Proper Grout Cleaning & Why Kaivac is the Best For It

Most odors in restrooms reside in the grout, believe it or not. If you are able to smells odors in restrooms, it more than likely means its not being cleaned properly. Traditional mopping of restroom floors just pushes around the grime and doesn’t get rid of it. What has been found highly effective in cleaning restroom grout and therefore removing odor, is spray-and-vac systems. By using this type of machine, all the grime is loosened and removed from the restrooms and disposed of properly.

Metroclean has found the Kaivac to be the most useful spray-and-vac system. Kaivac is a No-Touch Cleaning System that combines a pressure washer with chemical injection and wet vacuum technologies. Studies have shown that “spray-and-vac cleaning is by far the most effective cleaning method for removing contamination from… grouted floor [areas]. Cleaning with the [microfiber] mops left 30 times more soil than cleaning with the spray-and-vac system.”

Grout care is important is extending the life of your grout and in removing odors. Not only does a spray-and-vac system produce the best results, but it reduces cleaning time, making janitors more efficient and able to focus on other areas of your building.

To learn more about Metroclean’s use of the Kaivac for targeting your grout grime, contact Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Lesli Mann, at (713) 255-0100 or lmann@metrocleanonline.com.

 

Source:  Kaivac, “Back to Back Studies Find Similar Results.”

http://www.kaivac.com/a_181-Back-to-Back-Studies-Find-Similar-Results

How Do You Know it’s Clean? Restrooms 101

Metroclean believes a clean restroom shouldn’t smell like perfumes or lemons. In fact, we think a clean bathroom shouldn’t smell like anything at all!

Covering up odors with timed deodorizers, occasional squirts of Lysol or nose-burning urinal cakes, doesn’t mean it’s clean. It means you’re hiding bacteria, and possibly other pathogens including E. Coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus and even Hepatitis.

Reuters Survey: “Restroom door handles carry 400 times the amount of germs found on a toilet seat, 640 types of germs and bacteria.”

Kimberley Clark Survey: “What is most likely to create a best impression of a public restroom? 77% replied cleanliness; 39% believe they are likely to pick up other people’s germs in a public restroom; 66% say that unclean conditions leave a bad impression.

So, what is proper cleaning? Cleaning restrooms the right way means eliminating the odors at the source, through frequent and proper cleaning — even in those tight, unseen spots.

Metroclean’s 4 must-haves for a truly clean bathroom:

1. appropriate disinfecting frequency
2. proper tools / equipment
3. proper cleaning solutions
4. trained janitors

Appropriate Disinfecting Frequency
The disinfecting frequency of restrooms entirely depends on the traffic and type of facility. Educational facilities and malls require more frequent attention compared to office buildings.

If you’re finding the need to mask odors, that’s a hint you need more frequent cleaning.

Proper Tools / Equipment
MICROFIBER:
Microfiber mops and wash cloths are great to clean restrooms. The benefits of microfiber have proven to be both highly efficient at cleaning and preventing the spread of germs as well as less waste producing. Let’s not forget, it also helps reduce long-term supply costs because they can be cleaned more than 300 times.

Microfiber mops and cloths have a “v” shaped weave that trap dirt and tiny debris, compared to traditional mops and cloths that just spread contaminated water around and left to air dry. Using microfiber cloths along with proper cleaning techniques prevent germ cross-contamination.

Cleaning tools can cause cross-contamination if not properly used, cleaned and stored. Microfiber is easy to use and provide enhanced contaminant and debris pickup. Various sizes and textures are available for microfiber, depending on its use.

Many commercial brands are color-coded to prevent cross-contamination. Color-coded cloths help identify which towel to use for which surface. For example, you wouldn’t use the same cloth wipe a toilet seat as you would a door handle or sink fixtures.

Metroclean recommends washing microfiber with care to preserve the integrity of the weave for future use. Remember, drying with high-heat temperatures can damage the synthetic fibers.

SCRUBBERS: As an added measure, rotary scrubbers are used regularly to scrub grout and other tight places.

KAIVAC: Because we clean for health, Metroclean uses the touch-free sanitizing machine, the Kaivac, in all our customers’ facilities at no extra cost.

First, a sanitizing solution is applied to the entire restroom, including fixtures, hard surfaces, toilets and urinals. After the solution sets, the Kaivac machine, which houses a high-pressure water jet, is used by Metroclean technicians to loosen debris and contaminants including those unseen places. Once decontamination is complete, the Kaivac machine is used to suction up waste water to an attached holding reservoir. Waste water is then disposed of properly.
Kaivac systems are specifically designed to thoroughly capture and remove harmful indoor pollutants and are proven to clean 60 times better than traditional mops because they greatly reduce bacterial contamination.

This means, Metroclean is able to COMPLETELY remove the odor-causing bacteria at the source.

Frequency of the Kaivac’s use depends on restroom traffic.

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD >> Metroclean’s Step By Step Video Demonstration

Proper Cleaning Solutions
Metroclean uses the safest and most effective cleaning solutions in the industry. These chemical solutions kill a broad spectrum of microorganisms and can be safely applied to all restroom surfaces, including tile, porcelain, high-gloss floors, glass, chrome and others.

Chemical Solutions Terminology

Cleaners: Are used for the removal of unwanted soil or contaminants.

Sanitizers: Are used for the removal of microbes from an object to meet a minimum sanitation requirement, reducing the microbial population by killing 99.9 percent of the targeted pathogens.

Disinfectants: Are used for total elimination of most pathogenic organisms from inanimate objects, providing a higher level of germ killing than cleaning or sanitizing.

Source: Dealing with Blood borne Pathogens. Cleaning Maintenance Management Magazine. From Volume 40, Issue 10 – October 2003

Trained Janitors
What good is it to have all the right equipment, tools and chemicals without a properly trained team of janitors to use them?

Metroclean believes janitors should be trained to follow manufacturer standards, especially when applying the chemicals and using the equipment. They should also be taught to recognize which solutions to use and in which circumstance to use it.

Safety is our priority at Metroclean, and it’s not just at the corporate level. Janitors know how to reference the Material Safety Data Sheets for each chemical, and know the proper ways to dilute, apply and dispose of them safely. Janitors are regularly safety trained on chemicals, technique and equipment. See our janitorial certification program.

If you have any questions on Metroclean’s best practices and methods for restroom cleaning or for a free Kaivac demonstration, please call Lesli Mann, Director of Business Development at (713) 255-0100 or e-mail her at lmann@metrocleanonline.com.

“We’re listening to serve you better.”

### © Metroclean 2009. All Rights Reserved

Written by: Dahlia Kelada, Director of Marketing, Metroclean  dahliak@metrocleanonline.com