Recent events have underscored the highly valuable service that building service contractors--including facilities maintenance and custodial staff--provide the schools and businesses they clean and maintain.

Understanding the Importance of Facilities Maintenance and Janitorial Services
The value of the service delivered by facilities maintenance and janitorial providers has rarely been more apparent than under present circumstances--a worldwide coronavirus pandemic layered over the top of a near epidemic U.S. influenza season.

The time for early spring cleaning is just around the corner, and that means it's time for advanced floor care to remove the buildup of dirt and grime from the winter, but which method is best for your facility--strip and wax, or scrub and recoat?

Strip and Wax Vs. Scrub and Recoat
When it comes to hard floor care and maintenance, knowing when to strip and wax as opposed to scrub and recoat can save your business time and money.

No-touch UV disinfection systems have proven effective at reducing detectable levels of germs and bacteria, and should be considered as a viable intermediary system between cleaning services for high-traffic facilities.

The Value of Ultra Violet Disinfection for Facilities
Recent studies have shown that regular cleaning and disinfection services, regardless of quality or regularity, are insufficient to prevent the growth and spread of germs and bacteria between cleanings.

The increased public demand for disinfection services has underscored a lack of information regarding the nature of germs and bacteria, as well as the function of infection prevention and control services.

The Function and Nature of Infection Prevention and Control Services
As COVID-19 infections and deaths increase across the United States--underpinning the annual toll taken by influenza and norovirus outbreaks--interest in facility infection prevention and control programs have grown.

Spring is expected to come early this year, and with it, early spring cleaning to improve the health of facilities through the removal of winter germs, viruses, and bacteria must follow.

Improving Facility Health Through Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning, especially after tax season, provides numerous benefits to businesses and building occupants, including:

The removal of clutter, which will alleviate stress and distractions.

Dust in the workplace or a classroom looks bad, damages hardware, carries pathogens, and contributes to a well-documented indoor phenomenon known as sick building syndrome.

The Damage Dust Does
Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines dust as:

fine particles of matter (as of earth), or;
the particles into which something disintegrates.

Malodorous restrooms are bad for business, and the worst thing you can do is try to layer a mist of pine-scented 'air freshener' over the top to try and cover up the smell.

Tips for Odor-Free Restrooms
Powerful and wide-ranging odors emanating from restrooms are common and typically expected.

While coronavirus scares continue to clog the airwaves, Southern States across the U.S. continue to suffer from seemingly endless viral outbreaks of their own.

Viral Outbreaks Across the Southern United States
Several viral outbreaks have plagued the Southern United States over the past few weeks, just as terrible news regarding the death toll of the coronavirus in China is announced--having surpassed the previous coronavirus (SARS) outbreak of 2003.

According to reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every state across the Southern U.S. is reporting high to very high levels of influenza or influenza-like illness activity.

Despite all the press and hysteria surrounding the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV outbreak, influenza Type A and B outbreaks remain an ongoing and increasing threat across much of the United States.

Influenza Impact Far Exceeds Coronavirus
It seems that regardless of where you turn lately, there is post-apocalyptic news regarding the pending doom posed by the recent coronavirus outbreak in China.

Recently, a wave of conflicting information has circulated the mainstream and online media outlets regarding the recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China, much of which is based on far-reaching speculation.

The Facts Regarding the Coronavirus Outbreak
The recent news regarding the novel coronavirus--2019-nCoV--has bordered on the hysterical, with reports deviating significantly from facts cited in their own articles.