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

Tackling Grease in Kitchen Grout Lines with the Windsor TAZ

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

Kitchens are notorious for collecting many types of food grease and oils deep in the grout lines. Unfortunately, if this isn’t cleaned up properly & regularly it becomes a health and safety problem as bacteria and grime can quickly multiply in those small crevices. Plus greasy floors can easily lead to slip & fall accidents.

Oftentimes, even after regular sweeping and mopping there is still some grease that gets caught in those grout lines, and after a while your previously tan grout looks black. Talk about frustrating!

Recently Mike, our Equipment Specialist in WAXIE Ontario, visited a customer who cleans their floors regularly, but who was having a tough time with those pesky grout lines.

Topics: Hard Floor Care, machines & equipment, Foodservice

Investing in Technology & Innovations – Planning for the Future

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

Building partnerships with our customers, vendors and suppliers is important to WAXIE. A partner you can depend on is worth their weight in gold. They can make a job or a project go a lot easier, smoother and more efficient. When a problem arises, a great partner will be right there helping to figure out the best solution. That is the type of partner that both Descartes & Oracle have been for WAXIE as we strive to continuously improve logistics for both our internal and external systems.

As our Chairman & CEO Charles Wax always says, “Investing in our people and our systems has always been a hallmark in our business strategy and paramount in providing us the opportunity to serve our customers.”

Topics: Innovation, company news

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Kick-Off Breakfast 2014

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

“Let’s put the American Cancer Society out of business!” rallied Susan Taylor (Executive Director, External Affairs - Scripps Health) who closed out the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Kick-Off Breakfast at the Town & Country Hotel in San Diego, CA yesterday morning.

That’d be nice, wouldn't it?

Since 1993, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has been fundraising towards this goal of eradicating breast cancer through their Making Strides Walks. In 2013, they had over 30,000 at the San Diego Making Strides Walk in Balboa Park raising over $945,000. WAXIE has been a proud supporter of the walk since 2007, and now all of our divisions are helping in the fight for more birthdays participating in nine different walks across the Western United States.

Topics: community involvement, Making Strides

WAXIE Joins Forces with VPWC to Provide Needed Supplies to Veterans

By: Stacy Main, Senior Account Executive, WAXIE Sanitary Supply

WAXIE Ontario has joined with Veterans Partnering with Communities, Inc. (VPWC), which is an organization that helps support the men and women veterans and their families in our community. Hearing their stories of what they have seen, lived through and came home to is heartbreaking, so when presented with the opportunity to help give back to our veterans, WAXIE Ontario jumped at the opportunity. 

Our first community project was in August 2014 for the “SHEROS” or women veterans. When men and women are serving together they are considered “equal”, however no one ever realized that women are serving all over the world with NO feminine products provided to them. As women are coming in and out of the VA Hospitals they are leaving with no personal hygiene products either (as these are not covered by the government).

Topics: community involvement