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Looks Just Like New! How to Scrub & Recoat Your Resilient Floors

WAXIE Account Consultant Hope S. learns how to use a floor machine as part of a scrub & recoat training session at WAXIE San Diego

By: WAXIE Editorial Staff  |  December 11, 2019

A scrub & recoat procedure is integral to any resilient and hard floor care maintenance program. If done periodically it can improve the appearance of your floors without having to do the more time-consuming strip & refinish procedure as often.

Keeping your facility clean and safe is a lot of work, especially around the holidays when winter weather & tons of foot traffic can muck your floors up faster. When dirt, water and ice melt get tracked into your building your regular daily maintenance routine just can't keep up, which creates the potential for a slip and fall accident to occur. However implementing interim cleaning procedures makes it much easier for custodial staffs to preserve a consistent & high level of cleanliness, while maintaining safety for building staff & guests.

Topics: Hard Floor Care, flooring, cleaning tips

America Recycles Day: Keep Calm & Recycle On

By: Briana Smith  |  November 13, 2019

America Recycles Day is coming up this Friday, November 15th and it’s a day to educate, to motivate & to make recycling bigger & better!

We are at a crossroads when it comes to the state of the recycling industry. As was mentioned in our The Future of Recycling article, China started banning “foreign garbage” in 2018 which encompassed recyclables from the United States that are often contaminated due to improper collection & disposal practices. This contamination in the recycling stream has caused processing problems at recycling centers here as well, as consumers are unaware of their local waste management rules & regulations resulting in “hopeful recycling.”

Topics: Zero Waste, Recycling, Sustainability, Waste Diversion

Why Vaporization Is Better Than Other Odor Control Methods

Guest Blog By: Fresh Wave IAQ  |  October 30, 2019

The Safer Alternative to Ozone, Hydroxyl, and Fragrances

There are many techniques and technologies for removing commercial odors – each with its pros and cons. The range of methods span from:

• inexpensive but less effective (masking fragrances)
  to
• potent but dangerous (ozone machines)
  to
• powerful but time consuming (hydroxyl machines)

When it comes to the best of all factors, nothing compares to vaporization of plant-based products for safe, fast, effective, and efficient odor elimination.

Topics: Indoor Air Quality, healthcare, odor control, Hospitality

Business Downtime Due to Odors

Guest Blog By: Fresh Wave IAQ  |  October 16, 2019

Calculating the Cost (And Solving the Problem) of Smelly Rooms

Whether it’s a hospital or hotel, resort or senior living community, no one wants to stay in a smelly room. Tobacco smoke, food, even bodily fluids (vomit or urine) can leave behind traces of the previous visitor and create a reputation for uncleanliness at an establishment.

Hospitality and healthcare facilities can’t afford to offer a room with lingering odors. In hotel rooms, specifically, two-thirds of travelers have complained, asked for a different room, requested a discount or refund, or cancelled their reservations if confronted with room odors, according to a Hampton Hotels survey. After a visit, one bad review can mean a loss of untold future customers.

In addition to discounts, refunds, or lost business, the odor removal process can make a big impact to the bottom line. Some odor-eliminating techniques (like masking fragrances) do not completely remove odors, risking future complaints or “one star” reviews. Others (like ozone generators) are expensive and unsafe—requiring a room to be closed off while being treated—meaning it cannot generate revenue.

Topics: Indoor Air Quality, healthcare, odor control, Hospitality

Light Up Your Life: Retrofitting Your Lighting with Energy-Efficient LEDs

By: WAXIE Editorial Staff  |  September 25, 2019

In today’s age it is almost impossible not to see LED lighting at every turn. From streetlights and parking lots – to department stores and hotels – LED is everywhere.

In the past, darkness prevailed. Car dealers were turning off their lot lighting at midnight in an effort to save money, and the energy crunch resulted in reduced lighting in offices and businesses alike. Some stores appeared closed as the lights were so low.

Back then, energy saving solutions required reducing your light output because a lower wattage lamp was also a lower lumen lamp. These days the lights are on! Auto dealerships are brightly lit throughout the night, and supermarkets are back to enticing their customers with bright sparkling stores. A car dealership can now replace a 1000 watt high intensity fixture with a 300 Watt LED fixture, resulting in a 70% operating cost reduction.

Topics: facility maintenance, lighting

You Can’t Touch This! The Benefits of No-Touch Cleaning Caddies

By: Chris Meyer  |  September 12, 2019

A Harris Interactive Survey found that 94% of adults surveyed would avoid a business in the future if they encountered a dirty restroom.

So if you want to prevent customers from walking out the door, you shouldn’t be relying on outdated equipment like string or flat mops to keep your restrooms clean.

Modern, no-touch cleaning caddies are far more efficient and hygienic. In fact, here are a few of the no-touch cleaning caddy’s most significant benefits compared to traditional equipment.

Topics: cleaning equipment, Restroom Care, workplace wellness, versa

These Boots Are Made for Walking...on Floor Mats

By: WAXIE Editorial Staff  |  August 14, 2019

Every facility, no matter the weather, should have a matting program. When planning a mat program, high traffic areas should be pinpointed and consideration should be given to environmental exposure. Strategic placement of mats is essential for maximum effectiveness.

Entrance matting can improve air quality, protect floors and carpets, prevent slips and falls, and save you money and time. Each mat is designed to stop dirt and moisture by performing a specific job to keep your facility clean.

Topics: Hard Floor Care, flooring, floor matting

IoT and the Future of Commercial Cleaning

By: Andrea Gomes  |  July 31, 2019
Reprinted with permission from OctoClean

With each breakthrough in product and technology development, our industry becomes better equipped to manage infection control and create new standards that reflect what we've learned.

One leader in improving commercial cleaning is the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT is the interconnection via the Internet of computing devices found in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data.

IoT technology has become increasingly popular in homes with the use of devices like Nest thermostats and surveillance systems, Google Home, and other app controlled devices. As businesses begin to also implement IoT in their facilities, it impacts the commercial cleaning industry for the better.

Topics: IoT, industry news, cleaning tips

How to Choose, Use & Care for a Dust Mop

By: WAXIE Editorial Staff  |  July 17, 2019

On Dust Mops…

Dust mopping is the second line of defense for protecting your investment (after entrance matting) in hard floors and hard floor care programs. When performed regularly and thoroughly with the right tools, dust mopping saves time and money. It helps maintain high gloss while extending the life of your floor program, since proper dust mopping will remove the fine abrasive soils that grind and wear on your floor finish.

Topics: Hard Floor Care, mops, flooring, cleaning tips