Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Cleaning with Purpose!

There is no better time than the start of a new year to be intentional about new and better ways of cleaning. In addition to this, other strategies than cleaning help to keep a facility safe.

There is a definite change in the attitude of cleaning today. Today, we clean for a different reason than we used to. It used to be that the impression of a building was the primary concern in facilities. Although today's day and age still focuses on impression, health is now the primary reason behind cleaning. Those in charge are recognizing the effect on business when a facility is not properly cleaned. The bottom line is that people stay healthier, happier, and there is less illness and absenteeism when facilities are cleaned the right way for the right reason.

Bacteria lurk in cracks, crevices, and behind corners hiding out and multiplying fast. Did you know that every fifteen minutes, 1 bacteria cell splits and becomes 2 cells? Well if you didn't, you do now and knowledge is powerful. You see this statistic becomes very important when you think of an eight hour day. Let's take a look at the math. In 15 minutes 1 bacteria cell becomes 2. In 30 minutes 2 become 4. In 45 minutes 4 become 8 and so on. After 8 hours, 1 bacteria cell becomes 4,399,824,896 bacteria cells. Unclean hands alone can be responsible for 500 to 1000 bacteria cells.

In order to combat the spreading of these bacteria, those in the proper positions are realizing the need to remove soil properly, teach proper hand washing techniques, and utilize innovative products such as touch-free restrooms. In many cases a thorough cleaning will remove a large amount of bacteria. Once the gross soil is gone, the disinfecting portion of cleaners has a chance to kill off bad bacteria that have been hiding underneath those soil layers and in small cracks and crevices. This is important in keeping the facility healthy. When people wash their hands properly, they are ridding their hands of bacteria. It is not as important to have antimicrobial soaps as it is to wash and scrub hands thoroughly. This will essentially scrub bacteria down the drain. Another process facilities are utilizing is touch free restrooms. This in combination with proper bathroom cleaning and washing of hands becomes a third strategy that will help in the reduction of spreading bacteria. The touch free restroom utilizes toilet and urinal flushers, faucets, soap dispensers that mount both in the counter and on the wall, and hand towel cabinets which all carry one property; none of them require touching in order to operate. This allows a person to walk in and flush the toilet or urinal, turn on the faucet, get hand soap, scrub and rinse their hands, and get a hand towel without touching anything that might have bacteria. A "true" hands free restroom also utilizes toilet seat covers and a strategic positioning of the wastebasket. A wastebasket positioned by the door is the best scenario. This allows someone to utilize their hand towel while opening the door and still pitch it in the waste container while walking out.

There are many new and innovative cleaning techniques and products that come out in the cleaning industry on a regular basis. If you would like more information on cleaning product, techniques, or touch-free restroom products please feel free to contact customer service at (517) 487-3362, or your current Lansing Sanitary Supply representative.

If you would like to contact LSS Inc. or see more of our products, please call (800) 632-6333, or by email at staff@lssclean.com