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The Who and How of Professional Cleaning

Ensuring  Safety is as Important as Making Sure It Is Cleaned Well

With many large office buildings there are so many people going in and out over the course of the day. These days, increased security is paramount and that means we need to have an idea about who is entering our facilities as well as some degree of trust that they are safe. We would all like to think that each and every person that we meet is generally a good person, but recently the news has been raising real concerns for companies in terms of workplace safety.

 

Safety & Your Commercial Cleaning Company’s Staff

Thankfully although these events understandably grab headlines, they are not as common as it can sometimes feel. However, they raise important safety questions about why these events happen, what we can do to prevent them or at least reduce their likelihood and common sense ways we can make our workplaces safer. So when it comes to your janitorial services company, you want to know who is coming and going and you want to know that they are safe. No one likes a constant stream of new faces in and out of your building at all hours of the day.

 

Assuring Fit & Suitability In Office Cleaners Requires Some Effort

It all comes down to comprehensiveness and effectiveness of the background checks implemented by the cleaning company in question. Your janitorial services company needs to perform comprehensive background checks on ANY employee that enters YOUR facility. Many companies neglect to be diligent about background checks and drug screening and perhaps fail to appreciate the real risk that presents you your employee and your facility. As time goes on, it is becoming more and more evident that halfhearted, occasional screening isn’t enough to make sure the workplace is safe for you and your employees.  What is needed? There are a couple of key areas that need to be thoroughly examined when performing background checks, not limited to just criminal and drug history. For instance, education, verifying employment history, and reference verification are all important aspects of someone’s employ-ability. Some companies will go beyond and do more to assure office cleaners are a good fit for the work.

 

What to be on the Lookout When it Comes to Hiring Verification

Before you decide to outsource you office cleaning to just any building services contractor, make sure you know enough about them. In the cleaning industry, many businesses having a revolving door of staff as a result of an inadequate pool of talent. To err is human, so at some point your office cleaning company will hire the wrong person, and that is okay. But, if your commercial office cleaning company is consistently ignoring or overlooking references, and criminal histories, because of the cost and time required to check a double check their people, then it is time to find a new partner or move on in your search for effective and safe office cleaning services. Don’t put you or your employees at risk, make sure your office cleaning company is following through with their background checks.

  • Police Clearance Record
  • Education Verification
  • References Follow Up
  • Employment History Verification

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TEAM

Universal Cleaners provides the highest quality of overall service, everything from cleaning to helping do our part to assure your workplace is safe. We believe in building relationships with our clients and good relationships are built on trust. We utilize extensive and stringent verification methods when we hire new employees to make sure that they are not only skilled cleaners, but a good addition to your work environment. After all, our business is only as good as our people.

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Office Cleaning Kitchen Commercial Business Cleaning Hamilton

Prevent ‘Holiday Fridge’ in your Office

Prevent the ‘Holiday Fridge’ From Becoming a Biohazard

When people start leaving for the holidays, your communal refrigerator can quickly becomes a biohazard if some steps aren’t taken to prevent it. How often have you looked into the office fridge post holiday party to find a Jenga of foil cartons threatening to tumble and assorted sundries left behind after the merriment si over? The danger (not to mention the smell) of the three-week-old salmon and the platters of party goodies that no one took with them in the haste to start their holidays can quickly become ideal hosts for molds and other unpleasantness. If you ignore this problem your office fridge may become the worst smelling thing in the office. The trick to solving this all to common problem, is getting employees to take responsibility for the week old Chinese or half finished soda. The most effective solution, we have found, is to create a regularly cleaning schedule so that anything that isn’t claimed within a certain time period is disposed of before it can become a problem. This eliminates any risks associated with leaving food in the fridge for too long and gives cleaners an opportunity to deep clean and minimize odors.

The Office Kitchen and fridge is a battlefield where bacteria claim rotten victory. It might look innocent to us, especially if it’s covered with cheery magnets and goofy cartoons but as many a traumatized desk jockey can attest, that shiny door can be a portal into a dietary temple of doom. Many of us have a few horror stories to share about office refrigerators. Tales of fuzzy and fermented foods are common, and unfortunately so are incidences of employees becoming sick from eating foods at work.

You probably keep your refrigerator at home clean, but the office refrigerator may be a problem because it’s typically a shared responsibility. Here are some tips that may help.

Keep it at a safe temperature — 40 °F or lower

• Refrigeration slows bacterial growth. Bacteria exist everywhere in nature. They are in the soil, air, water, and the foods we eat. When they have nutrients (food), moisture, and favorable temperatures, they grow rapidly, increasing in numbers to the point where some types of bacteria can cause illness.

• Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 °F, the “Danger Zone,” some doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. A refrigerator set at 40 °F or below will protect most foods.

Share the responsibility

• Do you feel like you are the only one concerned about the cleanliness of the refrigerator? Make it a food safety issue! Not everyone may realize the importance of keeping all food contact surfaces, like the refrigerator, clean. Because bacteria are everywhere, cleanliness is a major factor in preventing food borne illness.

Keep it clean

• If your office doesn’t already have a schedule for cleaning, why not make it a habit to throw out perishable foods left in the refrigerator at least once a week? A general rule of thumb for refrigerator storage for cooked leftovers is 4 days.

• Wipe up spills immediately before they turn into a major cleaning job. Clean surfaces thoroughly with hot, soapy water; then rinse.

• To keep the refrigerator smelling fresh and help eliminate odors, place an opened box of baking soda on a shelf. Avoid using solvent cleaning agents, abrasives, and all cleansers that may impart a chemical taste to food or ice cubes, or cause damage to the interior finish of the refrigerator. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Dirty office fridges can cause illness. Get someone to check or clean yours out!

Recent study proves that 44 per cent of office fridges get cleaned out once a month and 22 per cent only once or twice in a year. So, that ancient fish sandwich is putting the salmon in salmonella. It is recommended to schedule your cleaning company clean that fridge out every week, and warn that anything left behind will be tossed. Today top cleaning companies consult with their clients to provide a healthy work environment. Afterall, a dirty fridge can mean time off as food poising can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to recover from.

A healthy office means a steady increase in the output performance by its employees. Proper office cleaning means that the cleaning personnel are there when and where they are needed. The personnel should know the proper products to use in each section of the office or building, for each section may have different needs.

Universal Cleaners Inc is a locally owned and operated Professional Cleaning Service known for providing top-of-the-line cleaning services for businesses all around the Greater Hamilton Area with additional offices in Windsor and Binbrook. Our crew has a genuine drive to provide a better service over our competition. We have spent countless hours researching the best cleaning products, equipment, and techniques to ensure quality with every service for your utmost satisfaction. At our company, we understand that our success is anchored in an extreme commitment to our customers and is backed with top-notch employees. We pride ourselves on being creative and flexible with every unique project to avoid the cookie cutter mentality.

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Go Green Company Environmentally Friendly Business Cleaning Services Hamilton Universal Cleaners Inc

5 Reasons Why You Should Stop Using Toxic Cleaning Chemicals

We are dedicated to being part of the environmental solution, not the problem. For that reason, we have chosen to use Green Seal products to ensure our business doesn’t add any unnecessary toxins into your space or our atmosphere. If this sounds like something you’re considering for your business, we have five reasons that might convince you.

We are advocates of green, non-toxic cleaning products. Learn more here.

Your Lungs

If the bottle reads “use in a well-ventilated area” you just know it’s full of harmful chemicals. Studies have shown that using a household cleaning spray can increase the risk of asthma and exacerbate allergies. If you clean to remove the triggers found in your home such as mold, pet dander, and dust mites you may be doing more damage with the caustic cleaners they spray indoors.

The added scent to cover up the chemical smell is typically made of additional chemicals. Those particles do not instantly dissipate when you have finished cleaning the bathroom. They will hang in the air, penetrating the lungs of anyone who uses the bathroom over the next hours, or even days. A better choice: use natural products like tea tree oil, lavender, or essential oils to add fragrance to your cleaners.

Your Skin

As you clean, your skin absorbs the chemical in the cleaners you use. If you’re using cleaners that contain a large amount of chlorine or bleach, that could be an issue for you. Many cleaning products include hypochlorites, a caustic soda that causes the skin to burn after only a few minutes of exposure.

You may notice how dry your hands are after a day of cleaning. It seems that no amount of lotion can quench the dryness. This is because your cleaning products have leeched all your natural oils out of your hands. Alternatively, you may notice a rash, itching, or red bumps on your wrists, arms or hands. This is a reaction from your body indicating that the chemicals in your cleaners are irritants.

Your Eyes

Your eyes are delicate organs, vital to your life. When you use harmful chemicals in your cleaning you run the risk of splashing, spraying, and sprinkling them into your eyes, causing permanent damage. Your eyes are only protected by a thin mucous membrane and these toxic chemicals can be very dangerous.

Even when you are finished cleaning your home, you leave a small amount of residue on the surfaces you cleaned. Particularly in the bathroom, bleach and abrasive chemicals can be left behind to be splashed in the eyes when water is turned on.

Immediately following chemical contact with the eyes: Flush your eyes with cool water for 15 minutes. Your eyes may feel better right away, but it’s important to continue rinsing for the full 15 minutes to make sure the majority of the chemical is washed away. Once you have flushed your eyes out, immediately head to your nearest emergency clinic.

Our Environment

Cleaning products packed with nitrogen, phosphorus, and ammonia are dangerous to our earth. You may think that the damage is isolated to your home, but the effects of chemical cleaners go far deeper than that. They exit your home through your drains and pipes, into the sewers. Water treatment plants do what they can to strip harmful pollutants out of the water but those three remain as this tainted water heads to our natural waterways.

These residual chemicals now invade our lakes and rivers, affecting fish, ducks, and bugs native to those landscapes. These animals are eaten by the larger animals like mountain lions and wolves who live around the water source. It grows into the plants, which are eaten by the herbivorous deer and birds. Soon our entire ecosystem is living with the effects of your household chemicals.

Switch to Green Cleaning

The only benefit to cleaning with abrasive and toxic chemicals found in household cleaners is that they strip your surfaces more aggressively, meaning less intense scrubbing for you. However, they end result of non-toxic cleaners is the same, even if it took a little more work to get there.

We know the importance of your health, and our environment. That’s why we’ve chosen to use Green Seal certified products. It takes a little more elbow grease but the overall impact of choosing non-toxic cleaners is something we can be proud of.

If you’re running a business, you have too much on your plate to stop for office cleaning. Universal Cleaners Inc. is there to WOW your employees and your clients EVERY clean, EVERY time! Call us today to book a consultation – 905-745-7990

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Winter Office Cleaners Universal Cleaners Hamilton

Winter Matting & Your Office

  It takes 1,000 people only one day to drag 24 pounds of grime into your building during the winter. When used in combination with other measures like hard floor cleaning and carpet care, mats can help minimize the amount of dirt that gets in and prevent visitors from tracking it farther as they move around your space.

But are you using the right matting?

Keep reading to learn the five tips and tricks of wintertime matting:

1. Get Off to the Right Start

With matting, the first thing you need to do is introduce it to your door (or doors). Leaving a space between the two means moisture and soils won’t be caught early, making your floors dirtier faster and leading to slips and falls if residue isn’t cleaned promptly.

What are the five benefits of day porter and matron services? Read our blog to find out!

2. Find the Right Type of Mat for Your Building

Building managers will find themselves presented with a range of options including:

  • Scraper/Recessed Well Matting: This is ideal for high-traffic areas. The wells prevent mats from moving and minimize risks for falls, while raised edges effectively scrape dirt off footwear. This type of matting is also easy to clean.
  • Scraper/Wiper Matting: These types of mats are made with tough, durable fabrics that are raised to provide even better wiping action than their recessed counterparts.
  • Wiper Matting: This is your last line of defense against winter grime, getting rid of any residual moisture and trapping dust to enhance indoor air quality.

Comprehensive matting systems typically incorporate at least two (if not three) different styles of mat.

3. Take Into Account the Weight of Your Mats

The lighter a mat is, the more likely it is to fold and shift. This will prevent it from trapping moisture and make it easier for people to trip and fall.

Heavier mats are better at keeping their positions, staying flat and absorbent even with heavy seasonal use.

4. Choose Longer Mats for Your Building’s Entrance ways

The guideline to remember here is the “Rule of 15,” which says that buildings should have 15 feet of matting of various types to stop dirt at the door.

5. Keep Your Mats (and Floors) Clean!

To help your building stay clean through the winter and keep occupants and guests safe, you need to keep your floors and mats fresh throughout the winter:

  • Vacuum regularly (with either a wet or dry vacuum depending on the type of flooring) to remove built-up moisture, dirt, and dust.
  • Carry out routine maintenance like spot cleaning with neutral cleaning agents. Make sure mats are able to dry thoroughly before putting them back in their place. Some mats (especially nylon) will take longer to dry than others.
  • Perform deep cleaning as needed with solvent-free cleaners to get rid of troublesome marks (grease, gum, etc.).
  • Clean the floor around and under the mat to help improve its grip and discourage it from shifting as people walk on it.

The right cleaning frequency will depend on the amount and type of foot traffic your building receives. Some locations will benefit from spot treatments a few times a day, while others can be looked after a few times a week.

Work with a professional cleaning company to determine the schedule that’s best suited to your unique needs.

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Prevent Slips Falls Floor Cleaning Hamilton Universal Cleaners

Professional Cleaning and Safety in the Workplace

Every year, over one million Canadians visit emergency rooms for injuries caused by fall hazards. This costs the economy over six billion dollars annually in medical expenses and even more when you factor in lost time and reduced productivity.

Slips and trips can happen almost anywhere from your lobby to your kitchen to your walkways. With colder weather (plus ice and snow) on the way, it’s especially important to make sure you’re prepared to keep your building’s occupants safe all season long.

We’ve put together this guide to help you identify and prevent slip, trip, and fall hazards:

What Causes a Slip or a Trip?

Slips

Trips
A slip happens when there’s too little traction or friction between your foot and the ground.Slips are often caused by:

·         Oily, wet surfaces.

·         Spills.

·         Weather-related hazards.

·         Loose rugs or mats.

·         Slippery flooring.

 Trips take place when your foot unexpectedly hits an object, throwing off your balance.Trips can occur because of:

·         An obstructed view.

·         Insufficient lighting.

·         Clutter.

·         Wrinkled carpeting.

·         Uneven steps and surfaces.

How Can You Prevent Slips, Trips, and Falls?

Good housekeeping (including regular, thorough floor cleaning) is the key:

  • Stick to a Cleaning Schedule

Proper floor care should include sweeping, mopping, burnishing, and buffing. Remember, a well-maintained and clean floor will offer the most secure footing for guests (especially when it’s wet and snowy outside).

How often you should clean your floors will depend on the needs of your building. If you don’t receive too much foot traffic, cleaning your floors once every few days is typically enough. If your building sees a lot of visitors pass through, it will be important to make sure you clean it more often.

  • Use the Right Cleaning Products and Equipment

Universal Cleaners has the the most effective tools designed to clean your floor. These might include mop heads made with quick-absorbing materials to help your floors dry faster (making them safer).

LEARN MORE: UCI uses the best available cleaning equipment in order to maximize results.

  • Look After Spills Right Away

If something spills on your floor, you need to pick it up as soon as you can to prevent someone slipping or falling.

Even if you aren’t able to clean up a spill immediately, always use the right signage to make sure passersby know to avoid potential hazards!

  • Remove Hazardous Obstacles

To keep highly trafficked areas clear, do not:

  • String hoses, cords, or cables across hallways.
  • Leave files, boxes, or briefcases in aisle ways.
  • Keep drawers open or loose items on the floor.

Proactive measures like these will minimize trip risks and hazards.

  • Replace Lights that have Burnt Out

One of the most common causes of a fall is reduced visibility from insufficient lighting. You should make sure light bulbs are replaced promptly to provide adequate lighting around the clock.

  • Keep Floor Mats Clean and Clear

The right matting makes a big difference, particularly during the winter as people drag slushy snow inside. Not having good, clean mats can quickly turn entrance ways into skating rinks – creating serious slip hazards. Mats should always be kept clean and secured, lying flat against the floor.

Taking steps like these will help you keep your building safe and secure throughout the snowy, slippery season!

If you’re running a business, you have too much on your plate to stop for office cleaning. Universal Cleaners Inc. is there to WOW your employees and your clients EVERY clean, EVERY time! Call us today to book a consultation – 905-745-7990

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Office Celaning Technology Germs Flu Season Universal Cleaners Inc Hamilton

How Quickly do Germs Grow on your Office Technology?

The use of computers, smartphones, tablets and all sorts of technology and electronic devices have become ingrained in our daily lives.  The portability, convenience and necessity of many devices means we are using them almost everywhere and in any situation.

Therefore, it should be no surprise that it does not take long for any of these gadgets to become contaminated with tiny bugs and germs.  In fact, every screen, keyboard, mouse or remote control you touch today is probably already littered with bacteria; some of which can include viruses such as influenza and even E. coli.

However, there is no need to panic.

READ MORE : Cleaning for Health: Germs & Bacteria in the Office

 

By the Numbers

Cell Phones

A study by the University of Oregon found an 82% overlap between bacteria on the tip of the index finger and the microbes found on the surface of a smartphone. In other words: if it’s on your hands, there’s an 82% chance it’s also on your phone.

An article from The Nerdist shows compelling visual evidence that bacteria growth on a cell phone centres around where the phone is touched. Moreover, the more a phone is used – and shared among people – the more bacteria is present.

Some sources claim phones harbor 18x more bacteria than a public bathroom. While that sounds far dirtier than it really is (not all bacteria on your phone is bad bacteria), it still highlights the reality that cross-contamination between your phone and other devices is very much a reality.

Computer Peripherals (Keyboard & Mouse)

A study performed in 2011 found a staggering 95.5% of keyboards/mice tested contaminated with bacteria. In reality, this is not at all surprising given that humans regularly come into contact with, and are breeding grounds for, microbes.

Another study, first published in 2010, found a high rate of contamination across keyboards and mice. Like our first reference, it found multiple types of bacteria present on both keyboards and mice after testing 100 different devices.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Technology Helps

The use of disinfecting wipes or cleaners on your gadgets can provide basic protection from germs.  While self-cleaning is mostly practiced at home, devices at home and personal devices are typically found to be the most contaminated.

Many public places such as libraries or grocery stores offer sanitizing dispensers which can be used on your hands after using computers or touchscreens at checkout lanes.  These same places also employ janitorial staff to regularly clean surfaces that people come in contact with.

Before you clean your device, remember:

  • Different screens/screen protectors will react to cleaning agents in their own way. Read your owner’s manual before you scrub down your device to ensure that the product you’re using is safe.
  • Bacteria multiply, on average, every 30 minutes. Make cleaning a regular habit (a quick wipe once per day is usually sufficient).

Good Personal Hygiene is the Key

While cleaning your surroundings may temporarily reduce exposure to germs and bacteria, it is virtually impossible not to come into contact with contaminated devices on a regular basis.

Bacteria is omnipresent, and there should be no inherent fear for you to come into contact with it – as long as you wash your hands diligently and practice good hygiene.  This cuts off the part of the infection chain where viruses or bacteria are able to enter your body.

Generally speaking, viruses or bacteria found on your hands or fingers will not cause you any harm.  Direct transmission of germs or viruses from other people is a much more likely way to become ill.

We are the number one choice for all your office cleaning.

Professional Office Cleaning Services from Universal Cleaners ensures that your office is both welcoming and impeccably clean. We understand that customers and new clients rely on a pristine appearance. It is our job to guarantee that entry ways, lobbies, frequent locations, waiting areas and washrooms remain immaculate in order to maintain the general public perception of one’s organization.

Contact us today for your FREE Assessment for a professional clean of your office.

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Bacteria Germs Office Cleaning Services Hamilton Universal Cleaners

Hand-washing & a Healthy, Clean Office

Washing Your Hands at Certain Times and After Certain Events Can Help Prevent Sickness in the Office

We all remember being told to wash our hands before eating when we were younger, but sometimes as adults we forget to do this. Washing your hands, however, is an important to prevent infection and avoid spreading germs both in and out of the office. Keep your office healthy and happy by learning the importance of hand washing.

 

WHEN TO WASH YOUR HANDS

At work, you touch many different surfaces like your mouse, your computer, and the break room’s fridge door. All these surfaces have germs living on them. When you touch these items, germs are instantly transferred onto your hand.

To prevent illness from germ transfer, most of us know it’s important to wash your hands before and after you eat and after using the bathroom. In addition, it’s especially important to wash your hands after blowing your nose, sneezing, and coughing during the cold and flu season.

Sadly, most people don’t realize that YOU SHOULD ALSO WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER SHAKING SOMEONE’S HAND. Think about the last time you went to a business luncheon or networking event. You probably met several colleagues and new people and shook their hands. Do you remember washing your hands after? Did you eat something right after shaking their hands or touch your face?

You can easily spread germs that can make you and others sick by not washing your hands after making contact with others.

READ MORE: How Quickly do Germs Grow on your Office Technology?

THE PROPER WAY TO WASH YOUR HANDS

According to Mayo Clinic, you should wash your hands with both soap and water. Both warm and cold water will work. You should scrub all the surfaces of your hand including the wrists, between the fingers, under the nails, and on the back of your hands to ensure every part of your hand is being cleaned. After drying your hands, try to use a towel or your elbow to turn off the faucet. This way you don’t touch the same germs that you just washed off.

EXTRA PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE

There are several ways you can help promote hand washing and other healthy habits at the office. You can have printed signs, fliers, and cards near the sinks and bathrooms. If you prefer to promote a healthy office digitally, look at doing digital signage or a weekly email newsletter. You can place the signs in the lobby and other commonly trafficked areas for your employees to see. You can use the newsletter to remind your employees about flu season and hand washing.

While hand washing can help prevent the spreading of germs, regularly cleaning is also important to stop germs from spreading. When you regularly have the areas with the most germs cleaned, you reduce the risk of your employees becoming sick. Disinfecting keyboards, phones, and other frequently used equipment will keep everyone in the office healthy.

READ MORE : Cleaning for Health: Germs & Bacteria in the Office

We are the number one choice for all your office cleaning.

Professional Office Cleaning Services from Universal Cleaners ensures that your office is both welcoming and impeccably clean. We understand that customers and new clients rely on a pristine appearance. It is our job to guarantee that entry ways, lobbies, frequent locations, waiting areas and washrooms remain immaculate in order to maintain the general public perception of one’s organization.

Contact us today for your FREE Assessment for a professional clean of your office.

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Reduce the Impact of Flu Season

School Cleaning: Reducing the Impact of This Year’s Flu Season

School, Daycare and College is back in session which means before long it will be that dreaded time of year again, flu season. If you’ve ever had children, you understand that educational facilities are an incredibly effective and efficient breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria and viruses. Just a few sick kids in school and disease causing germs are spread around your campus. Children are effective carriers bringing to both school and home everything from the common cold to stomach viruses and more. When we say kids love “hands on” learning, we aren’t kidding. They put their hands anywhere and everywhere. From their noses and mouths to your facility getting more and more kids sick at record pace. Without careful cleaning, your school, daycare or college could get hit hard this flu and cold season.

 

Research Shows That Your School Cleaning May Not be as Good as You Think

The ISSA, or International Sanitary and Supply Association, has conducted several studies about the bacterial and viral load in the average elementary school classroom to put together better cleaning guidelines. With this information, professional school cleaning services can focus on cleaning areas that will have the highest impact on reducing the spread of classroom pathogens. So, what areas are the dirtiest and where should you commercial cleaning company be cleaning the most?

  • The average elementary school classroom has a higher bacterial load than most restrooms, even those found on campus.
  • Contaminated versus non-contaminated surfaces appeared to be the same on visual inspection indicating that they had been cleaned by not sanitized.
  • Computer mice were found to possess a bacterial and viral load nearly four times higher than that of most toilets.
  • Key touch points (including but not limited to hand railings, door knobs and other high traffic surfaces) where commonly neglected by school cleaning programs.
  • Athletic equipment, especially athletic mats had the highest bacterial load of any single object in the school as a result of being cleaned with dirty mops, which just spread around filth.
  • In general, most schools suffer from having a superficial level of cleanliness but a low or non-existent level of sanitation in core problematic areas.

 

Targeted Cleaning of Touch Points Reduces Bacterial Transmission 

The ISSA’s extensive research revealed that touch points were the most common way that disease was being transferred from person to person in a school. Simply put, many school cleaning services do not spend enough time or clean with enough frequency to keep these high traffic touch points from being ground zero for a host of different infections and illnesses. For instance, it was found that many school cleaning services were not regularly cleaning and sanitizing shared electronics such as computers despite extensive scientific evidence that indicates they are one of the most commonly contaminated areas in a school campus.

To be an effective school cleaning service, you have to realize that having a surface or area look clean and be clean are two very different things. When we walk into a classroom, odds are it will appear to be clean. After all, what school, daycare or college wants to be known for having visually dirty classrooms? Proper cleaning goes beyond this superficial layer. It requires knowledge of key touch points and frequent, proper sanitation habits to help prevent the spread of disease among students.

Not only does proper cleaning help keep students healthy, it has a number of measurable benefits in different areas of the school. For example, a study based in Arizona State University demonstrated that when common touch points such as desktops were regularly and properly cleaned and sanitized, that classroom absenteeism decreased significantly. Why is this important, you may ask? Absenteeism and standardized testing scores are directly correlated. The more days a student is in class, the higher their scores tend to be showing how impactful proper cleaning can be on the performance of your school, daycare of educational facility.

 

The Right Company for the Job

We understand the specific challenges of managing education and institutional environments. That is why you can count on our experience and knowledge at Universal Cleaners Inc to ensure proper cleaning and maintenance services. We provide services to Day Cares, Primary Schools, Colleges, Universities, Technical Institutes, and any Learning Centre.

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Commercial Cleaning Fall

Commercial Cleaning Tips for Fall

Now that summer has finally drawn to a close, it’s time to start thinking about cleaning up your business for the fall. While many people often ignore or forget about fall cleaning, it can be as important for your business as spring cleaning. Giving your business a deep cleaning during the fall can help get rid of the dirt and bacteria that may have accumulated over the summer, preparing your space for a clean and successful winter. Here are some fall cleaning tips to help get your business into the best shape possible this season.

Carpet Cleaning

Snow and slush can get tracked into your workplace during the winter, dirtying the space and wreaking havoc on your floors. Seasonal dirt and debris can be especially harmful to carpeted floors. Having your carpets deep cleaned in the fall is a great way to get them ready for the wear and tear of winter. Dust and allergens may have collected in your carpet over the summer, so having your carpet cleaned during the fall is a great way to start the season off on a fresh foot.

Clean The Gutters

As the leaves start to fall, you may notice a buildup of leaves in your eavestrough or gutter. It’s important to clear these bits of natural debris out of the way so they don’t clog your outdoor drainage system. A clogged eavestrough or gutter can lead to indoor leaks and floods, which can be disruptive to your business and be expensive to repair. Make sure your gutters are clear before the snow starts to fall to prevent any winter mishaps.

Commit to a Deep Clean

Fall cleanings require more than just a simple dusting. To fully prepare your business for the fall and winter, it’s important to do a detailed cleaning, including all on-site storage facilities, closets and lockers. A deep seasonal cleaning helps to prevent against serious health and safety hazards like harmful bacteria and mold infestations. If you need help planning or executing your next big seasonal cleaning, contact us today at Universal Cleaners Inc. Our team of commercial cleaning experts can give your business the deep cleaning needed to be comfortable and successful all season long.

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Carpet Cleaning Universal Cleaners Inc

Why Those Carpet Stains Won’t Come Out

A common request we receive from our clients with carpeted offices is to have stains removed from their carpets. Whether new or old, stains are to carpet what snow is to winter: a seemingly unavoidable calamity, hell-bent on dirtying your floors and making your entrance ways look unclean.

We get it.  We know, better than most, the difficulty that comes with keeping a space clean – and the frustration that builds every time a careless employee or well-intended client spills a cup of coffee.

Why do carpets stain so easily? And furthermore, how come some stains simply refuse to come out? The answer is quite simple: carpet chemistry.

An Introduction to Carpet Chemistry

Most commercial carpets are made of a material called polypropylene (also known as olefin). Other materials, such as nylon, acrylic, polyester, wool, and cotton, are also used. However, chances are that you’ve got an olefin carpet in your space.

As a material, olefin is quite durable and actually stain resistant. It will endure day to day abuse while displaying minimal signs of duress. However, stain resistant and stain proof are two different things. As durable and easy to maintain olefin is, it is not immune to the effects of a flying pumpkin spice latte or poorly-poured glass of red wine.

Dye Sites: What Gives Carpets Their Colour

Every carpet fibre has a dye site. A dye site is an area in the fibre where colour – literally, dyes – reside. These sites give the carpet its colour. You can learn more about dye sites here.

The reason carpets stain is because new colour, such as colour coming from a spilled glass of Kool-Aid, is attracted to the dye sites. Dye sites are positively charged, and most commercial dyes are negatively charged. When they meet, they bond and neutralize each other’s respective charge. Thus, a stain is born.

Cleaning carpets is as simple as displacing the colour inside the dye site so that the original colour can continue to shine through… right?

Dye Sites Expand & Contract as Needed… For a While

The way most carpet cleaning solutions work is to expand the dye site (with hot water, cleaning solutions, and agitation), flush new colours out, neutralize the carpet’s charge, and then the wash away the dirt/stains that have accumulated. As the carpet dries, the dye sites will contract and the colour is once again “locked in”.

Unfortunately, a dye site only has a finite number of times it can expand/contract before eventually it loses the ability to do so. In the real world, this means that you’ve only got 1 or 2 real shots to get the stain out of the carpet before it “set”.

Handling Stains in Your Carpets

If all that stuff about “dye sites” and “expanding/contracting” made you uncomfortable, don’t sweat it. The good news is that you can usually get most stains out yourself if you: (A) react fast enough, and (B) haven’t stained that area of carpet repeatedly before.

General Carpet Cleaning (Stain Removal) 101

The process below is best accomplished with three or four clean, white dish towels.

  • Mix a solution of warm water and dish soap (scentless, colourless if possible). Regarding dilution, you generally want of 1:4 mix of soap to water- if the label has instructions, follow those instead.
  • Take a clean towel and soak it in the soapy solution. When it is saturated, press it firmly straight-down into the stain. Continue to blot the stain from the outside, working your way toward the center of the stain (this ensures the stain does not spread). Do not “scrub” the stain, as this may cause it to spread!
  • After you have spent a few minutes blotting the stain, switch to a new towel and rinse it with warm water. Blot this towel down until you have rinsed all the soap solution from the carpet.
  • Finally, use a dry towel to soak up any excess water in the carpets.

The above process should only take 5-10 minutes to complete and is effective at removing more than ¾ of stains you’re likely to encounter in your office.

If the above doesn’t do the job, it’s time to call a pro. Due to the nature of the carpet dye sites, challenging stains should be worked on by a professional after you have tried and failed to remove them once on your own.

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