A change that we made 14 years ago that I haven't ever discussed.

 About Rethinking Waste: 

Moving Beyond Traditional Plastics

 

When it comes to discarding waste, we are becoming more aware of the hazards and negative impacts of traditional means of disposal — namely, plastic garbage bags. The very attributes that once made plastic so appealing — tensile strength and durability — have also become its downfall. Traditional plastic garbage bags, due to their long lifespan in landfills, contribute to persistent litter and environmental harm.
At Corporate Facility Supply, we believe plastic must evolve. But unlike some who have turned to oxo‑degradable plastics, we have chosen a different path. Oxo‑degradable materials break down into fragments that can persist in the environment, raising concerns about micro-plastic pollution and long‑term ecological damage. For us, that is not a sustainable solution.

Our Commitment: Sustainable Alternatives
Instead of oxo‑degradable plastics, we focus on solutions that are:
•     Truly recyclable and circular — designed to re‑enter the raw material stream without compromising quality.
•     Compostable where appropriate — breaking down into safe organic matter under industrial composting conditions.
•     Compatible with recycled content — ensuring our products support and strengthen existing recycling systems.
•     Environmentally responsible — avoiding additives or processes that create hidden risks to soil, water, or biodiversity.
Why This Matters
•     Traditional plastic garbage bags can remain in landfills for upwards of 50 years.
•     Oxo‑degradable plastics may fragment faster, but they do not solve the underlying issue of plastic pollution.
•     By investing in recyclable and compostable technologies, we help reduce waste without introducing new environmental hazards.

Our Role in the Movement
As part of the Environmentally Preferable Products Movement, we take great pride in leading with integrity. We will continue to educate and encourage our clients to make responsible choices whenever they are available. To those who have already embraced sustainable alternatives — thank you. Together, we are shaping a future where durability and responsibility coexist.

Professional Cleaners

Those of you who have read my blog in the past realize one thing.  I believe that we as cleaners are an under recognized bunch.  I often mention the story from my youth of when I was 19.  Young and foolish I guess, I mentioned to my grandfather that I didn't want to be a salesman.  His career of 58 years was all spent in sales in one capacity.  So I am sure when I heard this from him that he might have just been a tiny bit offended.

In what was definitely a teenage moment I said to him. My father has told me that if I want to take over his business some day that I will have to learn to sell.  By learning to sell he meant doing so for 10 or 12 years before I started to learn the intricacies of management.  In my infinite wisdom I countered with.  I always wanted to own my own business or be a professional.  

Immediately I knew that I had ruffled feathers by his response.  "Chris, what do you mean by professional?  Are you saying that you want to be a lawyer?"  Yes I said.  Or a Chemical Engineer or maybe an Architect.  "Chris you have it all wrong!" He told me.  "No matter who you are, no matter what you do, as soon as you receive a paycheque for your work efforts.  YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL"  A little surprised but clueless nonetheless the conversation faded off into his aches and pains.  

A few years later as I was training a group of cleaners I heard a voice say, "If we are expected to do this we are going to have to get paid a lot better.  What do they think we are doctors and nurses?"

The moral of the story:  If you like what you do.  You will make more than just great money as any professional should.  You will make yourself and those around you incredibly happy.

Self Education.... Where do you and where should you get the answer?

If you're like me, you look to the web.  There is no doubt in my mind that the answers to most of the world's problems can be found at the click.  I have on a multitude of occasions looked to the web for recommendations of ways to solve my home repair issues.  As a hobbyist furniture maker, I have created better work simply because I could locate specialized processes to give me the results I strive for.  This blog proves that you are just like me. 

Here is my issue:  Manufacturers and Distributors claim falsely that they are the only solution to the problem.   99 percent of us know enough to look elsewhere when we need something.   It's the other 10 percent.   (We all know I have been generous in my estimate) Old world solution is the space age solution of today!  It can be I guess. 

My caution.   Know your teacher. Research the researcher. 

The top ten hints for re-coating resilient floors

Why resilient only?

Simple answer...

Resilient floors are at least somewhat predictable.  

If you are a Floorcare professional.  You most likely know these answers.  

Why did I do top ten?

I liked Letterman.  Oh and "Top ten lists" do very well on social media.

1. Floor finish success is all about pH. Most finishes range from 8.5 to 9.5.  Far from neutral which is 7.  Finish will not adhere to a surface that strays from the above range by much.  

2. There is no such thing as a permanent floor finish.  Permanent means a couple of years by Floorcare standards.  It doesn't mean that it will not wear.  Often permanent finishes result in more work in the long run.

3. Floor finish is like paint.  When you view it as it were paint surface preparation becomes far more important to you: The PROFESSIONAL

4. Different finishes have different results on different floors.  A floor finish may not look perfect on every floor.  Long term success depends upon the right finish for your floor. Not the finish that is the shiniest out of the gate.

5. Remember the rule of 100 plus one.  For the maximum number of coats that you can apply.  Multiply the floor finish solids content by whatever number of coats it takes to get closest to 100 hundred but not more, and allow no more than one additional coat.  

I.E.  If a finish is 24 percent solids. 4x24=96.  Therefore only 4 coats plus one.

Or... If a finish is 26 percent solids 3x26=78.  Therefore only 3 coats plus one.

6. To quote one of the best floor guys I know: Paul Hopkins, from Betco.  "Thin to win". Not his words he will say, but he said them to me first.  Thin coats give you the best success.  

7. Start with a smooth surface end with a smooth surface.  That one is obvious.

8. If a coat of floor finish has not dried in 40 minutes.  Stop.  Call the manufacturer.  Get advice on your next step.  

9.  Never put another coat of finish on your floor until the prior coat or the surface is 100 percent dry.  Squeaky socks are my best indicator.  I never wear shoes after my first coat.  Way less risk of contamination.

10. If it doesn't look right after your first coat. It will look worse after any subsequent coats.  Stop!

There are lots of other rules.  These ones just hit home for me.  I will probably do more as my readers remind me of my oversights.  Next issue....   Stripping for success.  No brass pole required.  Stripping or deep scrubbing far out weights finish application where results are concerned.

Please let me know what you think?

Ok rule number 11

Never pour finish back into the bucket.  

Some people suggest to Use it up on a concrete floor that is clean. It will help to control dust.  

Arrrgh 12.   High humidity 90% or higher almost always results in floor finish failure.  High temperature and high humidity are a dreadful combination.  

Lucky number 13.  A cold floor.  Mostly near a store entrance or floor mounted freezer means that you need to coat thin and or not coat until weather or ambient temperature improves.

More to come I am sure.  

Where did I go wrong with my floor.

Just recently I had a run in with one of my largest contract cleaning clients.  "The floors look like garbage" , "The finish is powdering, it looks like it is starting to flake off.  Your finish must have gotten frozen" he said to me.  One of my competitors brought in a Technical Floorcare specialist from one of the largest finish manufacturers in the country.  Of course seeing opportunity the "Technical Specialist" immediately solved the problem.  My floor finish had been frozen.  How kind of him to decide this was the issue without even getting close to a microscope or even running pH tests as well as 22 other "technical" tests that could have diagnosed the real answer.

Why wouldn't my competitor go in that direction?  It's a clear cut opportunity at more business.  All other thoughts must have left his head at that very moment.  After two weeks with the tests that we ran, we arrived at a conclusive answer.  Our finish had not been frozen damaged and it was not defective.  Just to prove it to ourselves we applied finish from the same batch and pallet to a convenience store floor.  No issues.  Great results....

So where did things go wrong?

We have our suspicions.  In fact we were able to surmise that one of three things had occurred.  

Rather than digging in any deeper I decided to write down what I have learned about what causes floor finish failures.  

What do I need to avoid?

Contamination: Often floor finish is contaminated in one of three ways.  It is applied with a contaminated application device.  Or storage and application device.  The surface can be contaminated, but we will talk about next paragraph.  Here is the trick.  Always scrub your mop bucket, mop handles and dispensing containers before you use them.  Never use a pad or mop that has been coated in finish for more than 72 hours.  In fact for the cost of a new mop or wax pad.  Buy new!

Residual floor finish or improper rinsing:  If you have gone to the lengths to strip a floor.  Make certain that you have removed all of the old floor finish from your floor.  Take an extra couple of minutes to make sure that you have rinsed your floor 100 percent.  Just a tiny amount of floor stripper can easily destroy an entire floor.

Application errors:  recoat go too quick , too high humidity, too many coats,  coats that are too thick

Low quality floor finish:  make sure that you research the quality and customer reviews of the product that you will be using.  Not all finishes are created equal.

Temperature or moisture issues can definitely prevent adhesion, cause cloudiness and greatly affect the overall results and longevity of your, efforts.  

Stale dated product:  It happens.... Don't get me wrong.  Although most finishes are made with a two year shelf life.  Many can be applied up to three years after date of manufacture.  Always be certain of your finish manufacturer's shelf life commitment.  

Floor finish is every bit as permanent as paint.  No matter which way you slice it.  The better you do the job, the better the results will be.  We will do everything we can to get you the best results and longevity from your hard work.  Be sure to talk to us before you do your floor.  If you are concerned please look at the resources section of our website for more advise.

CLICK HERE!

Results may vary....  Just kidding.  We can get you amazing results we promise.

Where is the Janitorial Supply Distribution Industry going?

Going going gone?

Not for now?

Not forever.  My thoughts?  We are about to go through a sanitary supply renascence!

Sounds kind of goofy, but I think it is reality.  When I was straight out of school and entering the work world the Janitorial Supply industry was booming with over 1500 distributors in Canada and 30,000 in the US.  Now?  The numbers have greatly changed in the past 25 years.  

In Canada five national players dominate the marketplace.  Literally eight years ago a national big box chain decided to enter the Sanitation market.  Due to a recent acquisition effort this chain had to give up a sizable portion of their business to become dominant in their original marketplace.  What part did they offer up?  Their least profitable of course.  Although this has yet to be finalized the real news is the potential spin off was 650 million in net sales.  To many of us billions sound like millions used to just a few years ago.  Considering that the North American market for Sanitation products is somewhere between 6 and 20 billion dollars annually depending upon who posts the figures.  Most likely these numbers are a major underestimate.

The scary reality is that a company in ten years can literally own as much as ten percent of the market in eight years.  No doubt they have hired the best people they can get their hands on.  Implemented the best inventory and distribution techniques.  Getting products into the hands of the end user in less than 48 hours almost always with complete order fulfillment.  And always at market leading prices. 

What gives?  

Should I phone it in?  Take their next offer?

I don't think so.  Business always goes through cycles.  

My belief is that there will always be plenty of room for independent distributors.  True enough the Internet has made information available for everyone.  Endless amounts in fact.  If it is your nature to take the time to research and develop programs based upon advice offered for free by distributors that likely will never be able to fulfill your order.  

What happens when something goes wrong?

How do you solve it?

The answer is obvious.  You go to where you know you will get what you need.

The real question?  Will you continue to deal with the distributor who is there with the right answer and the right product?  Only you can answer that one.  

Floor Finish Demystified

You've taken your time stripped your floor to the base.  Cleaned all of your corners, stripped baseboards and rinsed your floor sufficiently.  

What next?

Who sets your expectations?

You, your supervisor, your co-workers?

This is most common the struggle in Floorcare.  It's easy to leave the floor after you've applied sealer if required and floor finish happy as a clam.  Every floor if done reasonably well looks great after it is done.  

The reality starts now.

The questions that need to be answered aren't all that new but they were best answered two stages ago.  

Do I want a floor that is, low maintenance? High gloss right away that is easily low speed burnished, a high gloss medium maintenance floor or the absolute optimum, a daily maintained floor with high to very high gloss appearance?  Regardless of your expectations you can't try every finish out there.  So where do you go?  Maybe the large National distributor?  Maybe the local building center or the big box store?  No matter where you get your products from you need to know what you are applying.  It is true large volume vendors offer you potential advice and support.  Decent selection, training resources and quite often specialists in each vertical. The internet has made knowledge readily available.  Is that knowledge accurate?  Is the information you have gotten relevant to your circumstance?  

Here is the case for your local janitorial distributor.

Can you find all of it when you need it?  If you have and can continuously find it....?  Is it the same product that was on the shelf last time you purchased?

Your decision making process in almost all cases is the difference between success and the longevity of your efforts.  Time is money when you are responsible for payroll.  Time is even more important when you have to redo your floor any sooner than you should.

Early next month I will produce a couple of articles with more answers. 

1. What did I do wrong?  

2. The top ten hints about Floorcare.

3. The incomplete guide to Floorcare. Rules for every floor finish.

Biologicals and hydrocarbon products

Tell me you saw this one coming out of a oil tanker crash.  In the late eighties a major oil spill happened in the North Pacific Ocean.  From all disasters there is a lesson and in my opinion this man-made disaster allowed the world a new solution to hydrocarbon spills the world over.  

While scientists cleaned up wildlife they noticed that a few localized areas had no oil or even signs of it.  The interesting result of this discovery?  A bacteria was isolated that has a tremendous hunger for all hydrocarbons.  Not just Brent crude.  But refined forms of oil offer this non-pathogenic bacteria a wonderful food source that results in nothing more than water and Carbon dioxide as an effluent.  Talk about amazing!

Ten years fast forward and this bacteria was farmed for the benefit of the rest of the world.  This bacteria blend offers odor control where gas spills have occurred.  Clean up after burst oil tanks.  Diesel spills are easily cleaned and buildings once slated for destruction are restored with minimal labour.  

We have manufactured two products with this bacteria for the last 6 or 7 years.  Both have earned us accolades from restoration contractors, Environmental engineering firms all over Ontario.  Households have been saved months of dealing with the ever present odor of stove oil.  If you are ever forced to deal with a petroleum mess. Contact us. We guarantee you will be impressed.

Below are a few images of a remediation demonstration we did.  Before and after.  Fourteen hours.  Wow.

Before 

During 

After

Biologicals for round the clock cleaning. Part I

Carpet Cleaning with Biologicals. 

Recently I cleaned a carpet in one of Niagara's busiest public establishments with a local Cleaning Contractor. The carpet was so deeply soiled that as you walked you could feel your feet re-gluing themselves to the surface of the floor.  Having been here before, I knew full well that carpet is without a doubt the biggest soil magnet.  Even after cleaning some carpets they seem like they haven't been cleaned. 

Carpet behaves like a wick.  Soil through nearly osmotic process becomes evenly saturated throughout the medium.  Once visibly cleaned many carpets will appear almost as bad as they were before they were cleaned shortly after they dry. Many carpet cleaners realize this and with their super powerful truck mounted machines use a shotgun to squash a fly.  Many times this process gives amazing results.

Back to my carpet cleaning adventure. We opted to use three different products to do our test trial. A high pH degreaser, a co solvent traffic lane cleaner and a mild biological carpet cleaner with live bacteria that produce enzymes.  All three locations showed similar soiling. Image #1 is a reasonable cross section of the entire carpet.

This carpet was treated at 8:00 am with Bio Power on the left half and allowed to stand.  Almost to the point where it was saturated.  Shortly after we applied a high pH degreaser to the right portion of the carpet.  At 8:45 we began cleaning the carpet using a truck mounted machine at 500 psi and 175 degrees F.  Keep in mind that this is a polypropylene carpet solution dyed.  Keep in mind, I am not an advocate of using degreasers to clean carpet.  

The end result is great all things considered.  Image #2 shows our results.  

No doubt in my mind that the high pH degreaser in the short term did a great job.  What the picture doesn't  show?  The colour is generally uniform.  Four hours later as the carpet was still saturated I noticed an improvement in the results on the biological side.  

The moral of the story is: Biologicals offer great results and use fewer harmful chemicals.  The risk of damage is nearly none.  Biologicals offer one even greater benefit.  They continue to clean long another you leave.  As most carpet cleaners know carpets stay wet for up to 16 hours after having been cleaned. As long as Biologicals have a food source and moisture they continue to do their thing. No doubt the results are not perfect.  All things considered a  vast improvement.  Carpets like this one would definitely benefit from monthly cleaning.

I recommend that you try Biopower to clean your carpets.  

Image#1

Image#2

Dilution and the case for control

Last week as I was preparing to deep scrub a floor with a caretaker; I asked the caretaker for a measuring cup.  Measuring cup? he said quizzically.  We don't have them here.  Ok I said.... What about a coffee cup?  Ya absolutely he said.  I have one let me go get it.  Five minutes later he came back with a big grin.  Here you go....  

My best guess at measurement and we were on the way to a shiny floor.  

Needless to say.  What was the visible cost? 

About ten minutes.  

What was the hard labor cost?

Maybe $5 total cost.  

What was the real risk?

A floor that wasn't properly scrubbed and prepared.  

What could be the cost?

Two gallons of floor finish. $45  Four hours of his time.  $120 

Soft costs assuming that the floor did go bad?

Facility closure for 6 hours to redo the job properly. A second labourer if a second staff member was there to replace the free labor provided by myself.

All this for a dollar measuring cup?

Dilution itself can be a real monster.  To make that aspect a lot easier I have added a copy of Dilution 101 for those of us that aren't 100% certain of proper dilution procedures.

No doubt dilution control has become readilly available for most products at minimal cost if any.  The real question is?  Do facility managers realize that this potential for loss exists?  

GHS For Canada

HOW DOES GHS AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS?

If you haven't heard already, in Canada there is going to be an integration of GHS (Global Harmonized System) with our current WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System).

This does not mean that WHMIS is going away. In Canada, we are merely integrating the missing components of GHS to our current standards. The updates include changes to classification rules, label requirements and safety data sheet (SDS) formerly Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

Why are these changes taking place?
There are many reasons as to why all countries are adopting GHS. One of these is to ensure consistency between countries and allow for smaller nations that cannot afford their own standards to be able to adopt these standards for safety. There are also easier to understand symbols in GHS. To let the users of the products know how to safely handle materials, a more user friendly system has been adopted. It was found that even after training on WHMIS many would not remember what WHMIS symbols and classifications meant. By adopting a 'household' symbol style, classification should be easier to recognize.

What are the benefits of GHS?
The basic goal of hazard communication is to ensure that employers, employees and the public are provided with adequate, practical, reliable and comprehensible information on the hazards of chemicals, so that they can take effective preventive and protective measure for their health and safety. Thus, implementation of effective hazard communication provides benefits for governments, companies, workers, and members of the public.

What must change to meet GHS?
Most of these changes will occur on the end of the supplier. It is your supplier's responsibility to review classifications, have up-to-date SDSs and labels that adhere to the new policies for the products which they provide. We will outline in a later post what these labels and SDSs need to include to comply with the new standards.

In Canada, as an employer, your responsibilities to educate and train workers on hazardous materials regularly, ensure those materials are properly labelled and stored, prepare workplace labels and have up-to-date SDS (MSDS) available do not change.

Revised training from WHMIS to GHS standards will be necessary. If you have your own in house training 

program, slight modifications may be necessary to meet the new standards. If you purchase your WHMIS training system from your supplier or a third party, such as the WHMIS training course through Corporate Chemicals & Equipment, it is that party's responsibility to have the course up-to-date for your training needs.

When does this come to effect?

In the US, most companies have completed their changes to meet the GHS standards. In Canada, complete implementation needs to be done by May 2015. In this time suppliers may be updating their labels and MSDS (SDS)s to meet these standards. Having these newer labels and SDSs does not violate current WHMIS standards and adopting them earlier is encouraged as to meet the May 2015 deadline.

Next Steps.

As a business or employer, consult with your chemical supplier on how to start making the changes if they haven’t already approached you on it. They should have a plan in place. If they do not have a plan, you may want to consider a new supplier. Also continue the discussion here, on LinkedIn under our Corporate Chemicals & Equipment company page or on Twitter @CorpChem #GHS.

Microfiber for Cleaning. Is premium worth the added cost.

As a distributor I have to do my best to serve all markets.  As a manufacturer I am forced to service the most viable markets.  Microfiber is without a doubt one the most challenging markets that I am forced to compete in on a daily basis.  Some products are made to the most rigid of expectations.  Others are built with economy in mind.  Here is the rub.  Why should the Customer buy a cloth for $2.50 when they can get as many as 6 cloths at a chain store for the same money?  I can and have said these words hundreds of times.  You get what you give.  If you give 35 cents you will get similar return on your investment.  Likewise in the other direction.

Of course there will always be arguments that offer good reasoning.  "I lose nearly 50% of my microfiber due to pilferage over the year."  Or...  "Why would I buy premium products when I don't have the budget to supply all staff with enough microfiber to do their job?"  The value proposition is yours to decide and to justify.

But here is my logic.  When you buy premium product you can be assured of 300-700 washes before replacement,  while a low cost alternative might be only useful for 50 washes. You can most certainly guarantee better efficacy with premium cloths.  Use cost will be lower when you buy premium.  But results are absolutely #1.  Education, Healthcare and related fields do need to pay attention to this.  Ironically, they have been.  The focus on low cost alternatives will always be a reality in public bids.  Fortunately most buyers can justify the investment in "The Good Stuff". 

Where do I see Green Chemistry in 5, 10, 20 years?

When I entered the Jansan industry in 1985 the beginnings of the sustainability movement were already under way.  Almost every industry insider knew that ortho dichlorobenzene was a known carcinogen.  D'limonene was a miraculous new solvent that could easily replace butyl solvents.  Now d'limonene is a controlled substance in many jurisdictions.  In the early 90's manufacturers made us aware nonyl phenols were known endocrine disrupters.
In the past 25 or so years I have noticed a natural progression towards what has become a cash cow for some companies.  Entire industries have developed as a result of market reaction.  Certainly there will always be manufacturers that develop products that fool consumers into the belief that they are purchasing products that are greener, safer and more gentle on the environment.  The reality is that consumer/user safety is the most important factor in the acquisition process.  Many consumers believe that a rubber stamp on the product that they purchase means that everything is ok....
In the late 90's biologicals became an even bigger part of Jansan chemistry with the addition of bacterial and enzyme products for cleaning and odor control.  In fact it was said at that time, that in some parts of the world 25% of all cleaning products contained enzyme additives.  These bacterial solutions have evolved well beyond the expectations of industry veterans.  Shortly after an oil spill it was discovered that specific bacteria thrived in the ocean in areas where oil was nearly non existent. Just a few years ago a strain of bacteria was discovered that had effective biological activity in the presence of plastics and their additives.
What's next?  We all have our suspicions.  But here is the good news!  The likelihood of there being toxins present in these new cleaning compounds is significantly greater than it was just a few years ago.  The moral of the story is....
The revolutionary chemistry of today is the everyday cleaning solution of tomorrow.  And that is the reality of the free market economy.  Safer products shouldn't mean additional costs.  Third party approval agencies offer the consumer a guarantee.  For this guarantee the end user must accept that products will cost more.  My two cents worth...  If you purchase your cleaning products from a trusted source.  You shouldn't have to pay more for safer technology and biodegradability.

What is the most overlooked product in the Canadian Sanitation industry?

Toilet seat covers?????
How can toilet seat covers make a difference in your facility?
Toilet seat covers will accomplish two things.

#1 They will cut down toilet paper consumption. How? The average washroom user will use 13 feet of toilet tissue to protect themselves on a toilet seat.

#2 They will make your facility look better. How? The small pieces of toilet tissue that are left on the ground after patrons visit your public restroom will not be there!
All things considered ….

You will provide your guests with a more sanitary environment.

You will save money on toilet tissue. At an average cost of 1.8 cents per toilet seat cover. You will save 4.5 cents per patron on toilet tissue.

The environment will experience a great deal less abuse. Less paper will make it’s way into municipal water treatment.

Our suggestion is:
Buy one starter pack of toilet seat covers with a free dispenser. See the results for yourself. We know you will see very quickly why toilet seat covers are so common in other parts of the world.

H1N1 Reality is here. Pandemic Declared! How do I deal with it?

Stay home when you are sick: Those with flu-like illness should stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines. Stay home when you are sick.

2. Staff who appear to have flu-like illness should be sent to a room separate from others until they can be sent home. CDC recommends that they wear a surgical mask, if possible, and that those who care for ill students and staff wear protective gear such as a mask.

3. Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette: The new recommendations emphasize the importance of the basic foundations of influenza prevention: stay home when sick, wash hands frequently with soap and water when possible, and cover noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or a shirt sleeve or elbow if no tissue is available).

4. Routine cleaning: Staff should routinely clean areas that students and staff touch often with the cleaners they typically use. Special cleaning with bleach and other non-detergent-based cleaners is not necessary.

5. Early treatment of high-risk students and staff: People at high risk for influenza complications who become ill with influenza-like illness should speak with their health care provider as soon as possible.
Consideration of selective closurel: Although there are not many businesses where all or most staff are at high risk (for example, schools for medically fragile children or for pregnant students) a community might decide to dismiss such a school to better protect these high-risk students.

Simple Steps to protect yourself, co-workers and your family.

Have infection control plans in place.
Have plenty of instant sanitizer avail able.
Have disinfectant wipes, disinfectant, safety glasses, gloves and masks available.
Wipes: Clorox or Virox Wipes
Masks: N95 or N98 masks.
Instant Sanitizer: Alcohol Based is preferred.
Disinfectants must have an Influenza A claim to be considered effective

The Custodial Closet

Custodial managers should pay close attention to the custodial closets within the facility. Cleanliness, storage options, layout and supplies all play a significant role in the effectiveness of the cleaning crew.

Watch for:
1. Multiples of the same product Are managers purchasing too much?
2. Varying brands of the same product This may cause confusion among cleaners.
3. Cleanliness Messy and unorganized closets become a safety issue and can take workers longer to organize materials necessary for cleaning tasks.
4. Equipment quality –Cleaning will not be effective if the equipment that is used is dirty itself. Overfull vacuums emit dust back into the air, dirty cloths spread bacteria and can leave a film on surfaces, torn squeegees leave streaks, etc.
5. Product information – Post MSDS and other safety/training materials in each cleaning closet so it can be accessed by staff.
6. Consistency – Make sure each cleaning closet within the facility is laid out the same. Doing so creates consistency for staff.

Oxo-Degradeable Plastic- What is the real truth?

When it comes to discarding waste, we are becoming more aware of the hazards and negative impacts of traditional means of disposal with each passing day-namely, plastic garbage bags. The best attributes of plastic – tensile strength and durability have also become its downfall. Quite simply, traditional plastic garbage bags, due to their long lifespan in landfills, have created more litter. As a result, plastic as we know it has needed to evolve, and it has in the form of Oxo-biodegradable Plastic. This minor alteration of traditional plastic has been developed to create a plastic product having the property of high tensile strength yet at the same time have the means to degrade to simple, safe organic materials when its time of utility is over.

Oxo-biodegradable technology produces a plastic product with equivalent performance characteristics as its conventional counterpart, is extremely cost competitive, and allows for programmable degradation. This results in a product that will totally and harmlessly disintegrate in multiple environments, commencing at a predetermined time such as from 6 months to 5 years. By comparison, traditional plastic garbage bags may remain in landfills for upwards of 50 years!
Reverte™ is an example of a product line of resin additives producing a controlled and safe oxo-biodegradable effect to standard polyethylene and polypropylene products. Reverte™ causes plastic to oxo-biodegrade until it becomes only CO2, H20 and biomass. It does not leave fragments of petro-polymers in the soil and the additional product cost is minimal, since only a small amount of additive is required (generally 1%) and existing manufacturing equipment and processes are used without modification. Furthermore, Oxo-biodegradable garbage bags provide the following advantages vs. Traditional:

-Programmable and controlled degradation
-Avoids the emission of methane
-Fully compatible with our recycled raw materials
-Degrades in any environment
-Requires no fertilizers, pesticides or water
-Won't hurt forestland and reduce biodiversity

As you know, at Corporate Chemicals and Equipment, we take great pride in being at the forefront of the Environmentally Preferable Products Movement, and we will continue to educate and encourage our clients to make responsible choices whenever they are available. We appreciate your openness to what we have to offer and we hope you will consider choosing Oxo-Biodegradable Garbage Bags for your business needs. To those of you who have already made the switch-thank you.

Want to arrange a trial of Oxo-biodegradable Plastic Bags for your facility? Please speak with a Corporate Chemicals Team Member right away to get started.

Green or Just Plain Safe

What is "Green" all about?

Cleaning for Impression?

For whom? Clients? Friends? The Public at large?

It took more than just a 90 minute stand up act to impress me of the need to clean green. Former Vice-President Al Gore has done more things for the environment than any twelve Greenpeace activists can ever claim to do; regardless of what the masses may think. It took a study that showed me the impact on humans and wildlife. That study discussed the number one cleaning surfactant used for over seventy years.

It took the addition of children in my world.

I can continue to chat about my reasons for my shift in focus. But the truth is that the need to use products and processes that use less energy, fewer non-renewable resources, and safer end results comes from an obvious and extreme change in visible effects on the environment. Green is not about catch-phrases. It is not about winning over customers. It is not about a picture of a waterfalls or the Amazon rain forest.

The truth is:

We have to make a change. That change is not all that painful. It is amazing the advances that have been made in the direction of a safer and better end result.

I have just chosen the right way to arrive at it.

Tell me your opinion.


Chris Rogers
President
Corporate Chemicals

Terrazzo Epoxy? or Cement

Terrazzo Floors

Why have we stopped finishing Terrazzo Floors?

Terrazzo Floors need to breath. Applying Finish seals the floor and prevents them from releasing moisture and absorbing moisture as needed.

Last Week....

I have polished dozens of Marble Floors. In 20 years Jansan experience I have never experienced results like I did this week. The truth is that the floor that I polished was not a typical Marble Floor. It was a Terrazzo Floor. Every Terrazzo Floor seems to have it's own personality. This one is in a building about 60-70 years old. The St.Catharines City Hall. I have always had great results on Terrazzo Floors that were naturally bound. Using a Cement based binding agent. The older the floor the more content of natural aggregate. (Marble Chips) The result, is simply better. The Marble obviously is what gives the floor it's lustre. This floor looks like a million bucks if you will pardon the pun. These floors have been burnished weekly with high end floor finish and have always looked good. Now they look better!

Why do I mention my experience of late?

Recently, I polished a fairly new floor with very lively colours and a bright binding agent. After finishing with 800 grit Diamonds I realized that the floor was in very good shape and ready for Marble Polish Paste. Many processes will use a powder to create a slurry for the final stage or two of polishing. This particular job saw me using a paste by Stone Medic (Pinnacle). The last stage always shows the best success. Usually....

This floor was of course to be my exception. It to me was one of those jobs that I had wished I had not started. As many are aware I don't polish floors for a living I polish them to sell products. This is one that did not result in a sale. Early on in my training I was told that some floors do not turn out as well as others. The reason for this was partially the epoxy binding agent that takes place of the cement based binder. The greater reason was that the floor was less than 50% Marble Chips. Maybe even 30-40%. Enough to make me realize that this is something i need to check in a demonstrations that I do from now on. Epoxy began being used in the mid 70's + or - and is slowly decreasing in use to the point where it will be used nearly never in our area. Now the truth is that this has not solved our problem with shrinking quantities of aggregate, but it has solved one minor issue.

How can you tell if your Terrazzo Floor is Epoxy or Cement base?

Two indicators work well according to experts.
#1 A key The Cement based Terrazzo makes a clicking sound
The Epoxy base floor makes a dull tapping sound

#2 Temperature Cement Based floors always feel cooler than room temperature.

If all else fails ask the expert!

Cleaning Stone Floors

November 22, 2006

Today my experience in the world of CLEAN lead me to a Stone Floor. In other words a non-resilient floor with some natural aggregate base.

What did I learn?
Ceramic Tile does not always want to give up dirt!

How did I solve it?
Every time I encounter a difficult cleaning circumstance I work from experience. The truth is that if I had not been in the industry for the past twenty years I may have spun my wheels for hours trying to solve what actually ended up being a simple clean.

Where stone floors are concerned I always try one product before all others. Why? History has shown that it will be successful so I know better. For uninformed cleaners the same truth exists. But usually they are way off in their guess. Hence the need for knowledge. I did not start this site to sell myself but....... I do sell cleaning supplies for a living. My first effort was to use the old stand-by: Safetrak. A phosphoric based detergent with great heavy soil removal capabilities.

What happened? Dirt came off of the floor. The end result: NOT GOOD ENOUGH!

I went back to the drawing board. I had heard of a new product that was neutral in PH. It took time to work. A bio-based cleaner with long term success. After the first cleaning which involves nothing more than wet mopping I was impressed a bit. So I repeated the process the next day. And so on and so on for the next week. With a bit of help from the night caretaker of course.

The end result?

A very very clean floor.
I will post the final result next week!