting the use of green chemistry. Many federal, State and city government facilities are already using green products.  By 2010, all U.S. Federal contracts are required to use green products.

How can I identify a “Green Product”?

This can be difficult to do. The old adage “Let the Buyer Beware” definitely applies. Some manufacturers have taken advantage of the “Green Revolution” by misleading customers into thinking their products are green by simply changing the name of the product to a “green sounding” name or by removing only a few ingredients and not actually completely reformulating their products.

There are two primary standards for green products in our industry: Green Seal and the EPA.

1. Green Seal, a Washington, DC-based private business has developed 29 standards ranging from alternate fuel vehicles, newsprint and limited cleaning products. They charge manufacturers a fee to register their products.  Green Seal does not have a testing protocol for Floor Finishes, Sealers, Strippers or Maintainers.
2. The EPA, who has developed the Design for the Environment Program (DfE) for institutional cleaners and maintenance products.

We at Pioneer Eclipse believe that the EPA is the ultimate authority for Environmentally Preferred Products because:

• They are part of the U.S. Federal government and not a privately-owned business.
• EPA testing standards include All Products used in our industry, not just a select few.  Additionally, the EPA testing standards are much more restrictive (safer) than Green Seal.

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This is a very common problem in all men’s restrooms no matter the age of the bathroom.  Even the best and most frequent cleaning will not rid the bathroom of the reappearing urine smell.  Hilton Hotels had this problem in a 3 month old facility and had cleaning staff detailing grout lines with a toothbrush.  Well no need for such medieval methods.

There is more than one answer to this difficult problem.  The real cause of the problem is urine loving bacteria that grow in the grout.  Urine penetrates the grout even if it is sealed with silicone or floor finish.  Surface cleaning does not penetrate deep enough to kill the bacteria so once the cleaner’s odor has dissipated the urine smell returns. 

Solution 1: Immediately after mopping spray the urinal or bowl areas with Nilodor’s Bacteria/Enzyme.  The bacteria/enzyme must be applied when the floor is wet. The product will destroy the urine loving bacteria and the odor will be eliminated.  It may take a week of application to get the bathroom back in control.  After the initial period regular treatments will keep the problem in check.

Solution 2: Clean the floor as above and then Amreps CRYSTAL GUARD IMPREGNATOR AMRB00848.  This clear impregnator is impervious to urine. As a result, the urine will not penetrate the grout and can be cleaned away in daily mopping.  It does not change the slip characteristics of the floor nor can you notice that it has been applied.

Solution 3: Clean the floor as in solution 1 and then put down a Urinal Floor Guard.  The Floor Guard fits under the urinal and catches the urine over spray thus eliminated the problem by preventing the urine from reaching the floor.  It is applied with velcro so the area under the Floor Guard can be cleaned.  It works very simply by catching urine in an absorbent treated with enzymes.  After a certain period 3 days to one week just pick it up and throw the top replaceable unit away and install a new one.

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BUSINESS PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PLANNING

 Overview

In the event of pandemic influenza, businesses will play a key role in protecting employees’ health and safety as well as limiting the negative impact to the economy and society. Planning for pandemic influenza is critical. To assist you in your efforts, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed the following checklist for large businesses. It identifies important, specific activities large businesses can do now to prepare, many of which will also help you in other emergencies. Further information can be found at www.pandemicflu.gov and www.cdc.gov/business.

QUICK ACTION GUIDE

• 1. Liberal leave policy to anyone exhibiting fever, cough and flu symptoms
• 2. Promote frequent hand washing or sanitizing after personal contact
• a. Carry personal hand sanitizer
• 3. Avoid touching nose, eyes and face with hands
• 4. Cough into arm vs hands
• 5. Consider applying protective residual disinfectant coating to all hard surfaces

CHECKLIST

1.1 Plan for the impact of a pandemic on your business:

• 1. Identify a pandemic coordinator and/or team with defined roles and responsibilities for preparedness and response planning. The planning process should include input from labor representatives.
• 2. Identify essential employees and other critical inputs (e.g. raw materials, suppliers, sub-contractor services/products, and logistics) required to maintain business operations by location and function during a pandemic.
• 3. Train and prepare ancillary workforce (e.g. contractors, employees in other job titles/descriptions, retirees).
• 4. Develop and plan for scenarios likely to result in an increase or decrease in demand for your products and/or services during a pandemic (e.g. effect of restriction on mass gatherings, need for hygiene supplies).
• 5. Determine potential impact of a pandemic on company business financials using multiple possible scenarios that affect different product lines and/or production sites.
• 6. Determine potential impact of a pandemic on business-related domestic and international travel (e.g. quarantines, border closures).
• 1. Find up-to-date, reliable pandemic information from community public health, emergency management, and other sources and make sustainable links.
• 2. Establish an emergency communications plan and revise periodically. This plan includes identification of key contacts (with back-ups), chain of communications (including suppliers and customers), and processes for tracking and communicating business and employee status.
• 3. Implement an exercise/drill to test your plan, and revise periodically.

1.2 Plan for the impact of a pandemic on your employees and customers:

• 1. Forecast and allow for employee absences during a pandemic due to factors such as personal illness, family member illness, community containment measures and quarantines, school and/or business closures, and public transportation closures.
• 2. Implement guidelines to modify the frequency and type of face-to-face contact (e.g. hand-shaking, seating in meetings, office layout, shared workstations) among employees and between employees and customers (refer to CDC recommendations).
• 3. Encourage and track annual influenza vaccination for employees.
• 4. Evaluate employee access to and availability of healthcare services during a pandemic, and improve services as needed.
• 5. Evaluate employee access to and availability of mental health and social services during a pandemic, including corporate, community, and faith-based resources, and improve services as needed.
• 6. Identify employees and key customers with special needs, and incorporate the requirements of such persons into your preparedness plan.

1.3 Establish policies to be implemented during a pandemic:

• 1. Establish policies for employee compensation and sick-leave absences unique to a pandemic (e.g. non-punitive, liberal leave), including policies on when a previously ill person is no longer infectious and can return to work after illness.
• 2. Establish policies for flexible worksite (e.g. telecommuting) and flexible work hours (e.g. staggered shifts).
• 3. Establish policies for preventing influenza spread at the worksite (e.g. promoting respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette, and prompt exclusion of people with influenza symptoms).
• 4. Establish policies for employees who have been exposed to pandemic influenza, are suspected to be ill, or become ill at the worksite (e.g. infection control response, immediate mandatory sick leave).
• 5. Establish policies for restricting travel to affected geographic areas (consider both domestic and international sites), evacuating employees working in or near an affected area when an outbreak begins, and guidance for employees returning from affected areas (refer to CDC travel recommendations).
• 6. Set up authorities, triggers, and procedures for activating and terminating the company’s response plan, altering business operations (e.g. shutting down operations in affected areas), and transferring business knowledge to key employees.

1.4 Allocate resources to protect your employees and customers during a pandemic:

• 1. Provide sufficient and accessible infection control supplies (e.g.hand-hygiene products, tissues and receptacles for their disposal) in all business locations.
• 2. Enhance communications and information technology infrastructures as needed to support employee telecommuting and remote customer access.
• 3. Ensure availability of medical consultation and advice for emergency response.

1.5 Communicate to and educate your employees:

• 1. Develop and disseminate programs and materials covering pandemic fundamentals (e.g. signs and symptoms of influenza, modes of transmission), personal and family protection and response strategies (e.g. hand hygiene, coughing/sneezing etiquette, contingency plans).
• 2. Anticipate employee fear and anxiety, rumors and misinformation and plan communications accordingly.
• 3. Ensure that communications are culturally and linguistically appropriate.
• 4. Disseminate information to employees about your pandemic preparedness and response plan.
• 5. Provide information for the at-home care of ill employees and family members.
• 6. Develop platforms (e.g. hotlines, dedicated websites) for communicating pandemic status and actions to employees, vendors, suppliers, and customers inside and outside the worksite in a consistent and timely way, including redundancies in the emergency contact system.
• 7. Identify community sources for timely and accurate pandemic information (domestic and international) and resources for obtaining counter-measures (e.g. vaccines and antivirals).

1.6 Coordinate with external organizations and help your community:

• 1. Collaborate with insurers, health plans, and major local healthcare facilities to share your pandemic plans and understand their capabilities and plans.
• 2. Collaborate with federal, state, and local public health agencies and/or emergency responders to participate in their planning processes, share your pandemic plans, and understand their capabilities and plans.
• 3. Communicate with local and/or state public health agencies and/or emergency responders about the assets and/or services your business could contribute to the community.
• 4. Share best practices with other businesses in your communities, chambers of commerce, and associations to improve community response efforts.

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