FACT: The textiles in your space are dirty. Reupholster? Too time-consuming. Replace? Way too expensive. Clean? It’s easier than you think.

It’s Not Too Late
Have you ever thought about how dirty your chair really is? Spilled food and drinks. Dirty hands. Touching. Handling. Moving. Sitting. Sharing. Think about it: not exactly a clean image. Just like carpet, your textiles need to be cleaned. Chairs, couches, window treatments and cubicle panels are all easy targets for dirt and grime. Reupholstering and replacing are time-consuming and could blow your budget. It’s not too late to take care of what you’ve got.

Responsible Cleaning
We know Textile Care. And our solution is the greenest option out there. It doesn’t waste water. And it’s designed to reduce drying time, so you and your employees will be back to work within the hour.

Clean to the Core
We pressurize our liquid textile solution to decrease its droplet size. Smaller droplets penetrate deeper into the material and can be more easily extracted. We remove the solution and the dirt, and you’re back to clean in a single step.

The Result?
Dirt removed. Textiles clean and dry. Indoor air quality improved. Employees happy. Morale boosted. A job well done. We take care of it. You have time to spare. Employees and guests return to a space that’s inviting and invigorating. They feel good to have their workspace taken care of. And you get the accolades.

By Stephen Ashkin

Traditional extractors use an excessive amount of water, especially when compared to newer low-flow models, which can use less than one gallon of water per minute.

Building managers, working with their custodial crews, are transferring to environmentally preferable cleaning systems and products in record numbers. What started as a trickle just a few years ago is now beyond a trend. For many building managers in many industries, having their facilities “green-cleaned” is a given.

However, the situation gets a bit more complicated when it comes to tasks such as carpet cleaning. Maintaining carpets can require frequent cleaning, sometimes using very powerful cleaning chemicals, making “green” a challenge. The following are some key steps building owners and managers can take to reduce carpet cleaning’s impact on the environment:

Prioritize carpet cleaning. Many facilities schedule carpet cleaning throughout the year, with certain areas cleaned on a set schedule. This may work in some parts of a building as long as those carpeted areas do need to be cleaned. But what often happens is the executive areas of facilities, where carpets tend to stay relatively unsoiled, get more than their fair share of attention. Carpet cleaning should be prioritized: clean those areas that get more soiled more frequently and the less soiled areas less frequently.

Vacuum frequently. It is estimated that 80 percent of the soils in carpets are dry, such as dust and grit. An effective vacuum cleaner, employing a HEPA or similar filtration system, can remove these soils from carpets, which prevents them from further soiling the floor covering. In addition, a high filtration system protects indoor air quality.

Employ interim carpet cleaning methods. Although the extraction method is the most thorough carpet cleaning procedure, it uses a lot of water. Older extractors may use as much as two gallons of water per minute, as well as large amounts of chemicals. Often a shampoo, bonnet, or dry carpet cleaning method can be used on an interim basis. These processes use far less water, energy, and chemicals, which reduces cleaning’s impact on the environment.

Low-flow technologies. Even when incorporating an interim carpet cleaning system, switching to low-flow or low-moisture extractors can reduce water use dramatically. Some systems use less than one gallon of water per minute and the carpets dry in two to four hours. This expedited cleaning time helps prevent mold or mildew from developing.

Use cold water when cleaning carpets. While this is a somewhat controversial suggestion, most soils will be removed from carpets by using cold water, depending on the degree of soiling. Why is this important? The heating of water, especially when using portable extractors, can draw large amounts of power. Using cold water eliminates this. Additionally, depending on how the chemicals are used with the system, hot water can cause the development of fumes that can be harmful to the user and indoor air quality.

Use green-certified cleaning chemicals. Today, this is a “no-brainer.” Several manufacturers now have green-certified carpet cleaning products or products that meet or exceed certification standards. Most users find these products compare favorably with, if not exceed, the performance standards of conventional carpet cleaning chemicals.

Maintain the equipment … and know when it is time to select new machines. One 23-story building in Chicago has employed the same portable carpet extractor for more than 15 years. The machine breaks down regularly, is an excessive water and power user, and due to its lack of cleaning power, requires large amounts of chemical solution to perform adequately. Fortunately the building’s managers have decided to replace the machine. Newer machines require far less water and energy and use less chemical more efficiently than machines produced just a few years ago. Consider new equipment if current machines are more than seven years old and be sure to maintain them properly to keep them operating most effectively.

Touching on Sustainability
As you may have noticed, many of these tips now include sustainability issues. Green and sustainability are becoming intertwined. Whenever any type of cleaning can be performed using less water, less chemical, or less energy, not only is it greener and healthier, but it is using natural resources more responsibly. This is why the next step in green carpet cleaning, or for that matter all cleaning, is sustainable cleaning.

Stephen P. Ashkin is president of The Ashkin Group, a consulting firm specializing in greening the cleaning industry, as well as Sustainablity Tool LLC. He is also coauthor of both The Business of Green Cleaning andGreen Cleaning for Dummies.

As a new strain of influenza sweeps the nation; people, media and the occupied environment are looking for ways to protect themselves and find solutions to the pandemic.  The Floor Care Company, Ltd.  has trained to become a frist level of defense provider with Vital Oxice.

Vital Oxide produces no harmful by-products for the environment. It is the smart ecological choice– contains no ozone harming VOC’s and is 100% biodegradable.

Vital Oxide stands out among other antimicrobial cleaners with a combination of extremely low toxicity and long-term effectiveness. US EPA Registered (82972-1) as a “Broad Spectrum Disinfectant-Cleaner” that is non-corrosive, non-irritating to skin, and requires no special handling instructions on its label.

Vital Oxide formula includes components that emulsify common oily, greasy substances, readily penetrating surfaces coated with oily materials.
Vital Oxide is effective even diluted from its “general purpose” strength. To enhance this ability, a sequestering agent in the formulation prevents the deactivation of the surface-active agents in the formula where “hard” water is used for dilution.

• Environmentally friendly, water-based technology is non-toxic and hypoallergenic
• Trusted antimicrobial technology
• Meets all OSHA standards and is EPA registered
• Invisible, odorless and will not affect the appearance or performance of the treated surface
• Inhibits and controls the growth of microbial contaminants that cause staining and odor, extending the life of the surface and reducing waste costs.

What is the process?
The process is three-fold.

1. We audit the area to be treated, identify size, scope, and primary touch points.
2. We wipe down and disinfect the target areas in the facility using our EPA certified cleaner, sanitizer and deodorizer.
3. We treat the entire space using an electrostatic sprayer to coat and sanitize all surfaces.

What is a Primary touch Point?
Primary touch points are considered desk tops, stairway handrails, elevator buttons, light switches, buttons,telephones, keyboards, restroom, chair rails, task chairs and guest seating, dispensers and door handles

How long does it last?
This depends on the service selected. The disinfectant clean will last until infected with someone carrying the H1N1 virus. The Antimicrobial treatment will create a protective kill barrier for up to 90 days on primary touch points and up to 3 years on non touchable surfaces.

What is the difference between this product and other antimicrobials on the market?
Conventional products kill by way of poisoning the organism. They are designed to act quickly and dissipate over time to avoid adverse effects to humans and animals due to their toxic ingredients. Most commercial antimicrobials used for treating building surfaces give a quick kill on bacteria and fungi, although most have a limited spectrum of effectiveness. The Aegis technology takes a unique approach. It provides an effective initial microbial kill when applied, like the conventional methods, but it also provides long-term control of growth on treated surfaces.

What is the cost for this service?
The cost for the service is very dependent on the scope of work. The first phase clean, sanitation and disinfecting can be done for as little as $.15 per square foot. The total program that provides up to 90 days of protection cost on average $.45- $.70 per square foot with min charges in addition to the first phase clean.

What is the 90 day Antimicrobial?
The Floor Care Company’s Aegis Microbshield Interior Surface Coating System is the best preventive treatment for biological contamination that can be used in any facility. It solves and prevents a full range of health, productivity, and legal problems. Our special application controls the problem at its source. Microbshield works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week along current short-term infection control programs that have limited effectiveness for long-term solutions. The active ingredient in the antimicrobial forms a colorless, odorless, positively charged polymer, which chemically bonds to the treated surface. A quaternary amine sword ,unlike traditional quats, which have a very short effectiveness and a limited kill spectrum, the active ingredient in the Aegis Microbsheild provides long-term protection, and controls a very broad spectrum of microorganisms* (including Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacteria) which provide an electrical charge shocking the cell, effectively killing the microorganism. Since nothing is transferred to the now dead cell, the antimicrobial doesn’t lose strength and the sword is ready for the next cell to contact it. Cleaning of treated surfaces is necessary to prevent bio load up.

How do I know what I am getting?
If we will provide you with pre and post microbial sampling of your environment. This will show you levels of active contamination prior to treatment and then post treatment. Over the 90 day period we will give two samples at your request to confirm the areas are still active with the Microbshield product. If for any reason we find the contamination elevation equal to pre-treatment levels we will reapply at our cost.

Will this Stop the H1N1 in my space?
No. This process is successful in killing influenza A (H1N1) virus but this does not guarantee you will be infection free. This technology is a first line defense system. For those that are infected and come to the environment others can be infected. Good Hygiene and CDC recommendations are still priority in delivering the safest environment for your employees.