November 01, 2021
If you are going to work on something yourself, at least take our advice…
January 28, 2021
And now it’s (Cough, cough!!!) Air Quality
Things were different back then. Yes, there were always people who coughed and sneezed and attributed the symptoms to pollen, allergy, or mold. And then came smog. Today, the national concern is E-coli, dust mites, mildew, rot, mold, viruses, sloughing, dust, dirt, gases, bio-pollutants, smog, dander, fleas, bees, ticks, lice, spiders, moths, spilled food, vomit, animal and human protein substances and odor (urine and feces). I am certain there are a lot more sources of bacteria that I have not mentioned.
As a society, we used to spend a majority of our time outdoors but today, almost 90% of our time is spent indoors. Even worse, in climate-controlled homes, office buildings, restaurants, gyms, and theatres. Called micro-environments, all of us are regularly trapped in these areas where the contaminants listed above literally make people sick. Our federal government has coined the term, “Sick Building Syndrome” to indicate places where the environment is unhealthy. Further, they state that this is how people are getting sick all of the time.
The government has even gone one step further. They refer to carpeting itself as a “sink,” a depository of all of the horrible things mentioned above. It is their recommendation that carpeting in your home should be cleaned on a regular basis in order to remove the contaminants that build up over time. You might recall, in past articles, I have pointed out that most people want to clean fabrics when they see spots or spills but that I have emphasized that the main criteria for cleaning should be when abrasion is taking place.
Because of the mounting health problems that we are experiencing in our society, we must now also be concerned with incorporating the systematic removal of these irritants from our homes and offices. The government suggests preventative cleanings once or twice a year depending upon the habits and usage of different families or office workers or influx of soil and other unhealthy pollutants and this should be considered as a fair and reasonable recommendation. But, it is not just the upholstery or carpet cleaning that is essential, it is the regular vacuuming, the incorporation of specialized filters in your heating system, proper waste disposal, placement of proper doormats, proper use of disinfectants, possible ozone use, and better planning for where your animals can do their business.
Designers and architects today have an additional challenge that exceeds making things look beautiful, comfortable, and practical. They must now learn to incorporate concepts that go beyond ergonomics, beyond design. They must also design for health as well. Especially with all of the marvelous fabrics that are on the market today that literally hide the dirt much more than ever in the past. The truth is clear-air quality and health in the home and office is an essential factor to incorporate into all designs. And clients too need to be educated if they want to fully enjoy their homes and where they work.
A healthy environment is truly not a difficult thing to accomplish when there is good communication between you and your client. It takes an awareness of their particular needs, susceptibilities, and style of living, combined with your awareness and knowledge of the tools necessary to achieve a healthy environment for them. Backache, stress, swollen eyes, rash, sinus, headaches, and runny noses are often becoming a thing of the past through such awareness and utilization of advancements in health today. I’m convinced that no one can continue to take allergy pills forever without side effects but they can live longer, happier lives with less bacteria in their homes.
March 08, 2017
Your clients have made very large investments in furnishings. One chair can cost $4,000. People used to furnish an entire home for a fraction of that when I first started cleaning. (And when it is time to clean that chair?) Think back to last time you “let your fingers do the walking” through the yellow pages. You would be greatly
surprised to know just how many people do find their cleaners this manner.
I’ve had yellow page ads for 36 years but they are a minor source of my business. The ads are primarily so that a customer can find my name easily. Lots of other firms have the same motivation. These ads are a good source if you do not already know of someone that you have been using or have been recommended to. However, if you are “in the dark, allow me to point out a few things and make some suggestions.
ONE: Find someone who cares.
This, to me, is the number one requirement and you can usually tell by listening to the person speak. Avoid talking to an order taker. Speak with someone who owns or runs the firm. Hear their personal evaluation of your cleaning needs, only after they have carefully listened to yours. Have them tell you precisely why they go through the cleaning steps that they do and give you the reasons why. With so many methods and techniques, here is where the uninformed easily get confused and misinformed. See how patient they are with you and if they are willing to go into details. Be sure to see if they ask you questions that get to facts that are important for you. For example, you may just call and ask to have your carpets cleaned but forget to mention that cat urine odor is really the problem. After the cleaning, you then discover that they don’t cover the urine problem with the cleaning but that it is an extra charge and then you are stuck with paying for the cleaning and you still have the odor.
TWO: Find out what kind of insurance they carry.
With your investment in furnishings (or even your home itself you can experience damage or loss due to negligence or improper work. Whomever you hire must have workman’s compensation insurance for their employees, property damage coverage and completed operations” coverage so that the firm will be able to handle damage problems that are sometimes unanticipated. If you find out too late that they have no insurance or not enough, the loss may be covered by your insurance but then that goes on your record.
THREE: Always get references.
How long have they been in business? Ask people who they have done work for previously. Most cleaners have a database that list customers by street address and may be able to indicate neighbors of yours that they have worked for. It does not hurt to ask them what kind of customer they like working for (this will make them stop and think for a moment and you can hear how they handle their answer).
FOUR: Ask about who will be doing the work.
Many firms pay a commission to cleaners (so-called independent contractors) who not only work quickly to make the most that they can on your job but, in addition, are seldom insured. Regular employees of a firm should have training and experience and only a few of even the better firms provide benefits.
FIVE: What is their policy if you have a complaint or concern?
Will they charge to come back and how long will it take? My belief is that a complaint is a “golden opportunity” to get back in there and show that customer precisely how you handle their needs. Anyone can turn on a machine or spray a chemical. It is the total package that is what you should be looking at. The cleaning, in my opinion, is about one-half of the relationship that you will have with your cleaner, the other one-half is the service. Are you getting what you bargained for? Finding someone who really cares about you, your furnishings, your home, will make all of the difference. The cleaning business, unfortunately, has many firms that offer so-called bargains. The problem is that you not only may not be getting a bargain by not being careful, you may also get more than you bargained for.
May 17, 2017
“Achoo! Achoo!”
Things were different years ago. Yes, there were always people who coughed and sneezed and attributed the symptoms to pollen, allergy or mold. And then came smog. Today, the national concern is E-coli , dust mites, mildew, rot, mold, viruses, sloughing, dust, dirt, gases, bio-pollutants, smog, dander, fleas, bees, ticks, lice, spiders, moths, spilled food, vomit, animal and human protein substances and odor (urine and feces). I am certain there are a lot more sources of bacteria that I have not mentioned.
As a society, we used to spend a majority of our time outdoors but today almost 90% of our time is spent indoors. Even worse, in climate-controlled homes, office buildings, restaurants, gyms, and theaters. Called microenvironments, all of us regularly trapped in these areas where the contaminants listed above literally make people sick. Our federal government has coined the term, “Sick Building Syndrome” to indicate places where the environment is unhealthy. Further, they state that this is how people are getting sick all the time.
The government has gone one step further. They refer to carpeting itself as a “sink,” a depository of all of the horrible things mentioned above. It is their recommendation that carpeting in your home should be cleaned on a regular basis in order to remove the contaminants that build up over time. You might recall, in past articles, I have pointed out that most people want to clean fabrics when they see spots and spills but that I emphasized that the main criteria for cleaning should be when abrasion is taking place.
Because of the mounting health problems that we are experiencing in our society, we must now also be concerned with incorporating the systematic removal of these irritants from our homes and offices. The government suggest preventive cleanings once or twice a year depending on upon the habits and usage of different families or office workers or influx of soil and other unhealthy pollutants and this should be considered as a fair and reasonable recommendation. But it is not just the upholstery or carpet cleaning that is essential, it is the regular vacuuming, the incorporation of specialized filters in your heating system, proper waste disposal, placement of proper door mats, proper use of disinfectants, possible ozone use and better planning for where your animals can do their business.
Designers and architects today have an additional challenge that exceeds making things look beautiful, comfortable, and practical. They must now learn to incorporate concepts that go beyond ergonomics, beyond design. They must also design for health as well. Especially with all of the marvelous fabrics that are on the market today that literally hide dirt much more than ever in the past. The truth is clean-air quality and health in the home and office is an essential factor to incorporate into all designs. And clients too need to be educated if they want to fully enjoy their homes and where they work.
A healthy environment is truly not a difficult thing to accomplish when there is good communication between you and your client. It takes an awareness of their particular needs, susceptibilities, and style of living, combined with your awareness and knowledge of the tools necessary to achieve a healthy environment for them. Backache, stress, swollen eyes, rash, sinus, headaches, and runny noses are often becoming a thing of the past through such awareness and utilization of advancements in health today. I am convinced that no one can continue to take allergy pills forever without side effects but they can live longer, happier lives with less bacteria in their homes.
October 03, 2017
Floods of any type are no fun. Unfortunately, some are much worse than others. What people don’t realize is that there are different types of Water Damage and different ways to handle each one.
Different Kinds of Water Damage
Category 1: Clean Water Damage
Clean Water is water that comes from a source that does not pose substantial harm to humans.
Some examples of clean water damage are broken water supply lines, sprinkler systems, tub or sink overflows (with no contaminants), melting ice or snow, falling rainwater, and broken toilet tanks.
However, clean water that has contact with structural surfaces and content materials may deteriorate in cleanliness as it dissolves and mixes with soils and other bio-contaminants and if not treated quickly may become turn into Category 2 Gray Water Damage.
Category 2: Gray Water Damage
Gray Water is water that comes from a source that contains a significant degree of chemical, biological or physical contaminants and causes discomfort or sickness when exposed or even consumed.
Some examples are toilet bowls with urine (no feces), sump pump failures, and water discharge from dishwashers or washing machines.
Category 2 (Gray Water) that is not promptly removed from the structure and/or has remained stagnant may be reclassified as Category 3 (Black Water Damage).
Category 3: Black Water Damage
Black Water is water that is very unsanitary and contains harmful bacteria that would cause severe discomfort or sickness. This would include water sources from sewage, seawater, rising water from rivers or streams, ground surface water, standing water, or toilet water.
It is sometimes difficult to determine what type of water loss you have. However, if the water loss is not handled properly it will escalate into a worse category of water damage, resulting in rugs, carpets and belongings possibly needing to be completely replaced as opposed to just cleaned and restored.
Additionally, if the water isn’t fully removed and the area fully dried, mold will begin growing quickly and will also have to be resolved.
Here are some quick steps to take right away if you have water damage: