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Are Your Cleaners Ready To Handle A Pandemic?

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, everyone scrambled to keep their families, customers, and community members safe and healthy. Very quickly, cleaning technicians became essential workers with some of the most important roles on the frontline of the deadly virus. But now with the ultimate responsibility, were cleaners in America ready? Since our inception, C.M. Cleaning Company has made continuous learning, training, and certification a priority. From building safety courses to cross contamination prevention, managers and cleaners at C.M. alike were confident and ready to do their part. After all, our client-focused cleaning programs have always been our primary focus in keeping our community safe and healthy. 

Classroom cleaning workers

Without proper training, one runs the risk of putting themselves or others in exposure to illness. This is why all our dedicated cleaning staff, full and part time, are trained in accordance with OSHA standard guidelines. This safety training is primarily done through quarterly interactive training courses which cover bloodborne pathogens, sexual harassment, personal protective equipment, and hazardous materials safety. Our comprehensive cleaning training program consists of both a customized presentation on C.M. Cleaning’s specific procedures relating to restroom cleaning, interior building cleaning, and equipment maintenance along with a 2-day hands on session with an Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) certified management staff or any of our special service technicians. 

Along with our baseline training program, the Global BioRisk Advisory Council (GBAC), provides C.M. Cleaning technicians certification and training on specifically how to handle disinfecting and sanitizing specific to COVID-19/Coronavirus. Through this training, all of our employees are professionals in properly cleaning and disinfecting areas that have been potentially exposed to COVID-19. Certifying our cleaners and technicians is crucial to maintaining a healthy workplace. Through this additional and COVID-specific training course, our clients will be able to trust the quality of C.M. Cleaning’s technicians, janitorial programs, and special services, bringing peace of mind to your facility and workforce. 

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Hand Sanitizer Damage To Hard Flooring

The ‘new normal’ that we have all adapted to amidst the fear of the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic has shown the use of hand sanitizer at an all-time high. While hand sanitizer stations play a key role in workplace and school health safety, they do pose major problems to the appearance and protection of hard surface flooring!

Vinyl Composite Tile otherwise know as VCT, Faux Wood Flooring, and even some types of laminate flooring  have protective polymer finishes, often referred to as “wax”. This floor finish provides a glossy protective layer between the bare tile and everything that comes into contact with it. Hard flooring is porous in nature, so without proper finish dirt, bacteria, and allergens can seep in creating both a dirty appearance and a health risk.

So where does hand sanitizer come into play of the appearance of flooring? Alcohol based hand sanitizer can very easily fall or run off your hand landing onto the finish of the floor. This very quickly deteriorates the floors finish. While alcohol-based hand sanitizers are most effective, it is strongly recommended that you take precautions to avoid damage to flooring.

Dirty classroom floor

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

  • Sanitizer dispensers can be equipped with drip trays that catch any excess sanitizer coming out of the dispenser.
  • Switch from a liquid or gel sanitizer product to a foam style sanitizer which clings to hands and does not run off.
  • Setup all sanitizer stations over an area rug, mat, or carpet which will hide the sanitizer and not leave alcohol burn marks like what shows up on the floor finish.
Hand sanitizing station tips

By taking these 3 simple steps together we can all be healthier, prevent the spread of illness, and maintain the clean appearance of our facilities!

Tile floor mid cleaning

If your floor has already been damaged, give us a call to strip and re-apply 5 coats of 25% solids polymer finish to bring your floor back to new!

Call: (781) 828-2014 or visit: www.cmcleaning.com/contact to book today!

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Cleaning & Disinfection Requirements For Businesses To Reopen From COVID-19

At this time many businesses are beginning to reopen, and others are increasing staffing and personnel. C.M. Cleaning wants to help all businesses owners and directors with regard to some of the new workplace safety standards that the Department of Public Health mandates for all businesses moving forward. To make this easier for you we have developed our 3 step program to ensure the safety of your workplace.

We understand the requirements for the “new normal” of cleaning and disinfecting can be difficult to navigate. C.M. Cleaning has this aspect of the DPH’s mandates covered in 3 straight-forward steps.

Safe Workplace

If you’d like to learn more about our electrostatic disinfect spraying services, please follow the link below to our informative video:
https://youtu.be/6pJJjbcKCdo

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Complete Building Disinfect Spraying With Clorox Total 360 Disinfectant System

Wintertime brings snow sports, holidays, and plenty of family time. However it also brings with it elevated concern for the spread of illness during flu season.  It seems no matter which way you look, there is a friend, child, or coworker coming down with a cold, flu, strep throat, or even pneumonia. Beyond these “normal” seasonal illnesses, in 2020 we now on alert due to the spread of Corona Virus.

With such a variety of illnesses, germs, and bacteria to worry about, what steps can be taken to ensure you stay healthy this winter? Besides the obvious handwashing, covering your cough or sneeze with your elbow and practicing good nutrition, there may be more you can be doing! In crowded environments such as schools, hospitals, gyms or your workplace, it is paramount that you talk with your janitorial service provider to see what additional services they offer as proactive measures to reduce the spread of germs and bacteria.

                C.M. Cleaning Company’s answer is the new state-of-the-art Clorox 360 Total Disinfectant System. This machine combines the disinfecting power of Clorox cleaning agents with electrostatic spraying technology making virtually any surface in your facility able to be disinfected. This machine emits an electrostatically charged mist, that immediately clings to any surface it is aimed at. This greatly reduces the amount of airborne chemical, and ensures that whatever surface is sprayed, is completely disinfected.

The Clorox 360 Treatment will:

– Kill 99.9% of all bacteria on these items

– Kill 44 potential organisms including cold and flu viruses, MRSA, Staph, Coronavirus, and norovirus

– Eliminate odors (especially in any bathrooms)

– Inhibit the growth of mold and mildew

The Clorox Total 360 disinfecting cleaning agent is NOT a bleach, so it is safe on colored materials and fabric and is EPA registered to kill 19 illness-causing organisms in 2 minutes or less. This one-step, “no-wipe” disinfectant is safe to spray on virtually any surface. From keyboards to telephones, door handles to cafeteria tables and countertops, Clorox Total 360 disinfects them all! This winter allow C.M. Cleaning to give you confidence and peace of mind!

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Ensuring Chemical Safety

In early November 2019 in Burlington, MA, a Buffalo Wild Wings employee accidentally mixed an acid-based cleaner with bleach when cleaning their kitchen floors. This caused for toxic fumes to generate and fill the air, resulting in one fatality and up to 13 injuries to other customers and workers. This tragic occurrence should be viewed by all members of the janitorial industry as an example as to why proper chemical use training is vitally important. Mixing unknown chemicals can be extremely dangerous and should always be avoided.

At C.M. Cleaning, we spend ample time educating our staff of the dangers of mixing unknown chemicals. Using chemicals with appropriate dilution, labeling, and instruction is key to a safe workplace. We work hard at being knowledgeable of our cleaning chemicals, ensuring our dispensing equipment is in working order, and that our bottles and storage our properly labeled. When it comes to chemical use, safety is top priority! For your own personal health and safety, please see the helpful tips below

  1. Never mix any cleaning products. Even if a chemical mixture does not give off fumes, it can still be dangerous. Once used, some cleaning products can leave behind residue or low quantities of liquid that may be harmful to the skin. Without the proper training, one may not know that combining seemingly harmless cleaning products can still be dangerous.
  • Bleach and mixed products. Mixing bleach with any product can lead to the generation of toxic chlorine gas which may result in a variety of respiratory illnesses or even death. It is crucial to take an incident where bleach is mixed with cleaning products very seriously.
  • If chemicals are mixed, here are the next steps to take.
  • At first sign of a gaseous substance or respiratory distress, immediately evacuate the area and move to a well-ventilated area, preferably the outdoors. Do not attempt to clean up the mixture yourself.
  • If you have inhaled any amount of gas or suspect that you have, call 911 and seek immediate medical attention. If you have not inhaled any gas, call poison control and have all relevant Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) ready and available.
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How To Keep Restrooms Graffiti Free

It’s not uncommon for custodial employees to walk into a restroom stall, clean the essentials, mop the floor and then move on to the next one. This type of cleaning covers the bare minimum but there is more that a cleaner with the right eye and training can do. One example of something that may be left behind is drawings on the stall doors and walls, known as graffiti. If you are training and pushing your staff to clean the right way, they should look at a stall from the user’s  perspective which would lead them to notice graffiti on the walls. This is done by going completely inside and closing the door behind them to get the view the customer or user sees.

Graffiti becomes a very common thing in the restrooms, especially at schools and accumulates quickly if not taken care of. Graffiti on the wall promotes more graffiti and most of it tends to be offensive. When the employees at C.M. Cleaning are trained (especially in school environments) we take careful measures to ensure that inspections of restrooms are done and the cleaners are being thorough to prevent graffiti from getting out of control. Taking these measures allows us to stay ahead of the graffiti and have the bathroom looking good.

We also use red microfiber towels in all our bathrooms to clean away the graffiti because if you use abrasive materials it can damage the painted surfaces. By using these cloths and a general-purpose cleaner or graffiti remover which all employees have, it allows the removal of any graffiti to be near effortless.

At C.M. Cleaning we push our employees to go above and beyond to make sure everything, including the bathroom stalls, are cleaned to their fullest to leave the customer happy and the bathroom graffiti free.

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The Easy Difference Between Disinfect, Sanitize, and Sterilize!

The want and need for sanitizing and disinfecting surfaces has drastically increased in recent years in order to take proactive measures to keep yourself and your workforce healthy. However it is important to know the differences in the processes and chemicals for each procedure.

Not sure where to start? That’s where C.M. Cleaning and our trained staff can help! When thinking of preventing illness from a cleaning standpoint, often words that come to mind are “disinfect” and “sanitize”. The issue is that these words are often used interchangeably. While they do have similarities, they are used for different applications.

  • Sanitization: Significantly reduces the overall parthenogenic microbes and bacteria on a surface, thus reducing the chances of getting sick.
  • Disinfection: Almost completely reduces the parthenogenic microbes and bacteria on a surface. Disinfectants require dwell time to be effective against the microbes they advertise to eliminate and for this reason are more effective than sanitizers.
  • Sterilization: The process of decontamination by utilizing a combination of chemical application, heat, and/or pressure to eliminate any and all parthenogenic microbes and bacteria on a surface.

Disinfection, sanitization, and sterilization are all processes of decontamination, however, they differ in application and effect. Sanitizers reduce the overall number of parthenogenic microbes (the microorganisms that make us sick), on an inanimate or living surface. Sanitizers have a more broad and immediate use against a wide range of microbes to reduce the overall number of microbes on a surface, thus reducing the chances of illness.

A disinfectant has a stronger effect than a sanitizer on certain parthenogenic microbes. Disinfectants normally have a more focused and specific use against certain bacteria, viruses, and disease. Disinfectants also require a “dwell time” to be effective, meaning they must remain on an inanimate surface for a certain period of time to be effective against the advertised microbe(s). Additionally, Disinfectant are effective on inanimate surfaces. However, many disinfectants are weakened by organic matter such as living tissue, or feces. To summarize, disinfectants can be stronger than sanitizers, but require a more specific and meticulous application to be effective.

Steps to cleaning
Let’s separate Disinfecting, Sanitizing, and Sterilizing the easy way!

Finally, Sterilization utilizes chemical application to decontaminate, but additionally incorporates heat and/or pressure to completely eliminate any and all parthenogenic microbes. For example, here at C.M. Cleaning we offer “Roto-Vac” service for ceramic tile, a flooring product often used in bathrooms. This process sterilizes a restroom floor by using a combination of chemical (with dwell time), as well as water heated to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and dispensed onto the floor at 900 PSI. the water is then extracted from the floor simultaneously, leaving the floor completely clean and sanitized.

If your place of business is in need of proactive measures this cold & flu season, call the professionals at C.M. Cleaning Company to tailor a solution to your specific needs!

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Benefits of Ultrasonic Cleaning

C.M. Cleaning is excited to introduce Ultrasonic Cleaning to our wide variety of janitorial solutions! This cleaning process is a system with which sound waves are applied to a tub of water and mild cleaning solution. Ultrasonic cleaning machines are designed to clean a range of objects. From jewelry to window blinds, golf clubs and children’s toys, ultrasonic cleaning is equally effective on items both large and small. This machine uses Prowave digital generators to vibrate metal plates at a frequency of 25 to 40 kHz to create millions of tiny bubbles. This process is called cavitation. The machine then creates targeted pressure on dirty and

contaminated areas of an object to power clean with unique precision, breaking up soot, grime, grease, and dirt without tedious hand wiping or use of harsh chemicals. The ultrasonic process successfully cleans small spaces and crevices, meaning that some machine parts or objects that would normally have to be dissembled before being cleaned, may not have to! The sound waves that are created can penetrate even the smallest groove, crevice and detail of an object and gently lift away any contaminants. Studies on the ultrasonic cleaning process have even demonstrated that as few as three minutes of ultrasonic exposure removed more than 99.9% of blood on contaminated medical instruments. Ultrasonic cleaners aim increase cleaning efficiency, as they can access those hard to reach placed with ease. So, whether it is window blinds, ceiling vents, machinery parts, or toys from your daycare center, ultrasonic cleaning will bring it’s appearance back to new!

Ultrasonic cleaning service

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5 Ways to Get the Most out of Your Janitorial Service

When it comes to choosing your facility’s dream janitorial service provider, it really boils down to handful of things. You want to choose a company that is trustworthy with regard to security access to your building, reliable and gives you peace of mind, and promises exemplary quality and customer service. But, once you’ve found janitorial provider, are you doing enough on your end to get the most out of the service you are paying for? At C.M. Cleaning Company, we are dedicated to a hands-on approach and continued support to you and your facility long after the initial cleaning.

  • Building a strong relationship with your account manager is a great place to start when looking to get the most out of your cleaning service since open communication and comfortability level with us has been our key to success. Account managers at C.M. Cleaning are 100% dedicated to your needs and will go out of their way to make something happen when requested. When you ask us to jump, our only response is how high. We are frequently stopping at your facility to check in with you briefly, inspect your facility for quality, and be proactive about any deficiencies we may be able to catch before you have to hear about it. Having open lines of communication with your account manager can also be a huge benefit in keeping your facility looking it’s best because management will get to better know your facility and pet peeves allowing us to target those areas. Better yet, our service doesn’t stop at cleaning. Need a painter? Landscaper? Construction company? Just ask! We are always happy to provide a reference from our trusted network of service providers. Having pride in your facility and/or business is a cornerstone to success, and having the right relationship with your janitorial service plays a key role in your appearance and business culture.
  • Reporting accidents, spills, or staining immediately upon occurrence can help us help you! For example, if your facility is predominately carpeted flooring, time is of the essence! The sooner we are informed of the spot or stain, the greater likelihood we will be able to remove it. Additionally, the more you can educate us about what was spilled the better. By knowing exactly what spilled, our technicians can gauge their chemical use and method to have the best chance of making it disappear.
  • Letting us know of complaints or concerns as soon as someone mentions something, no matter how small it may be will allow us to squash the issue before it has the chance to escalate. In knowing the exact area or requested adjustment in our cleaning regiment will allow us the opportunity to get in contact with the correct staff member to rectify the situation promptly. Additionally, photos can go a long way! By sending or showing your account manager a photo of the problem area, we can immediately identify the issue and direct our staff to utilizing the appropriate cleaning method to correct the problem the right way- as they say a picture is worth a thousand words!Cleaning teamwork
  • Asking your staff to clear spaces in the appropriate setting is always a huge bonus to our cleaners enabling them to do the absolute most thorough job they can possibly do. For example, when cleaning a classroom, it is much more efficient to clean the space if the students leave the chairs up at the end of the day. In an office environment by clearing clutter on the top of your cubicle panel or desk space will allow us to better remove dust from your space. These acts of pro-activeness all allow our teams to more thoroughly clean your facility resulting in a better appearance, and cleaner environment for visitors and employees alike. The more space you give us to clean, the better result we can provide!
  • Keeping us informed about logistical changes can save everyone a headache! Providing us with your most up to date floor plans, alarm codes, keys, and building access is vital information for us, and unfortunately is sometimes the most overlooked. We understand that sometimes the cleaning company isn’t always the first you think of when making these types of changes, but ensuring that our information is up to date can save everyone including yourself time and frustration. We hate calling our customers after hours for matters as much as you hate picking up the phone at dinner time with your family, so being proactive about changed alarm codes and other security accesses will definitely pay off.

At C.M. Cleaning, your needs matter! We take great pride in all of our customer relationships, so never hesitate to reach out. There will always be an educated point of contact available to help your specific needs or requests. It’s this business mentality that has earned us the slogan “3 Generations, 1 Reputation”

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Backpack vacuums are essential to move in/move out cleanings

While conducting a turnover cleaning, a key part of the cleanup is filtration. As a building owner, you are trying to prepare your business to be clean and ready to open after a build or renovation. A big help to post construction cleaning is a backpack vacuum.

Here at C.M. Cleaning we use the ProTeam Supercoach Backpack Vacuum with HePa filters to trap the dust upon pickup. They also help cover as much ground as possible in shorter amounts of time to get the job done as efficiently and quickly as possible. The vacuums trap debris, soil and dust in the filters while vacuuming. The filters also sift out smaller particles to microscopic sizes which prevents iCleaning equipment servicempurities from re-entering the environment through the vacuums exhaust, leaving the site dustless.

Backpack vacuums clean faster than upright vacuums with the mobility of carrying it rather than pushing. They also allow more mobility and flexibility for cleaning beyond the floor, such as getting around furniture and detail cleaning under tight spaces.

Other vacuums can blow dust out of the exhaust and the alternative sweeping just pushes it around tending to leave small debris behind. ProTeam backpack vacuums are designed to reduce the risk of injury and clean more square footage with less energy and effort.

These vacuums are essential for post construction sites because of the ease of use and the fact that it prevents dust and other debris from going airborne.