The Original Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT) – Asphalt & Asbestos Tile Flooring

By: Briana Smith, Social Media & Product Branding Specialist, WAXIE Sanitary Supply

Unless your facility has been built sometime in the last 20 years or so, there is a good probably that your flooring is either some form of asbestos or asphalt tile. These tiles were a type of vinyl composition tiles (VCT), which were used predominately between the 1920s through to the early 1980s. At the beginning of the 1980s, modern non-asbestos containing vinyl composition tiles became standard, as asbestos related materials – including adhesives & mastics that had asbestos in them – were recognized as being hazardous by the EPA.

Modern VCT tiles are designed in a different manner, as they are produced from a mixture of colored polyvinyl chloride (PVC) chips, and are often made to resemble high-end flooring materials such as stone, wood, etc. without the cost. VCT is still a very popular flooring material as it holds up well in busy high-traffic areas, has a long lifespan and is much less expensive than high-end flooring options.

Topics: Hard Floor Care, flooring

New Year, New Beginnings – Partnering with Our Customers to Solve Their Cleaning Needs

By: Briana Smith, Social Media & Product Branding Specialist, WAXIE Sanitary Supply

The beginning of the year is often synonymous with fresh starts and new introductions, and this year was no exception.

At WAXIE, we value the partnerships we have with our customers, and oftentimes these partnerships require creative and customized solutions. We want to work with our customers so that together we can devise the best answer for their cleaning challenges to help them reach their goals – usually through a combination of logistics, organization and training with a comprehensive understanding of products, procedures and facility needs.

Building service contractors (BSC) have to work with these scenarios daily to assist their clients as well. WAXIE has the expertise and flexibility to help our BSC partners with their facility supply solutions. We can provide start-up support, as well as exclusive technology & analytics, training tools and a broad range of third-party ecolabel certified products so that you have everything you need to hit the ground running.

Topics: company news, Building Service Contractors

2014- A Year in Review: Sustainability, Cleaning Tips & Industry News

By: Briana Smith, Social Media & Product Branding Specialist, WAXIE Sanitary Supply

It’s always interesting to look back and reflect on the twists and turns of what was going on during the course of a year. Checking out the major milestones that have been achieved, world happenings, new industry innovations, upcoming trends and the like. Contemplating which of these trends may continue forth into the new year.

Sustainability is no longer a trend, but a lifestyle that society is embracing more and more each year. We'll continue to see new innovations in a variety of products, accessories & ways of doing things that will make it easier to practice both individually & for businesses. Water conservation in particular has been a hot topic – the drought in the West is not something that will be gone quickly and has caused many to rethink water usage and consumption.

Topics: Hand Hygiene, Green Cleaning, company news

The Benefits of Scrubbing & Recoating Your Floors

By: Briana Smith  |  December 9, 2014

Keeping your flooring looking great can take a bit of work, and each flooring type, whether it be natural stone, wood, VCT (vinyl composition tile), etc. has its unique set of challenges to take into consideration.

Softer flooring surfaces, such as VCT, marmoleum, linoleum, etc. typically need several layers of floor finish to protect the flooring material from the wear and tear of shoes that drag in dirt, sand and other debris from the out-of-doors. Synthetic flooring materials are very resilient and can be low-maintenance if you take care of them properly.

Topics: Hard Floor Care, flooring, cleaning tips

Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing a Floor Machine or Burnisher

By: Mike Anderson, Commercial Equipment Specialist, WAXIE Sanitary Supply

WAXIE Boise CEP Stone Floor Care Training – Cleaning & maintaining various stone flooring materials using a floor machine, as well as the proper cleaning products & accessories.

Floor machines are perfect for using any time you need a scrubber or a mop and you can use them just as you would a vacuum or a mop. Whenever the appearance of your facility is not up to your standards, it’s time to get the floor machine out. Remember, preventative care is much cheaper than restorative care and floor finishes can degrade fast depending on how much foot traffic your floor gets. Cleaning the dirt, debris and sand from your floors regularly will help maintain a brilliant shine.

We generally call them low speeds, but low speed floor machines are also commonly referred to as… swing machines, buffers, side by sides, polishers and scrubbers. In Spanish they refer to it as the “Machina Loca,” which translates to crazy machine – no joke.

A buffer or polisher can also mean a burnisher. So get the name correct.

Keep in mind that the best floor care maintenance program takes several key factors into consideration, the floor machine being just one of them. The others are your flooring material, floor finish, floor pad being used, the amount of foot traffic, as well as your maintenance schedule.

Topics: Hard Floor Care, machines & equipment, cleaning tips

You Only Have One Chance to Make a First Impression

By: Briana Smith & Fred Capriotti  |  November 20, 2014

Here’s What You Can Do to Make the Right One

With the advent of social media and the evolution of online review forums & platforms like TripAdvisor, Yelp, Google+, etc. first impressions of hotel rooms are vital. Guests are often quick & very vocal about any problems that they experience during their stay.

Oftentimes staff in housekeeping, at the front desk or a manager isn’t even aware that there was an issue until after the fact when negative reviews are posted. Managers are often willing to address any guest concerns that may arise, but it’s difficult to do if they are not made aware of the problem in the first place.

So what can you do?

Always put your best foot forward.

Topics: Green Cleaning, Education, Hospitality

America Recycles Day: Highlighting San Diego’s Path to Zero Waste

For the last several years in recognition of America Recycles Day on November 15, WAXIE has posted an article on the topic of recycling to this blog page. In keeping with the tradition this year, WAXIE is excited to partner with the Environmental Services Department at the City of San Diego who have been kind enough to provide the following article on the topic of Zero Waste for our blog.

To learn more about America Recycles Day: http://americarecyclesday.org/

San Diego’s Path to Zero Waste

Guest Post By: Chelsea Klaseus & Rebecca Hays, City of San Diego Environmental Specialists

Did you know that the State of California has a goal to divert 75% of trash from landfills (AB 341)? The City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department (ESD) is making great strides on the path towards Zero Waste in order to achieve that goal and go beyond. On December 16, 2013, the City adopted a Zero Waste Objective that established the precise targets for the City to develop a Zero Waste Plan (ZWP) of 75% diversion of waste from landfills by 2020 and Zero Waste by 2040. 

Topics: Recycling, Sustainability, Waste Management

Hand Washing Helps Prevent the Spread of Infectious Diseases

So Why Aren't People Doing It?

By: Briana Smith  |  October 30, 2014

Infection prevention is of great importance right now, especially with Ebola and Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) featuring prominently in the news headlines. It’s even more important than ever to educate and promote proper hand hygiene not only at hospitals and healthcare facilities, but for everyone in the community, including children. Hand washing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infection transmission from one person to another, and it the easiest to do.

Bacteria & viruses can spread easily from one person to another whether through direct contact or when someone touches a surface contaminated by someone else who is infectious. Hand washing is considered ubiquitous when discussing infection prevention, but the problem is not everyone is actually doing it.

Topics: Hand Hygiene, workplace wellness, Education

Helping Out in the Community: Chamber Computer Challenge Benefiting Computers 2 San Diego Kids

WAXIE Sanitary Supply in San Diego is a proud supporter of Computers 2 San Diego Kids and the “Chamber Computer Challenge.” The challenge is a campaign benefiting Computers 2 San Diego Kids, who are celebrating their 10th year of refurbishing computers donated by local companies to give to families who do not have a computer in their household. We'd like to help by getting the word out. The San Diego Regional Chamber, Computers to San Diego Kids (C2SDK) and U-T San Diego released this press release the other day.

San Diego Regional Chamber, U-T San Diego and Computers 2 SD Kids Launch “Chamber Computer Challenge” to Collect Computers for Families

In an effort to provide low-income families and children with a computer that will bring technology to their home for the first time, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce has joined forces with U-T San Diego and Computers 2 SD Kids (C2SDK) to launch the “Chamber Computer Challenge” campaign.

Topics: community involvement