Spring Break Restorative Cleaning at Perkins K-8 in Barrio Logan

By Lee Jackson

On Wednesday March 29th, myself and a motivated group of 14 individuals from the WAXIE Sanitary Supply sales team descended on Perkins K-8 in the Barrio Logan section of San Diego to lend a hand to the custodians with their restorative cleaning.

As the morning began, the WAXIE San Diego team unloaded two trucks worth of commercial floor care equipment and restorative bathroom cleaners, and immediately got to work. Thanks to a prior survey of the school, it was determined that the areas of primary concern for the staff were the floors in a large multipurpose room, their kitchen, a teacher’s lounge, and multiple large restrooms.

All hands on deck! WAXIE San Diego General Manager Lee Jackson using the Windsor Kärcher Chariot (left); our hardworking Perkins K-8 custodial partners Jose Ruben Meave, Custodial Services Supervisor, and Michael Garcia, Building Services Supervisor (right)

Completing these projects would greatly improve the appearance and maintenance needs of some of the most highly visible areas of the campus, as well as freeing up the facilities crew to focus on other sanitation needs during the short spring recess.

In order to accomplish the large amount of cleaning tasks identified in a single day, WAXIE brought along some of the newest technology available for the project.

This included two orbital autoscrubbers that quickly removed finish from the waxed floors without the use of caustic stripping chemicals, two Windsor Kärcher Taz orbital machines that are versatile enough to be used to restore carpet or tile, a WAXIE VERSA High Performance Cleaning Caddy (a touchless cleaning system that can be used in restrooms, kitchens, stairwells, etc.), as well as other time-saving tools such as the SquareScrub DoodleScrub (which combines the convenience of a traditional doodlebug with a powerful, yet compact electric motor).

Account Consultant Jay Simpson using the Kärcher Taz to scrub the floor while Equipment Specialist Albert Gonzalez gets ready to follow up with the WAXIE VERSA (left); restorative cleaning makes a big difference as evidenced in the before & after (right)

While working, the WAXIE team took the opportunity to train some of our newest employees on cleaning techniques, as well as to demonstrate the equipment being utilized to school district personnel who stopped by the campus to view the progress.

To everyone’s surprise, the project was nearly complete by lunchtime, and the group all took a break to enjoy lunch while waiting for fresh coats of finish to dry on the floors.

Before leaving, I thanked everyone involved with the clean-up effort and announced that I had one more surprise in store for Michael Garcia, Building Services Supervisor, at Perkins K-8. After learning of the school’s need for some new equipment and tools, Rick Hawkins, Sales Manager, had arranged for a donation of a desperately needed wet/dry vacuum from Windsor Kärcher equipment, and a full pallet of brand new Rubbermaid Commercial Products tools, mop buckets, and receptacles.

The crew ended the day with the satisfaction that some children would be surprised with a freshly cleaned campus, and a group picture in front of their shiny floor and new products.

Lee Jackson is WAXIE San Diego’s General Manager. He started his career at WAXIE Portland in 2006 as a Sales Consultant. In 2009 he transferred to the San Diego branch and was promoted to a Sales Manager position, which led to the General Manager position in 2014. Lee is passionate about mentoring the sales team and participating in volunteer opportunities that share WAXIE’s industry expertise with the community.

READ MORE:

• Create a Green Cleaning Strategy for Your School
• Emergency Preparation for the Unthinkable – School Lockdowns
• How to Clean and Disinfect Schools to Help Slow the Spread of Flu
• School Is In Session, So Are Germs
• Summer Break Doesn't Apply to School Maintenance Staffs