Did you know that many green cleaning agents have little to no smell?  Many of the latest commercial green cleaning chemicals are designed to leave behind no fragrances.  Fragrances in traditional cleaning chemicals have been associated with VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) which contribute to health problems when inhaled.

There is work to do to eductate the public on this subject.  Many in North America have been raised to think that a room must smell clean to be clean.  This is simply no longer true.  Call our office or one of our supervisors to learn more.

Cleantech Janitorial is pleased to offer additional protection and disinfection products and services to our clients upon request. We have, in cooperation with our suppliers, assembled kits containing essentials such as hand sanitizers, disinfecting wipes, gloves, and facemasks. Kits are available for $249.00 and will be delivered in mid October.

Kits must be ordered by Sept 30th

Further we will work closely with our clients in the event of a suspected outbreak in their building to offer special disinfecting deep cleans upon request. Ask one of our Supervisors or call our office for details @ 604-244-1660.

Karen is the latest addition to the Cleantech team and takes over the role of our front desk and inventory control. Karen comes to us with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of BC and has served as project assistant with the UBC Development Office. Karen has a varied background which includes administration, marketing, operations, and medical research project coordination. Cleantech clients, service personnel, and suppliers may contact Karen regarding new or existing product orders.

August 20th, 2009 | Cleaning Services

Every workplace is different. Some are in offices, some in factories and some in shops. But wherever the workplace is, it must be fresh and clean at all times. Good cleaning solutions will help in all workplaces, but they won’t be the same in every one.  Some require a comprehensive service twice a day, every day. Others may only need an efficient clean twice a week. Finding out which one is suitable for the needs of the business you work for will enable you to get the best results.

Consider the footfall.  A shop experiences perhaps hundreds of people passing through each day. In contrast a small office could have three or four staff members using it.  As such their cleaning requirements are very different. More time and tasks will be involved in the former, which will require a professional team every day. In the latter example one or two cleaners would suffice. An effective cleaning solution may require just two visits a week.

Consider Health and Safety.  Some workplaces have very specific cleaning requirements. It is not enough for the workplace to be clean and fresh. It must meet all the legal requirements for that business. Food factories and similar outlets are a good example.  In this example a cleaning company offering a wide range of efficient solutions will be required. An understanding of Health and Safety and how this can impact the workplace is essential. Advanced cleaning solutions are not offered by every company. Ensure the right choice is made to get the results you need.

Consider different areas of the workplace.  Not all parts of the workplace need to be spruced up at the same intervals. For example, the bathrooms will need to be refreshed and sanitized every day. But offices, which are only occasionally used, can be cleaned and polished just once or twice a week.

Discuss your requirements with an expert company with a flexible approach. No two businesses are the same. A professional office cleaning service will understand your needs and provide the right services at the right intervals.

Consider the right company for the job

Just as no two businesses are the same, neither are the cleaning professionals. The best company will enhance your workspace and bring it to life. A refreshing workspace can make all the difference to your working life.  Look for a combination of experience, understanding and knowledge that will serve all businesses differently. Commercial cleaners vary in the services they provide. You need a company whose professionalism is as refreshing as the results they leave behind.  If they can cater to your needs and understand them, you have the makings of a good partnership for the future. Their expertise will enhance and bring out the best in your workplace, whether it is a factory, shop, small office or skyscraper.

Scanning the web we found this article, written by an Australian cleaning company, explaining the reason for hiring a large, experienced cleaning company.  We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Are you in a position where you need to think about hiring some cleaners to make sure all your needs are taken care of? If you are then it pays not to think too small.

Most people tend to think about cleaning in terms of the minimum that needs doing on a daily basis. For example, washrooms might need a quick clean; offices may need a quick once over to keep them tidy; and depending on where you work you may have other regular tasks that need doing as well.

Notice the word ‘regular’ in that last sentence. Office cleaning may be a regular job, but what about all the things that need doing only every now and then? These are quite often the things that get forgotten, and there is no guarantee that a small cleaning company will be able to meet all your needs in this respect.

When it comes to larger commercial cleaning contractors they will have more experience with a wider range of tasks and requirements. They will have dealt with many more businesses and outfits than smaller companies, and will be more prepared to take on whatever tasks you need to have done.

As such you will find it much more versatile to have a company like this taking care of all your cleaning needs. Every company and business grows and changes over time, and there is no guarantee that what you require now in the way of a cleaning service will still be adequate at some point in the future.

You can probably see where this will lead. Just imagine that you choose a small company to get started with. You don’t see the need for using anyone bigger simply because a small company can do everything you ask of them.

But over time your business grows and you find that you now have more jobs that need doing. You may even expand into new premises, or simply extend the existing building or premises you are using. So you ask your cleaning company to add these extra duties onto your current requirements, so that the standards are kept high and everything is kept clean and tidy.

But they cannot do so.

Their company is too small a concern to make this happen, and so you are left with the job of finding someone new to take on your cleaning tasks.

Can you see how inconvenient this would be? The truth is that such a process can take valuable time, and all the while you are trying to find someone, those jobs aren’t getting done.

But if you go for a larger company to start with, you can grow with them. You know they will always be able to accommodate any changes in what has to be done. That can really take the pressure off as the company you choose can be relied upon, both in the short and the long term.

So think about it now – could your existing company do this for you?

Do you know that Cleantech employs a full time training officer?  We endeavor to stay current with the leading janitorial supply and technique news and implement ways to improve our service or make the work of our services personnel more effective.   Our training office has a long background in the janitorial industry and is adept at conveying new developments across our work force.

Every building is unique and so are each of our cleaning personnel.  It is the training office who ensures that the scope of work is clearly conveyed to the service personnel and that a proper fit between property and personnel is achieved.  For newly hired personnel,  our training officer is on site teaching them the Cleantech way of cleaning.

Lincolnwood, IL, USA, August 6, 2009—The proposed criteria for CIMS-GB, the green-building dimension of ISSA’s popular Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) and certification program, is now available for public review and comment. The review period commences today and continues through September 4, 2009. Individuals interested in reviewing the draft criteria are encouraged to visit www.issa.com/cims-gb and may submit applicable feedback to cimsgb@issa.com.

“The ultimate goal of the CIMS Green Building criteria and designation will be to allow organizations to verify their ability to assist customers in meeting the LEED-EB: O&M green cleaning requirements, but we also have a unique opportunity to raise the bar beyond LEED as far as environmental preferability and cleaning is concerned,” said ISSA Director of Facility Service Programs Dan Wagner. “The committee has started the work of doing so, and we are eager to receive feedback from the industry at large as to how we can develop a practical industry standard that takes green cleaning to the next level while answering the specific market demand created by LEED.”

T12 Magnetic Ballasts became obsolete January 1st, 2009. BC Hydro Power Smart incentives were reduced effective April, 1st, 2009 but are still in effect.

Affected products include;

Magnetic F40T12, Rapid Start
Magnetic F96T12, Instant Start
Magnetic F96T12, High Output Affected Products

Talk to your cleantech supervisor to find out how these new regulations may affect you.  You still have time to take advantage of incentives offered by BC Hydro.  Our lighting suppliers will be happy help you along the way to compliance and savings on operating expenses for your property.  According to our suppliers, retrofitting your lighting can provide energy savings exceeding 40%.  Visit BC Hydro’s business incentive website for more info.

Let Cleantech and Wood Wyant help your office lighten the ecological footprint of your property.  Follow the link to their sustainable development intro page to read more about Wood Wyant green products and their environmental impact audit program.  Call our office to learn more about our other suppliers and how they can help us all be a little more green.

We would like to extend our warmest birthday wishes to John Rochard who celebrates his 70th birthday on Thursday!  Many of us were honored to attend a fantastic Caribbean birthday celebration this past weekend and were able to mark this special birthday occasion with John’s family and friends.  Happy Birthday John!