Choosing The Right Cleaning Equipment

This article was originally published in Clean Link.

When we think of equipment, we often shop by cost rather than ROI (Return on Investment) and this can be a serious mistake. Many different estimators and time standards can document the true cost of a piece of equipment is its ROI, not its initial cost.

One example that comes to mind is the upright vacuum cleaner, which has not really changed that much in the last 50 years. Most have beater brushers/bars, belts that can wear and break, bags that usually fill from the top down, handles and wheels for mobility. A 12-inch unit is about right for most closed in office cleaning whereas a thirty two inch or wider unit can be used for long, open hallways. The key factor in determining which piece to use is productivity and of course, practicality. A thirty two inch unit will not work in tight spaces even though its productivity rating is higher.

An inexpensive (to purchase) upright vacuum cleaner can be very expensive in the wrong environment since it is not rated as very productive and has other issues related to maintenance including belt and brush replacement. The key focus is on labor expended for results. One productivity standard rates the typical upright at 26.8 minutes/1000 SF which equals 2,239 SF/Hour. Compare this to a twelve inch back pack vacuum cleaner which is rated at 8.25 Min/ 1000 SF or 7,273 SF/Hour which is more than double the productivity. Also note that there are no belts/brushes to service and well maintained back packs can actually improve IAQ (indoor air quality) so long as the bags and filters are maintained.

The cost of a piece of equipment should always include its maintenance and service life costs as well as it initial price.

Understanding CRI Certification

A CRI Seal of Approval on an extractor or a vacuum indicates the machine meets specific standards for operation and performance. 

Equipment manufacturers voluntarily submit their carpet care models for CRI''s independent testing. An independent board of scientists reviews the test results and recommends whether or not to certify the machine.

The CRI testing program certifies machine performance in three areas, in addition to an appearance assessment:

• Soil removal: The combination of foot traffic and dust settlement leads to a large amount of soil buildup in carpet. To gain certification, a vacuum must make four passes over a piece of test carpet that contains one-tenth of a gram of soil per square inch of carpet. Extractors must be able to remove 55 to 70 percent of soil to receive bronze certification, 70 to 80 percent earns silver distinction and more than 80 percent achieves gold certification.
• Dust containment: This protocol evaluates the total amount of dust released into the air during the act of vacuuming, requiring that the vacuum release no more than 100 micrograms of dust particles per cubic meter into the surrounding air.
• Water containment: Since moisture residue in carpet can cause any number of problems, from mold to fostering bacteria growth, it is important that no excess water remain after the extractor finishes cleaning an area. To test an extractor, the machine is allowed four passes over a carpet sample that contains a set quantity of water to remove as much water as possible. To receive certification, the machine can leave no more than eight ounces of water behind per square yard of carpet.
• Carpet appearance retention: Over time, dust accumulation can wear down carpet fibers and diminish the appearance of carpet. This test is designed to assess the impact of a particular machine on carpet appearance. A cut-pile carpet is subjected to one year of simulated use, including vacuuming or extracting and walking. Researchers compare before-and-after photographs to determine the amount of wear incurred using a technique called Spectrographic analysis. The vacuum or extractor receives a passing grade if the degree of wear is judged to be equal to or less than one year of standard use.

Results from all three tests are peer reviewed by experts in the field of maintenance and indoor air quality (IAQ) to assure their validity.

Combat Dust

By: Scott Keller, Vertical Marketing Manager, Nilfisk-Advance

Protecting the health and safety of a facility and its occupants is one of the key challenges of a building services manager. This requires them to keep their building looking clean, visually appealing and, above all, improve the facility’s indoor air quality (IAQ). IAQ can be impacted from many types of dust particles, inside and out. Dust inside a building is present in a wide range of forms, from bacteria and allergens to paper dust and mold. Fine particles, such as asbestos and coal dust also add to dust generation. Dust from outside a facility, such as pollen, pesticides, fertilizers and other natural environmental toxins can also penetrate a building, which adds to poor IAQ.

Building services managers can combat dust particles with carpet cleaning equipment designed to effectively contain dust particles and remove soil while providing efficient, sustainable performance. When selecting carpet care equipment, cleaning professionals turn to the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), which rates machines on their ability to remove soil, contain dust and retain quality carpet appearance.

CRI Certification

A CRI Seal of Approval on a vacuum indicates the machine meets specific standards for operation and performance. Equipment manufacturers voluntarily submit their carpet care models for the Carpet and Rug Institute’s independent testing. An independent board of scientists reviews the test results and recommends whether to certify the machine. The CRI testing program certifies machine performance in three areas:

• Soil Removal: The combination of foot traffic and dust settlement leads to a large amount of soil buildup in carpet. To gain certification, a vacuum must make four passes over a piece of test carpet that contains one-tenth of a gram of soil per square inch of carpet.
• Dust Containment: This protocol evaluates the total amount of dust released into the air during the act of vacuuming, requiring that the vacuum release no more than 100 micrograms of dust particles per cubic meter into the surrounding air. 
• Carpet Appearance Retention: Over time, dust accumulation can wear down carpet fibers and diminish the appearance of carpet. This test is designed to assess the impact of a particular machine on carpet appearance. A cut-pile carpet is subjected to one year of simulated use, including vacuuming and walking. Researchers compare before-and-after photographs to determine the amount of wear incurred using a technique called Spectrographic analysis. The vacuum receives a passing grade if the degree of wear is judged to be equal to or less than one year of standard use. 

Results from all three tests are peer reviewed by experts in the field of maintenance and indoor air quality to assure their validity.

Enhancing Indoor Air Quality with CRI-Certified Carpet Care Equipment

This article was originally published in Building Services Management

By: Scott Keller
Vertical Marketing Manager, Nilfisk-Advance

Protecting the health and safety of a facility and its occupants is one of the key challenges of a building services manager. This requires them to keep their building looking clean, visually appealing and, above all, improve the facility’s indoor air quality (IAQ). IAQ can be impacted from many types of dust particles, inside and out. Dust inside a building is present in a wide range of forms, from bacteria and allergens to paper dust and mold. Fine particles, such as asbestos and coal dust also add to dust generation. Dust from outside a facility, such as pollen, pesticides, fertilizers and other natural environmental toxins can also penetrate a building, which adds to poor IAQ.

Building services managers can combat dust particles with carpet cleaning equipment designed to effectively contain dust particles and remove soil while providing efficient, sustainable performance. When selecting carpet care equipment, cleaning professionals turn to the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), which rates machines on their ability to remove soil, contain dust and retain quality carpet appearance.

A CRI Seal of Approval on a vacuum indicates the machine meets specific standards for operation and performance. Equipment manufacturers voluntarily submit their carpet care models for the Carpet and Rug Institute’s independent testing. An independent board of scientists reviews the test results and recommends whether to certify the machine. The CRI testing program certifies machine performance in three areas: soil removal, dust containment and carpet appearance retention.

Results from all three tests are peer reviewed by experts in the field of maintenance and indoor air quality to assure their validity.

Improving IAQ In Schools Following Natural Disasters

This article was originally published in CleanLink.

A few weeks ago, Hurricane Sandy tore through the East Coast, destroying neighborhoods and causing severe damage for millions of Americans. As the rebuilding process begins, EPA's Office of Radiation and Indoor Air staff are committed to equipping communities with the tools and knowledge needed to ensure that indoor environments in schools are safe before students, teachers and staff members return. The aftermath of any natural disaster, including a hurricane that causes extensive flooding, can create widespread health problems that are especially dangerous for children.

EPA's Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools resources can be helpful to schools and school districts as they clean-up buildings after a natural disaster. These resources help school staff identify and resolve most IAQ problems in schools with minimal cost and effort

Resources to Help Clean-Up Schools:

• Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings
• Environmental Contaminates in Schools
• Managing Asthma in the School Environment
• IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit

Read the full article to learn more. 

The Advantages of CRI Certified Extractors: Improved Indoor Air Quality

Our last few posts have discussed the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Carpet Extractor Certification in detail, analyzing machine performance certification in various areas. Our next round of posts will look at what CRI certification really means for your facility and cleaning procedures. There are many ways an extractor with the CRI Seal of Approval can positively affect your company’s cleaning program, including: Improved Indoor Air Quality, Lowered Costs and Longer Lasting Carpet.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a measure of the quality of the air in an indoor environment. Good IAQ depends on many factors, including effective building design, up-to-date maintenance and the selection and use of “green” cleaning products. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that improving IAQ can reduce health problems, improve worker productivity and improve the efficiency of cooling and ventilation systems. Dust, residual cleaning products and poor ventilation are all enemies of good IAQ. Commonly thought of solely as a nuisance, dust frequently contains pollen, fungal spores, dust mites and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can be harmful to health. A certified extractor will effectively improve IAQ by extracting the most soil during cleaning as possible. In addition, better removal of dust by extracting, reduces the amount of cleaning solutions needed.

Stay tuned for next week's segment discussing Lowered Costs!