Simple cleaning tips to save your facility time, money and ensure a consistent level of clean

CINCINNATI ˗ [April. 14, 2015] –There’s a difference between cleaning hard and cleaning smart. Both can be effective, but only one can give you a consistent level of clean while saving you time, money and unnecessary stress. From properly maintaining your cleaning products to implementing new systems and processes, Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) has outlined six ways to help you save by cleaning smarter.

“As a cleaning professional, you are continually looking for ways to increase the efficiency of your department and reduce costs,” said Dave Mesko, Senior Director of Marketing, Cintas Corporation. “Yet with increasing labor costs and a continued pressure to do more with less, we realize this can be a challenge. Our steps can help you build a more comprehensive cleaning program that will help you save time—and money—this year.”

Cintas identified the following six ways facilities can save by cleaning smarter:

1. Clean in zones: An improperly cleaned facility can be just as dirty, if not dirtier, than a facility that is not cleaned at all. Zone cleaning programs assign specific cleaning tools to certain areas of the building to help limit cross contamination and promote a higher level of clean. A zone cleaning program also offers cleaning professionals an easy system that takes the guess work out of cleaning – limiting mistakes and the need for unnecessary rework.  

1. Develop a schedule for deep cleaning floors. In addition to daily floor maintenance, integrate a deep cleaning program to regularly restore your floors to their original condition. From hard surfaces such as tile and natural stone, to carpeted rooms and offices, proper maintenance is key to extending the life of your floor. According to The Official ISSA 612 Cleaning Times & Tasks, professional deep cleans can also make day-to-day cleaning easier resulting in time savings of up to 17 minutes per 500 sq. ft. per week on hard surfaces alone. Regular maintenance also means delaying expensive capital intensive project like replacing floors.

    

2. Clean the cleaning tools. Just like a facility’s floors, its cleaning products should be properly cared for and cleaned to ensure they last longer and are more effective. If not cleaned properly they do little more than push dirt around, leading to wasted time and possible cross contamination. Dirty mop heads and wipes are also a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, so make sure your towels and mops are properly maintained and laundered to retain their effectiveness and absorption power longer.

1. Protect floors with a matting system. Facilities without entrance matting will have a hard time keeping floors clean. To help your facility save on time and money (roughly $600 per pound of soil), consider implementing a matting system at all entrances and high-traffic areas to help reduce wear-and-tear and save time on cleaning. Not only does matting reduce the amount of soil tracked into your facility year-round, but it also helps prevent slip and fall accidents and improves indoor air quality. Launder mats on a regular basis—particularly during inclement weather or high-traffic seasons—to prevent an “ink pad” effect that spreads soil throughout the building.

1. Use dilution control systems. Chemical dispensing systems are ideal for saving time—as much 1.5 hours per week—due to their hassle-free design and time-saving one-step cleaning process. This eliminates time spent searching for, shopping for, restocking and storing bulk cleaning chemicals. It also eliminates the time spent mixing chemicals to ensure proper dilution —a task that can add an extra hour to your week. With a dilution control system, maintaining a clean janitorial closet free of outdated supplies and equipment becomes achievable.  
   
   
2. Switch to microfiber: Microfiber cleaning tools offer superior cleaning effectiveness and better infection control than traditional mops and towels. According to Rubbermaid, microfiber products are proven to remove 99.9 percent of microbes and 80 percent more dust and dirt than traditional mops. In addition, ISSA reports they can also save cleaning professionals up to one hour and 52 minutes per week.

“When you have the right chemicals, tools and training in place, you help deliver a consistent level of clean,” added Mesko. “This consistency not only improves the overall cleanliness of the property, but can also be a substantial morale builder with staff.”

To learn more about Cintas solutions for facilities, visit www.cintas.com/facilityservices.

About Cintas:

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas Corporation provides highly specialized services to businesses of all types primarily throughout North America. Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate identity uniform programs, and provides entrance mats, restroom supplies, first aid, safety and fire protection products and services. Cintas is a publicly held company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.