Amidst concerns of Covid-19, many parents, students, and teachers are uncertain of the safety of going back to school. However, as the United States plans to start the 2020 school year, it is undoubtedly important to cover daily cleaning ...

 

Amidst concerns of Covid-19, many parents, students, and teachers are uncertain of the safety of going back to school. However, as the United States plans to start the 2020 school year, it is undoubtedly important to cover daily cleaning regimens and practices for school janitors.

It is known that corona viruses can live up to several days on hard surfaces. Therefore, it is vital to clean and disinfect frequency areas. Frequency areas are surfaces that are frequently touched and are more likely to be contaminated. These areas should be disinfected at least daily. This includes doorknobs, handrails, lockers, desks, faucet handles, and even computer keyboards. Follow standard procedures for routine cleaning and disinfection, with immediate cleaning of objects or surfaces that are visibly unclean. Routine cleaning and special disinfecting processes can irritate eyes, noses, throats, and skin, so be sure to always follow suggested precautions and use protective equipment.

When using an EPA-registered disinfectant, pay close attention to the wet or dwell time. This refers to the amount of time the product must remain on a surface for it to properly remove bacteria and viruses. Some products can function as both a cleaner and disinfectant – however, there may be a varied procedure for the two uses.

          Important Precautions

• Do not clean with dry dusting or sweeping as this can create aerosols. Instead, use damp cleaning methods. Washing surfaces with soap and water is a simple way of cleaning surfaces before disinfection for Covid-19.
• Change wet cleaning materials such as mops and rags frequently. Where possible, use disposable items and work from areas of low frequency to those with higher levels of contamination.
• Clean, disinfect, and dry your cleaning equipment after each use. This will prevent you from spreading the virus onto other surfaces.
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after each work session.

   

  School Disinfection by Location

• Restrooms/Locker Rooms: doorknobs/handles, light switches, paper towel dispenser and/or air dryer, faucet handles, toilet and urinal levers, partitions, and any additional items as identified by your local authorities.
• Cafeteria: Refrigerator door handles, microwave door handle and keypad, table tops, door handles, light switches, vending machines (buttons and retrieval area), drinking fountain.
• Classrooms/Office Spaces:  Doorknobs, light switches, faucets and lab areas, telephones, keyboards, copiers, desks, and other frequently touched items.
• Other Important Locations: Elevator buttons (inside and on each level outside the doors), stairway handrails, drinking fountains, vehicle steering wheels, dashboard controls, PA system, etc.

  If you are uncertain of places you may be missing, ask your teachers and other school staff to fill out a survey of their frequently touched items and places of concern. As always, talk to your principal or other school authority to officially put cleaning regimens into place.

   Let Us Build a Cleaning Regimen

  As we all navigate through the pandemic, Lawton Brothers is here to help. Whether you’re looking for new products to help keep your business clean or you’re hoping to create a new cleaning regimen, give us a call! We conduct cleaning audits, rent service equipment, and even provide training. Let us focus on cleanliness so you can focus on the safety and wellbeing of your students. Give us a call today: 800.432.0813.

As health and green living have been at the forefront of innovation in recent years, the EPA continues to expand the list of Safer Chemicals. Products with the Safer Choice label allow consumers the option to purchase safer chemical ingredients ...

As health and green living have been at the forefront of innovation in recent years, the EPA continues to expand the list of Safer Chemicals. Products with the Safer Choice label allow consumers the option to purchase safer chemical ingredients without the sacrifice of quality or performance. Currently, there are more than 2,000 products that currently qualify as a Safer Choice – and more are added every year. 

What Makes a “Safer” Chemical?

Upon submitting a product to the EPA, the applicant must provide the complete formula (regardless of percentage, and inclusive of residuals) along with the function of each ingredient, a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), effective use concentrations, product performance data, and a variety of other information about the chemical. Throughout the certification process, there are product requirements, component-specific requirements, and profiler requirements that all must be met. These requirements may change depending on the use of the product; however, one main requirement is seen in all Safer Choice products – biodegradation. This means that a product doesn’t accumulate and breaks down by itself naturally over time. Products that are less likely to pass are those this test are those with high acute or chronic aquatic toxicity and/or a slow rate of biodegradation (more than 28 days). 

Recently, the EPA approved eight new chemical ingredients for inclusion in the list. The newest ingredients were submitted by the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) in May of this year. The inclusion of these ingredients marks the first time the EPA has approved a chemical that was submitted by a non-manufacturer. Though this is an exciting first (particularly for ACI), it certainly won’t be the last! 

Why Should I Choose Safer Chemicals?

As a business owner, using EPA Safer Choice Chemicals can show your community and customers that you not only care about their safety and satisfaction, but the environment as well. Furthermore, the most effective way to eliminate/reduce health incidents in the workplace is by starting at the source. Unlike other strategies, using Safer Choices can avoid exposure to harmful materials entirely. 

In the United States, it is estimated that more than 190,000 illnesses and 50,000 deaths occur annually as the cause of chemicals. Replacing known hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives can help reduce these numbers and keep your employees safe. 

How Do I Find Safer Choices?

Safer Chemicals are easily recognizable by their EPA Safer Choice label. Additionally, the EPA has a full list on their website where visitors can search for certified products by name, use, and even the type of product: https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/products.

 Still unsure about your chemicals? Lawton Brothers offers Green Cleaning audits as well as a variety of green products and safer choice chemicals. Give us a call today: 800.432.0813.

Your restroom is an integral part of your business for more reasons than you might think. In a 2019 poll conducted by Bradley Corp., 80% of American adults regularly use public restrooms. Some adults, about 27% of them, use ...

Your restroom is an integral part of your business for more reasons than you might think. In a 2019 poll conducted by Bradley Corp., 80% of American adults regularly use public restrooms. Some adults, about 27% of them, use these restrooms to check their appearance, blow their nose, or even avoid an uncomfortable interaction. Regardless of the reason for entering the bathroom, however, 64% of consumers said they “make a conscious decision to choose a business based on the fact that it has clean, well-maintained restrooms.” Not only that, but 55% are also unlikely to even return to a business following a bad restroom experience. That means taking care of your bathroom (or not doing so) can have a catastrophic impact on your business and sales. 

We’ve all been there: in a restroom with wet floors, unflushed toilets, empty paper towel dispensers, and overflowing trashcans. Unsurprisingly, approximately 70% of adults in the United States have had an unpleasant restroom experience. So how do we ensure that our restrooms are producing 30% of satisfied customers? We look at bad bathrooms. 

Bad Bathrooms

In just four years, the number of users who report having a negative public restroom experience increased by 19%. Most concerns cited by users fell into one of two categories: cleanliness and safety. Cleanliness makes a space more welcoming and, in itself, implies safety and wellbeing. However, there is a myriad of factors that can negatively influence your customers’ perception and whether they return. 

In fact, this is so important to consumers that a website exists solely for the purpose of identifying the best (and worst) public restrooms. On ToiletInspector.com, users can upload pictures, descriptions, locations, and even assign a star-rating to a restroom. And while this site is not popular (yet), it highlights the potential for improvement in our spaces. In breaking down Toilet Inspector’s review system, we can see categories that are the most important to success.

• How does the bathroom smell?
  • Regardless of how often the bathroom is cleaned, the smell of a bathroom can be a large indicator to customers that the establishment is not up to par.
• Were the toilets clean? Did they work?
  • This seems like a no-brainer to most of us. The bare necessity is working-condition utilities. However, without routine cleanings and check ups throughout the day, the toilets can fall into dire conditions quickly. This includes restocking toilet paper, emptying feminine product trash cans, and keeping sensors/handles clean and responsive.
• Were floors dry and maintained?
  • Make sure floors remain free of clutter and free of water. Reduce clutter and misplaced items by placing trashcans closely to sinks, toilets, and paper towel dispensers. Additionally, prevent water from building up on the floors by ensuring all hand drying options are in working condition and are near the washing stations. In areas of habitual water buildup, consider buying a mat to increase safety and increasing cleaning regimens.
• Could you wash your hands?
  • Touchless fixtures, adequate water flow/temp, and full soap dispensers are paramount to a clean bathroom. The last act before a customer leaves the toilet is washing their hands. In the worst-case scenario, customers look to the sink as a saving grace. In the best-case scenario, it finalizes their opinion of you as a ‘good business’ and you have someone who is happy to return.

In reality, going to the bathroom in a public space is its own experience. Teenage girls walk each other to the restroom and gossip; an office worker decides to take a small break in the bathroom during lunch; a mother and her son are potty training. With all the possibilities for your bathroom, you want to ensure that your space is ready for the challenge.

Let Us Help You

Your bathroom can make or break a customer. Whether you need to rent a floor device or are hoping to reinvent your cleaning regimen, give Lawton Brothers a call. With over 67 years of experience in janitorial services, products, and equipment, we’re the experts in our business. Give us a call today at 800.432.0813. Call today for a quote, consultation, or even just a Q&A.

In a 2018 survey conducted by Duck Brand, Americans ranked cleaning the toilet as their most disliked household chore – it even beat doing the dishes and cleaning the baseboards. You may not find it surprising that many people don’t ...

In a 2018 survey conducted by Duck Brand, Americans ranked cleaning the toilet as their most disliked household chore – it even beat doing the dishes and cleaning the baseboards. You may not find it surprising that many people don’t enjoy cleaning activities. By and large, it is considered a requirement and though cleaning is typically dreaded, it doesn’t have to be difficult! Here are some tips to improve your business’ daily cleaning routine. 

Since each location and role is different, establishing a routine for yourself and your employees is essential to minimizing the time spent on cleaning. By establishing a routine, you help employees avoid backtracking and moving erratically, which could cause wasted time and missed or forgotten tasks. Before training new cleaning technicians, have an outlined route for them to take and be sure to include the order of tasks, where necessary (for example, clean the toilet and sink before you mop the bathroom floor). 

If possible, carry your supplies with you or have them available nearby. You can use a portable caddy, cart, or apron to increase your carrying capacity and decrease the need to go back and forth across the facility. It is also helpful to select a product that has multiple uses. 

In many cases, employees perform a variety of duties, including routine cleaning tasks. As the last people to close the building, they may have to clean bathrooms and floors, wipe down countertops, etc. in addition to other closing tasks. In these situations, you can reduce the time spent cleaning at the end of the day by requiring cleaning in the middle of the day. If part of the business closes earlier than the rest, consider if it would be beneficial to have employees focus on different tasks at the same time. 

Provide staff with the highest performing cleaning products and tools. This will enable them to do the best job possible, in the shortest amount of time. Take extra time to research and seek referrals to ensure you find a quality product. Your employees and your facility will thank you for it. 

Clean more often to clean less. It might sound counterintuitive, but the more often you complete a cleaning task, the less time it will take for it to be adequately cleaned. Surfaces cleaned weekly, rather than daily, have the opportunity to accumulate more particles and bacteria and will require more time and effort to effectively clean. 

Ensuring employees know the proper cleaning methods will also save time and effort. Train new employees and outline your expectations. Consider providing information sheets or pairing up trainees to monitor each other’s performance. Existing employees may also need training for new systems and products, or to ensure they are completing tasks efficiently. 

Finally, be sure to motivate your staff. This doesn’t have to be a large monetary impact – drive comes in large part from an employee’s sense of self-worth. When they do a good job, acknowledge those employees and recognize their successes. Providing employees with a greater purpose can improve overall productivity and renew their passion to work with your business. 

Need an Update?

It can be easy to find a great cleaning routine and use it for years without realizing something better has come along. As safer chemicals are identified and we get more information on staying healthy during the pandemic, Lawton Brothers is just one call away. Let us help you sort through your cleaning routine to identify where you could be saving time, money, and the environment. Give us a call today at: 800.432.0813.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 earlier this year, not many people would be willing to argue about how valuable cleanliness is. That being said, not many people know that sick employees cost up to $225.8 billion a year. Clean facilities ...

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 earlier this year, not many people would be willing to argue about how valuable cleanliness is. That being said, not many people know that sick employees cost up to $225.8 billion a year. Clean facilities are not just a cost, however; they generate revenue. In a retail study, cleanliness was ranked most important among lighting, temperature, quietness/music, and special events. This means you can easily increase your report and revenue simply by investing in a clean facility. 

How Some Businesses Fall Short

We know what you’re probably thinking – “Duh, of course cleaning is important. I’d never return to a business that had a dirty bathroom.” And over 75% of adults would agree with you. Yet, it would seem that despite the overwhelming agreement on cleanliness, we still come across this problem on a daily basis. How does this happen?

Largely, it stems from a disproportionate assessment of cost and the negative connotation that cleaning brings. Negative connotation of cleaning?? What does that even mean? Didn’t we just establish that cleaning was good?!

Cleaning is great! But have you ever heard of someone’s dream job being a sanitation engineer? Oftentimes, we have an automatic association with dirty objects that transfers over to how we feel about the task at hand. Most people see cleaning as a necessary evil. And while we don’t blame you for not jumping up and down for joy at the opportunity to clean a restroom, this automatic association is harming how we do business.

Viewing cleaning as something that has to be done rather than a daily opportunity to improve and maintain your business directly impacts how much effort and money you put into your cleaning practices.

Making an Investment

Spending less today will mean spending more tomorrow. When choosing the most efficient or cheap options during cleaning, you neglect the future impact of that decision. As a business owner, you care about the lifetime of your assets. You don’t want to go through the trouble of having to refurbish or replace items. At any stage in your business, these modifications will cost more and disrupt business operations. Let us tell you: it isn’t worth it.

We’re Here to Help

We know that it can be time consuming and even tedious to research the best cleaning methods for your business. Let Lawton Brothers help! We offer four locations throughout Greater Orlando, mobile service vehicles, trained professionals on staff, and a number of audits to help you discover the joys of a beautiful business. Call us today to discuss how we can elevate your business:  800.432.0813.

Did you know that healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), can account for 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths each year? When a patient enters your healthcare facility for medical services, they are immediately put at risk for contracting healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) through ...

Did you know that healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), can account for 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths each year? When a patient enters your healthcare facility for medical services, they are immediately put at risk for contracting healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) through improper environmental hygiene practices.

 As an essential part of healthcare leadership, it is critical to ensure your patient safety for the facilities you serve. You can minimize the risk of HAIs by encouraging your medical staff to be aware of and promote proper environmental hygiene and cleaning practices.

At Lawton Brothers, we understand that in extensive healthcare facilities, hygiene practices can be put on the back burner. We are taking this opportunity during International Infection Prevention Week to provide a timely reminder of the importance of the correlation between your facility’s cleanliness and your patient’s safety.

THE MOST COMMON HAIs

Healthcare-associated infections are infections that a patient develops during their hospital stay. HAIs can be contracted in any type of facility, including hospitals, ambulances and long-term care facilities, just to name a few.  

When a healthcare facility does not engage in proper environmental cleaning practices, it can cause increased diseases (morbidity), decrease mortality, increase the length of hospital stays and costs incurred by the hospital. (yikes!) 

According to Becker’s Clinical Leaders & Infection Control:

●      The length of stay for a patient who contracts an HAI increases by 17.6 days

●      9.4 percent of in-patient costs are for HAIs

●      HAIs can cost healthcare facilities $35 billion per year

The most common HAIs patients get during their hospital stay include:

●      Central-line associated bloodstream infections

●      Clostridium difficile infections

●      Pneumonia

●      Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

●      Surgical site infections

●      Urinary Tract infections

How do patients contract these HAIs?

As you know, HAIs can be contracted through environmental transmission; through the hands and the contamination of surfaces.

ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANING PRACTICES 

Environmental hygiene can be dependent on the pathogen present and what product you are using to remove it.  According to an article published in BioMed Central, there are five areas of cleanliness that healthcare leaders should take into account when thinking about their hospital: 

1. Workforce: the staff whose responsibility is to organize, execute and verify cleaning activity.
2. Area: the environment that needs to be cleaned, including surfaces.
3. Substance: the chemical product being used to clean.
4. Technique: the method by which the staff is applying the substance.
5. Equipment: the machines being used to clean, including microfiber cloths and cleaning machines.

 If any of these areas are lacking or absent, the level of cleaning is inferior to what it should be.

 You should also be asking yourself these questions:

 What are our options for cleaning and disinfecting the patient’s environment? 

1. What approaches are in use?
2. How do cleaning, disinfecting and monitoring interact?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of cleaning, disinfecting and monitoring? 

What equipment is needed to impact cleaning, disinfecting and monitoring? 

1. What equipment is essential to the efficiency of environmental cleaning services?
2. Is it essential to train cleaning staff?
3. What are the regulations around disinfecting the facility? 

CLEANING PRODUCTS FOR CLEANING  & DISINFECTING 

The optimal cleaning product for a healthcare facility is one that is effective against bacteria, spores and viruses while leaving no impact on the environment and being completely safe. Unfortunately, there isn’t a product that does all of that. (sadly) 

The most common chemicals used for disinfection include: 

●      Alcohol: is used to disinfect small surfaces or external surfaces like ventilators. Alcohol is a flammable substance and must be used in well-ventilated spaces. Long-term use of alcohol can cause discoloration, hardening and even cracking in plastics and rubber.

●      Hydrogen peroxide: can be effective against bacteria, yeast, fungi and viruses and leaves no odor.

●      Ortho-phthalaldehyde: is an antimicrobial disinfectant for medical equipment that can cause respiratory issues if not handled properly.

●      Chlorine: is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial disinfectant that does not leave a residue.

●      Peracetic acid: is used to sterilize medical and surgical instruments.

●      Phenolics: are EPA-registered disinfectants that are used to clean environmental surfaces like bedside tables, bed rails and laboratory surfaces.

●      Quaternary Ammonium compounds: are used to disinfect patient-care equipment like catheters. 

Unfortunately, data-sf-ec-immutable="" while healthcare facilities are more than willing to upgrade their technology, they are less willing to invest in their environmental hygiene practices. Rather than spend your cleaning budget on only cleaning products, invest in your environmental cleaning employees, as well. An cleaning company can not only supply your healthcare facility with top-notch cleaning solutions but will also be able to provide your employees with the proper training--all while staying within your budget.

Not encouraging proper cleaning practices can affect budgets across the hospital. This can make it difficult to really understand how the lack of such protocols can genuinely change the healthcare facility as a whole.  That is why it’s essential to look at the increased number of days a patient may spend in the hospital due to an HAI, hospital staff overtime, missed revenue and increases in costs due to HAI outbreaks. 

When you are making a decision about investing in your environmental hygiene maintenance processes, which products to get, or how much training your cleaning staff really needs, think about the cost of not investing in these things and what that means for the healthcare facility long-term. 

HOW CAN WE HELP? 

Unfortunately, even if you have the best cleaning staff, they will be useless if they aren’t using the correct product. And, the best product is useless if it isn’t being applied correctly. That is why it is essential to have a team that can help you choose the best products and machines for the situation at hand. 

At Lawton Brothers, we have many products and services that could benefit your healthcare facility. Three products that you could implement into your healthcare environmental cleaning and disinfecting routine right now include: 

1. Hillyard Vindicator + - https://www.lawtonbros.com/catalog/p/243337/Hillyard-Arsenal-1-6-Vindicator-Disinfectant-25-L/
2. Green Klean Chlorinated Tablets - https://www.lawtonbros.com/catalog/p/255655/Green-Klean-Chlorinated-Disinfecting-Tablet/
3. Victory Sprayer - https://www.lawtonbros.com/catalog/p/256687/Victory-Cordless-Electrostatic-Sprayer/ 

And, if your staff needs training on equipment, we can help with that too! To talk to one of our representatives about how we can help your healthcare facility decrease the number of HAIs by improving your cleaning and disinfecting strategies, give us a call at 800-432-0813. 

The International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) provides companies with tools to determine the true value of clean. The ISSA promotes cleaning as a necessary investment into better health, a better environment, and a better bottom line. Cleaning Industry Management (CIMS) ...

The International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) provides companies with tools to determine the true value of clean. The ISSA promotes cleaning as a necessary investment into better health, a better environment, and a better bottom line. Cleaning Industry Management (CIMS) is a branch of ISSA that offers cleaning organizations standards and certifications. 

Lawton Brothers is proud to be CIMS-GB certified where GB stands for Green Building. In order to be CIMS-GB certified a cleaning company must meet certain criteria and standards set by CIMS which is considered to be “the first consensus based management that outlines the primary characteristics of a successful, quality cleaning organization.” According to the ISSA, a CIMS-GB certification “demonstrates an organization’s capability to assist customers in achieving LEED-EBOM points and offers customers assurance that the organization they select is prepared to partner with them in the Leed process.”

As your resource for cleaning solutions in Central Florida, we are proud to be CIMS-GB certified and at Lawton Brothers we look forward to helping your facility’s cleaning process be as efficient as it can be.