Janitors are essential employees that provide that provide a clean and healthy environment. A healthy environment is achieved by when you lower the risk of getting sick, and a janitor helps to maintain that for us. By keeping an indoor space clean it prevents the spread of pathogens, which can become very severe if not being taken care of.

Janitors are trained to use proper cleaning techniques that not your average everyday disinfecting is enough for. These proper cleaning methods reduce the amount of allergens that are present in the air and reduces dust. This makes for a healthy environment thus reducing the number of irritants that can effect chronic health

Lastly, A janitor is trained to clean-up bodily fluids and know how to properly dispose of them properly. Clean spaces look good and makes a person feel good. Let's give a round lot to our janitorial cleaning services and never take advantage of what they do for us and our environment.

Why is it important for cleaning staff to know about the safety of cleaning and bloodborne pathogens? 

It is important for them to know that if they are exposed, they are subject to pathogens like Hep B and HIV. These two can cause disease in humans that may not appear for years. It may also cause liver damage or liver cancer. It is important to use universal precautions at all times. Exposures to the nose, mouth, or skin is never a good sign. Always wear you protective gear including goggles and keep a control plan to be review annually handy at all times. Be sure to dispose of gloves in the correct container , wash hands, and use the color code method for more protective practices. It is also important to never reuse towels and sponges, use tongs for cleanups and decontaminate the surfaces and areas in need.

We at Tower have a 3-phase approach when working in environments where our staff is likely to be exposed to bloodborne pathogens. We call it I.A.C- Identify - Act - Control.

Identify, this is pre-cleaning stage of each cleaning project. We will identify all high exposure areas. Ensure proper safety equipment and PPE needed for the job. We identify where all emergency response locations are, these include first aid boxes, eye washing stations, and where the MSDS information is kept. Most importantly we ask each technician to report any health issues they may be currently experiencing before entering the building, these issues include, body temperature, flu symptoms, skin abrasions, etc. We not only want to prevent our staff from being exposed to bloodborne pathogens, but we also don’t want our staff to expose anyone else.

Act, the stage is defined by our staff knowing exactly what to do if they have been exposed to a bloodborne pathogen. Depending on the level or type of exposure will determine the next steps of action. In addition, we take precautions while working to avoid unnecessary risks.

Control, this is our final stage of each cleaning project. We train our staff to double check themselves and the environment thoroughly before they leave. It is the responsibility of each technician to ensure that they have not cut themselves while working. In addition, it is each technician's responsibility to ensure that the environment is ready and safe for the next visitors.

     According to the CDC “One out of twenty people admitted to the hospital each year will contract a hospital associated infection” or HAI for short. A portion of these HAI’s resulted in the death of the patient. That is why properly cleaning a healthcare facility is so vital that it can mean the difference between life or death for a patient. People come to hospitals to seek care and to become well and not to become sicker.

  Healthcare associated infections are common, and you might even know someone who has experiences this. Some frequent HAI’s are pneumonia, surgical site infections, clostridium colitis, urinary tract infections, and central-catheter blood stream infections. These infections cause patients longer hospital visits which costs them more financial burden.

Where do the pathogens come from? High touch surfaces such as call lights, over the bed tables, I.V. poles, and tables are places that harbor microorganisms that have the potential to cause diseases. Hiring a highly cleaning company from the IJCSA’s directory can ensure that your healthcare setting is disinfected properly.  Janitorial Service Directory. The goal is to reduce hospital associated infections by using proper and through cleaning techniques.

When considering hiring a Residential Cleaner, it is important to understand the key differences that hiring a Residential Cleaning Specialist through the IJCSA may entail. When considering hiring a professional cleaner for your home, hiring a certified individual or company is a smart decision. Residential Cleaning Specialists are trained in areas that a certified person may not be trained in.

Residential Cleaning Specialists will have a professional attitude and will create a personalized plan for the services that you would like to receive. Special tasks may be scheduled at different intervals, such as refrigerator cleaning, oven cleaning, shower treatments and natural wood polishing treatments.

Residential Cleaning Specialists know what products they are using and are knowledgeable on the proper use on different surfaces of your home. A person educated in the products that they are using will minimize the risk of damages to your belongings. The Residential Cleaning specialist may recommend not using a certain product in your home if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.

Residential Cleaning Specialists care about the quality of their work. When cleaning a home, the Residential Cleaning Specialist will clean your home in an organized manner, ensuring that surfaces that have already been cleaned do not become re-soiled. RCS certified individuals and company's will ensure that there is attention to detail throughout the cleaning procedure, taking special care not to miss any surface.

Hiring a Residential Cleaning Specialist is easily one of the better decisions for you to make when choosing a company to clean your home. The cleaner will be professions, trustworthy, be knowledgeable about their chemicals, be organized, have attention to detail and most importantly: want to provide you with excellent customer service. Search for a RCS today at: https://www.ijcsa.org/House-Cleaning-Services

There is a good reason to have your carpets, and or upholstery cleaned by a carpet cleaning technician certified by the IJCSA. The IJCSA offers it's members the opportunity to become certified in carpet cleaning, and upholstery cleaning with a comprehensive course of study. 

This carpet cleaning certification course covers extensive knowledge, and practical application of proven techniques for various carpet cleaning procedures. These procedures include identification of different types of carpet, different cleaning methods, and proven applications for many different types of stain removal.

This course also offers insight on various conditions that can occur throughout the carpet cleaning process.This insight explains in detail how to correct any undesired results, as well as tips on how to avoid them.

Finally, this course educates the technician on how to convey to the customer that regular maintenance for their carpet is not a selling point, but a necessity in protecting their investment. This information includes instructing client on importance of regular vacuuming, prompt treatment of spills, stain treatment, as well as regular intervals of carpet cleaning by trained professionals. 

There are many reasons why a green cleaning program should exist within a cleaning company. Green cleaning should be a preferred method of cleaning because it can be just as effective as cleaning with non-green products with less risk of severe side effects due to using chemicals that are man-made.

Cleaning with harsh, non-green, chemicals can cause many symptoms and generally carry many warnings through within their SDS sheets because they are not considered safe. Handling some chemicals without gloves may cause severe skin breakdown due to burns. Breathing in the fumes created by these products may cause respiratory issues and the fumes may also cause nose and eye irritation.

Non-green chemical cleaning products can be caustic, can be harmful to the body even after cleaning (potential dermal transmission from residues) and can, in some cases create imbalances in hormones, damage to organs and even death if handled improperly.

By not choosing green cleaning products for the majority of your cleaning product supply, you may be causing yourself harm, your customers harm and the environment harm. Using natural occurring compounds will be safer, healthier for you and your customers and will do the planet better.

Companies that offer green cleaning and have been certified through green cleaning training are easy to find through the IJCSA website, at: https://www.ijcsa.org/Green-Cleaning-Services

First things first, mold removal is the process of cleaning mold by removing materials and cleaning surfaces that have been contaminated by mold or mildew. You want to be sure who you hire out to do this job are certified and trained, see what kind of mold testing they do, if they isolate the area and wear proper personal protective equiptment.

Us over here at IJCSA can guarantee all that for you, and then some. We will be sure to isolate the affected area to prevent spreading of mold. We also provide a free mold assessment for our first time customers. 

Remember, you aren't just protecting your property with mold removal, but the health of you and your family as well. 

Cleaning green has always been an option available to us as a population and it has been harnessed by people for thousands of years. These tried and true products and methods occur  naturally in nature, are safer for humans and animals alike and do our planet good.

Products like vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, olive oil, citrus, borax and others have been used in cleaning for a very long time and can create just as effective a solution to cleaning and disinfection as a chemical cleaner can. These naturally occurring ingredients do not cause the harm that chemically engineered cleaning products do.

Human health should be one high consideration when choosing to clean green. Chemical laden products can cause acute and chronic health problems to humans. Chemical burns to skin, organ damage, respiratory distress and hormonal imbalances can all occur due to cleaning with chemicals or having those chemical residues left behind. Chronic health problems can happen including long-term damage to organs, COPD and even cancer, hastening the mortality of the person involved in using those products.

Humans are not the only creatures effected by the use of these chemically engineered cleaning products. All animals can be effected by these chemicals making their way into the water and food supplies, house pets may be effected by cleaning with those products while they are present etc. Our planet has a fragile ecosystem and we should take that into consideration as well, when choosing products to clean with. Cleaning with green cleaning products, which occur in nature, do not contribute to the decline of populations of plants and animals; these cleaning compounds are not leading to the destruction of our environment.

Green cleaning is an important consideration to make when choosing a cleaning company for your location. If a company cleaning green is important to you,  then it is easy to find a company qualified to handle your space using only naturally occurring ingredients that are found in nature. Search the IJCSA green cleaning directory to find a service provider near you, at: https://www.ijcsa.org/Green-Cleaning-Services

The HealthCare Cleaning Business is a dirty business.  In some instances, it can even be deadly.  Bloodborne Pathogens in the workplace is a very serious matter.  These infectious fluids can be transmitted very easily.  This is why proper education on the subject is vital to your business and most importantly, employee safety.

Bloodborne Pathogens are are infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).  Cleaning employees can be exposed to these pathogens by cleaning bodily fluids, wiping blood, improperly handling trash amongst other things.  This shows why it is extremely crucial that all employees are educated and trained on the importance of properly  handling and cleaning of all things that have been in contact with potential Bloodborne Pathogens.

OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) has set guidelines for dealing with such materials.  Universal Precautions is in place to make sure that all hazardous waste are handled as if they contained Bloodborne Pathogens.  OSHA mandates proper use and disposal of PPE when cleaning and highly encourages proper handwashing.  These are just some of the information that OSHA provides to make sure that the Healthcare industry is as safe as possible. 

Bloodborne Pathogens are extremely dangerous.   However, with proper training and education, employees can help maintain a healthy and safe work environment.