Allowing someone to come into your home or business can be a daunting task. Finding people with professionalism and an understanding nature can seem impossible. Lucky for you there is a database of trusted companies that you can search to find the right provider for your needs! By using the IJCSA's database of providers you can ensure that you are looking at a comprehensive list of providers who have been equipped with the proper training and customer service skills to meet your needs and actually listen to your requests. 

At the IJCSA, providers are trained comprehensivley on the skills needed to reassure customers and provide them with honest and caring service. We are trained to treat all customers with respect and genuinley listen to their concerns in all situations. Members understand what great customer service is and it goes beyond providing a valuable service. Being present and avaliable to customers is important as well as reaching out and caring about the well being of customers beyond the job. So use the IJSCA's Buisness Directory for all of your cleaning needs and find a professional near you today!

There are many advantages of hiring a cleaning person or company that has received their Residential Cleaning Service (RCS) Certification versus hiring someone that only cleans for a hobby or as a side job without certifications.  Entrusting one's home to someone that has access to updated industry guidelines and procedures is beneficial when it comes to the safety and cleanliness of the environment of one's home.  When hiring an IJCSA professional with the RCS certification, you can be assured of at least the following:  1.  Quality and intense training, 2.  Standard operation procedures, 3.  Expertise, aptitude, and professonalism, and 4. Customizable Cleaning Solutions.  This article will discuss these items and what they look like when hiring this professional individual or company.

One can rest assured when choosing a IJCSA RCS certified professional, that they are choosing someone that has had Quality Training.  They have demonstrated a vested interest in learning great techniques and utilizing effective chemicals to best clean the home.  This quality training is invaluable as they have studied for many hours and have tested to ensure their knowledge.  This training acquired is for overall cleaning, as well as certifications in two other distinct areas: bloodborne pathogens that may be encountered, and chemical hazards which address exposure to chemicals, their effects and exposure protocols. 

The RCS training also teaches IJCSA professionals of industry Standard Operations that are tried and proven for effective cleaning practices in the home.  It is always beneficial to have a professional utilize a protocol to clean because this method can be easily executed and repeatable for them which will allow ease to perform over and over.  These professionals have access to the standard as well as the special attention area practices which make the experience of cleaning the home unique.

Which brings us to the ability of an IJCSA RCS certified professional to customize a tailored or customizable cleaning solution specific to one's home.  The special attention areas that a customer would like performed can be done by this particular type of company or person because they are open to the needs of the client and have the know-how of more than just the basic cleaning.  Also customization, are the various products to utilize on specific surfaces, either client provided or otherwise.  

Achieving the Residential Cleaning Service Certification admonishes that this professional has attained the Expertise, aptitude and professionalism in order to do a great quality job for the customer.  The hours and hours spent studying, being tested, and posting articles on various subjects and specific areas is an industry standard that is second to none.  Again you can rest assured with the background checks, bonded and insured items as well as customer service that these individuals have attained, make them more than qualified to service a residential home.

It is extremely important for employees and staff to know and understand the importance of Bloodborne pathogens. Knowing how to use universal precautions by assuming all bloodborne pathogens are infected by performing protective practices, keeps employees and staff safe. All staff and employees benefit from knowing the proper procedures to clean and disinfect the contaminated area. Having the the proper training and knowledge of who to contact when exposed to bloodborne pathogens could be the difference between life and death.

Diseases that can be found in bloodborne pathogens, include, but are not limited to: Hepatitis B (HBV) and Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV).  These pathogenic microorganism can be exposed to the human body through, mucous membrane. This is why universal precautions should always be used when handling bloodborne pathogens, assuming it is contaminated to avoid possible spread and exposure of any possible diseases. 

Protective practices like wearing PPE, having and using color coded labeling of bags and bins, and disinfecting any tools used to disinfect the area, helps to avoid any careless acts of spreading the bloodborne pathogens outside of the contained area. After removing gloves, hands should be washed immediately. Employees and staff all should be aware that if they believe they have been exposed, immediately contact their supervisor and physician.  

Having the training and knowledge of how to properly handle bloodborne pathogens is a very important part of cleaning and should always be handled properly by cleaning staff and employees.  We come in contact with these situations more often than most. Not knowing how to handle bloodborne pathogens could be detrimental to the employee and staff’s health.  

Being Green Cleaning Certified will benefit my business in a multitude of ways.  Now that people are becoming more aware of the negative health and environmental impact that toxic chemicals can have, they're more conscientious of what they do and use around their home. By being Green Cleaning Certified, customers can feel like they're doing their part in protecting the environment because it will be known that I won't use single-use plastic in their home that could put the environment at risk. Not only that, but I will also be keeping them and their family safer by not using harsh chemicals that could be hazardous to their health.  

Being Green Cleaning Certified also will benefit my business because it's another service to be offered, sure to meet many customers' needs and wants. It appeals to many people and stands out as a reason to hire us instead of another cleaning business. The more services that we can offer as a professional business that may entice new customers and more sales, the better. 

Green Cleaning Certification can prove as a benefit to my business in the way that it will show that I truly care. Not only do I care about what the customer wants, but I care enough about them to take action in ensuring I'm not risking their health and do what I can to protect the environment from further damage. The career choice I made in becoming a cleaning business owner was not just about making money, but in providing services that can benefit all of my customers and even the environment.  This certification shows that.

Finally, providing services to customers as a Green Cleaning Certified cleaner can benefit my business because I'll actually be saving money by not buying brand name, toxic-chemical based cleaners. It will be more cost-efficient for me to make my own cleaners. When buying brand name cleaners, you're mostly paying for the label.  When I can effectively clean a home in the same amount of time, with the same amount of elbow grease, using cleaners that I made myself for a third of the amount it would have cost to buy a different cleaner for each room, I'll be saving money, the environment, and still providing quality cleaning. Vinegar, citric acid, water, baking soda, and washing soda are listed in the article as safer homemade substitutions for cleaning chemicals, and will to be some of the main the ingredients that I use to make cleaners for different areas of the home, taking the place of toxic things like bleach, ammonia, and furniture polish.

Finding a Green Cleaning Certified professional cleaning business that is a good fit for any family and facility can be found by searching the International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association - Green Cleaning Services (ijcsa.org)

Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms that are transmitted by blood. For example, HIV and hepatitis B (and many others) are bloodborne pathogens. These diseases are transmitted through infected body fluids that enter the bloodstream of an uninfected person. Bloodborne pathogens can be transmitted through infected body fluids that enter the bloodstream. HIV and HBV can pose serious, long-term health risks or even death if someone comes into contact with them.

These pathogens can be transmitted in several ways. The most common ways of transmission are needlesticks, cuts, bites from humans, and mucous membranes. For example, if you are taking out the trash and come in contact with a dirty or used needle, you may come in contact with a bloodborne pathogen. Or you may need to mop up bodily fluids, and splashes can come in contact with your mucous membranes or contaminate a small tear in your skin. Any cleaning job where you come in contact with blood or other body fluids puts you at risk for spreading bloodborne pathogens. All in all, you should always assume that all body fluids you come into contact with are contaminated. This is called universal precautions. Therefore training on bloodborne pathogens is required for proper cleaning.

OSHA has developed training on bloodborne pathogens that explains how to clean body fluids, what personal protective equipment to wear when cleaning body fluids, how to properly clean and dispose of body fluids, and what else to look for in this area. For example, gloves, goggles and possibly a face mask are essential for your own protection from contamination. Thorough hand washing after an exposure is also among the important protective measures. In addition, any contamination waste generated must be specially labeled and disposed of separately, for example in different colored waste bags (red or orange).

Cleaning services and training on bloodborne pathogens are essential to keeping our environment safe for everyone. Every cleaner should complete training on bloodborne pathogens, as it is necessary for the proper performance of the job. Employers should provide access to this training free of charge during working hours. This training is one of the most important experiences a janitor or cleaner needs to have, especially, but not only, if they work in a hospital. The CDC reported that approximately 5.6 million healthcare and janitorial service workers are at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. If you can clean and dispose of body fluids before a bloodborne pathogen can spread, you can save lives!

Finding the perfect carpet or rug cleaning service can sometimes be daunting. Knowing that you need these services is the easy part, finding a trusted and trained professional is a bit more difficult. When you place your trust in the IJCSA to find a professional, you place your trust in an industry-respected name. You are ensuring that you contact an entity with comprehensive training and knowledge in cleaning your carpet or rug effectively and professionally. They are up to date on the most effective chemicals, processes, and professionalism to meet all of your needs. The best way to locate these trained professionals is through the IJCSA’s directory for carpet cleaning professionals. Here you can simply type your location, and find the help that you need!

It is fundamentally important for cleaning employees and staff to be informed of the modes of transmission, clean-up, and effects of bloodborne pathogens because of the risks of occupational exposure.  Universal (Standard) Precautions tell us to treat every fluid as if it's infected with bloodborne pathogens, because it makes us more aware and careful with things that we could be touching/cleaning that has the potential to give us a serious disease. 

It is essential that cleaning staff are aware that something as simple as rubbing an itchy eye with an unprotected hand that had previously picked up a client's used washcloth could have a detrimental effect on their livelihood.  Bloodborne pathogens can be transmitted from touching infectious materials that have things such as blood, mucus, or bodily fluids on them by cleaning staff that aren't wearing the correct personal protective equipment.  The IM could be a wide range of things; a puddle of fluid (blood or otherwise), bed linens, broken glass, a needle, etc.

Clean-up and disposal of potentially infectious materials needs to be done thoroughly, following the instructions provided by OSHA with the use of the correct PPE.  This is not only because it's hazardous to a person's health, but because it can affect the rest of their life.  One example is, if a person were to contract HIV from cleaning infected material without the proper PPE, they could feel ill, be put in a hospital, be unable to work, therefore unable to pay bills, receive lifelong blood tests for monitoring, and be on antiviral medications for the rest of their life so that the disease doesn't progress.  This is why it is so important for cleaning staff to understand the risks associated with the correct way to use Standard Precautions and clean up potentially infectious materials.  Knowing the correct PPE, clean-up, and risks of bloodborne pathogens will increase the likelihood that proper precautions are taken to decrease the chance of infection and transmission.

It is important for cleaning employees to be aware of bloodborne pathogens and the risks that come from them. But first we need to understand what they are. Bloodborne pathogens are disease-causing microorganisms in human blood which include HBV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

It's essential for employers to have knowledge on the procedures that are used to be cautious to help prevent the spread of bloodborne pathogens. One way could be by taking special training classes to increase their knowledge on precautions they can take. Without these training classes the employees could be at risk of getting infected if the proper measures aren't taken.

In conclusion following the right steps when dealing with body fluids/ blood could prevent life threatening diseases in the workplace. 

Cleaning workers are a vital resource essential to carry out health and safety functions. They are responsible for carrying out the assigned tasks to remove organic and inorganic dirt and other contaminants safely and effectively. This leads to great results in improving health and reducing disease through the elimination and prevention of the spread of germs and viruses. In addition, they improve the image and aesthetics of our homes and workplaces, which causes a better emotional and physical state, greater productivity and quality in our lives and the environment.

It is of utmost importance that employees have the knowledge of the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms through blood, not only because the law requires it, but for the good and safety of all, since we are all prone and at risk of contracting health problems such as hepatitis B and C viruses and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to lack of knowledge of how to proceed when you run the corresponding cleaning tasks correctly. The correct use of personal protective equipment and informative training and its consistency is relevant to eliminating any dangerous risk of exposure. There is no doubt that it is the safest way to prevent exposure and counteract the risk that cleaning workers carry every day.

More than a responsibility, a commitment when it comes to implementing rules and procedures, a commitment to us and to society. The health and safety of everyone is the highest priority on the part of the appropriate authorities and on the part of us as cleaning workers. In the same way, we play an important role in the work structure since we are responsible for providing all the necessary equipment so that our employees have the confidence and security that they are protected when carrying out their work. Providing them with all the necessary information for them to develop their activities and be able to feel safe and capable that they are doing so.

Cleaning employees should know about Bloodborne pathogens and the risk it carries being exposed to it, if it is infected. It's important that employees know about universal precautions to prevent the spread of Bloodborne Pathogens, such as wearing the protective gear like gloves and goggles. 

 If you are ever exposed to an infectious disease you will know how to correctly clean wounds that were exposed and disinfect the affected areas.  You should treat all blood and bodily fluids as infected. It's important that cleaners know about Bloodborne Pathogens, to keep the place clean and prevent spreading. 

Keeping yourself safe by always washing your hands after you've removed any PPE. Knowing how to properly dispose of needles and linen. All biohazard containers should be labeled and/or color coded.