Monday, November 5, 2018

So we're into November now and the holiday season is coming up quick!  For the professional commercial cleaner, this may mean extra hours and loads of extra cleaning may be heading in our direction.  There may also be lots of snow in the forecast as well. So buckle up and put on your happy holiday face, it may help you from losing your mind in the next two months.

Many worksites offer their employees holiday dinners, luncheons, and/or parties and any of these options will mean more work for the average commercial cleaner. Kitchens will be messier and floors will be too. One of my sites is a bank and from now until March or April I will have to exert extra effort in keeping the floors clean.  When it snows, there is an abundance of rock salt that is used to keep the bank's sidewalks clear for their customers. This means that customers don't have to worry about getting into the bank and many of them may travel out just to do their banking. This will definitely add time to my nightly duties.

If you find yourself in a pickle because of dirty floors that are covered in rock salt, check out a product by Misco that is called Neutral Salt Melt. This product works great on salty covered floors. I totally recommend this product for any commercial cleaner looking to make their nightly cleaning experience a little easier.

So this is my update for now, remember to get lots of rest and take lots of vitamin C during the holiday and winter months coming up. Happy cleaning!!

Janey

A Week In Review: Working With and Around Employees - -

So, last week was an interesting week. If you work in this profession, you know that sometimes you have to work during the worksite's employee hours. This can make it difficult to accomplish anything. Number one, they are constantly under foot - - two, they mess up what you have just cleaned immediately after you have just cleaned it - - and three, they never stop talking..... groan......

Okay so let's take the first example. Constantly under foot, yes..... it can be a real challenge to get into an office, a lunch room, or a bathroom when you're dealing with employees. There is always somebody heading to the potty, getting a cup of coffee, or coming in or going out of the building. Now, I don't know about you, but, I have a routine, and I like my routine. I do not want, nor do I have time to wait for somebody else to 'hurry up and take their sweet-ass time' ...and they will do that - - the little boogers.....  I want to get into where I need to clean and get out to the next spot. When there are 40 + employees walking around, it can be an unnerving nightmare..... especially if you're ocd.....which I may actually be..... giggle!!

The second point I would like to make is that once I've cleaned something, I like to know that it's clean for more than five minutes. Here's an example from one of my work sites:

        In the lunch room there is a coffee maker and an ice/water machine, you know, the usual stuff for the employees. Most of the time, the employees will come into the lunch room, see me cleaning the appliances and head to the adjacent employee bathrooms - - once they re-enter the lunchroom, they head straight for the newly cleaned appliances. Now, mind you, I never hear them wash or dry their hands in the bathroom and then they are touching everything they can...thank goodness I wear gloves. every minute of my work day.. and the appliances are stainless steal. 

       Now, this nomenclature is misleading because yes, you can stain stainless steal......... it happens with proteins..... normal secretions like from sweat or from food, will come off when cleaned with very hot water mixed with your cleaning solution.  However, if there is any trace of blood or poop, the proteins left behind will leave a stain that is nearly impossible to clean. Trust me when I say that I have tried all kinds of stainless steel cleaners, and there isn't one on the market that will completely remove these proteins from the item you're cleaning. Worse yet, if the stainless steel isn't cleaned immediately, the stain will never come off..... just take a look at those handrails in the handicapped bathroom stall and you'll know what I mean. So I like to gross them out when they point these stains out too me by telling them that "Yep, that's a poop stain"...... which totally does the job and grosses them out -Mission Accomplished - there is one woman who uses her elbow to push the ice or water buttons because she knows that many employees do not ever wash their hands. It's a good chuckle when you're having a bad or a slow day.

      And thirdly, there are the Chatterers...... there are some people who just talk ...... on and on..... forever...... kind of like this blog post - - it just goes on and on and on.... and well, you get the idea. I never like to be rude to anybody (unless they so totally deserve it) but sometimes it's difficult to find the break. Did you ever find yourself listening to someone talk about their grandchildren non-stop? You know who I mean, the ones that actually think their grandson (who, by the way, at the age of 3 cannot manage his potty training sessions)  is going to be president someday........ yawn........ I so want to tell them in response that there's a bucket of gold in the coat closet....... Oh that's right, there is no coat closet!!!!!

Well, I gotta jet.... lots to do before heading out to my next site. Come back and join me again soon and thanks for reading!!

Jane's Bucket

The following is a list of the best cleaning supplies and tools that I have found. If you work for a commercial cleaning company, many of their supplies will do a great job when used correctly and/or appropriately. However, there are a few tools that leave much to be desired. If you're a mom and pop start-up company, there's no doubt that you are using what you are used to and what you can find locally.

1. Misco Brand Products. The products from this company are by far the best in the business. They carry everything from window cleaners to porcelain shiners/brighteners. They even have salt-melt floor cleaners.  This comes in handy during the winter months when you are dragging your ass across a floor trying to get the white salt residue off. It will save you time.

2. Any Bissell brand vacuum that has a regular bag insert. Do not be fooled by brands who say they have professional or commercial type vacuums - they usually have a canvas bag collection zone that traps dirt in but will also clog easily and only allow for a minimal fill before having to be emptied. It must be stated that trying to empty these canvas bags is akin to having to pull your own teeth. Other vacuums that only have canister type fill zones lack capacity and suction power.  Let's face it, you need a vacuum that will such up all of the crap (and I mean real crap) that people drag in on their boots and shoes. If you are working in a very large venue, say an arena, or even a hospital, you will probably be using something like a Zamboni type of vacuum. These types cover larger areas and are reportedly more ergonomically sound for the end user. But, like I said, Bissell bag type vacuums work the best in smaller businesses.

3. The Rubbermaid Lobby Broom is the best broom out there for sweeping floors in a commercial setting. This broom gets into corners easily and works well against baseboards and trim. My best advice is do not use the corn and fiber filled brooms. They break down quickly and leave residual dirt on the floor.

4. The Rubbermaid Commercial Invader Side Gate mop handle and any type of loop ended mop head will work great on any type of flooring. Also, the Goplus Commercial Mop Bucket with Side Wringer is the most durable mop bucket available. Save yourself time and money by avoiding purchasing those cheap spinning mop buckets - - they will not serve you well in a commercial setting.

5. Mop-It Toilet Brushes are the best toilet brushes on the market. They are relatively inexpensive and can be tossed without worry of cost. However, if you work in a business that has a very high mineral content in the water, go for any hard bristle oval shaped brush.

6. Sanitizing Sprays. Okay, this is an irritation for me. The best brand on the market is of course, Lysol. However, there are only two (yes, you read that correctly) that will actually kill odors where they are...... garbage cans, toilet bowls, fishbowls, yadda, yadda, yadda..... Origianal Scent Lysol spray and Lysol Neutra Air are the only sanitizing sprays that you should consider. The rest only mix with horrible odors or cover them up briefly........

Okay, that's my top six in the bucket list for now. I will update this list as needed to share with you any other products that I find of monetary and commercial cleaning value. Thanks for reading and I hope you continue to join me for future updates!

Thursday, September 27, 2018

 Welcome to The Real Toilet Chronicles. My name is Jane and I'm going to be sharing a lot of information with you about the real world of Professional Commercial Cleaning. Many people refer to us as custodians, maids, or the worst, janitors. These terms and many others are shunned by myself and the majority of people who work in this profession. 

 You will also be learning that the cleaning industry does not harbor the 'bottom of the barrel' for choices of employees. I'm talking about those who may drink a bit too much, do drugs fairly regularly, or those who are just plain lazy and think this is a job where they do not have to apply any momentum or time. Clearly, times are changing, and I'm going to help this change along.

 Throughout my blog posts you are going to be reading about what we commercial cleaners go through in an average day. Some of these posts no doubt will make you laugh, cringe, get crazy mad, or just make you smile and make you thankful that you are not a commercial cleaner... There are going to be stories here that you will pass along to your friends and family...... There will also be stories that you will never repeat because the 'ick' factor is just too heavy.

Welcome aboard  and thanks for joining me!