Water damage from major storms can have long-lasting negative impacts on every kind of space. Whether it’s commercial properties or residential homes, effective remediation is critical to maintaining the habitability of buildings after the storm has passed. That leaves restoration and remediation professionals with a significant role to play in the wake of extreme weather. Proper water cleanup and mold prevention techniques are required to mitigate mold growth, contamination, and the associated health risks. As extreme weather becomes more frequent, so does the demand for more environmentally friendly solutions. Consumers often seek greener, more sustainable options in almost every facet of today’s market, including storm remediation. Effective botanical-based cleaners and disinfectants can be powerful additions to professionals’ toolkits. Success with these technologies depends on two things. First, professionals must be certain of the efficacy and authenticity of such botanical cleaners. Second, effective methods and best practices for water remediation jobs must be followed. Evaluating water damage and selecting optimal products When it comes to interior water damage, water is typically classified into three categories. Category 1 water does not pose a significant threat and is typically considered “clean” water—it usually refers to water damage from a water supply line. Then there’s Category 2, or “grey” water, which carries microorganisms—toilet water, sump pump water, or discharge from dishwashers or washing machines. Finally, Category 3, or “black” water, is considered extremely unsanitary and typically the kind of water damage dealt with during hurricane relief and remediation efforts. It includes water from sewage sources, seawater, or standing water. It is assumed to contain harmful bacteria and fungi that can cause serious threats to humans—things like West Nile virus, E. coli, Salmonella, tetanus and more can all be found in floodwaters. When in doubt, the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) Standard of Care, which describes the procedures to be followed and the precautions to be taken when performing water damage restoration in residential, commercial, and institutional buildings, can be referenced. For all these reasons, choosing the right cleaners, disinfectants, and mold-resistant coatings—whether botanical-based or otherwise—is essential to combating the potential harm caused by significant water damage to a home or occupancy. A few critical items to look for include: EPA registration: At a minimum, professionals should seek out disinfectants registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA-registered products must include hospital disinfectant efficacy as well as general fungicide efficacy. Independent testing: ASTM has specific tests (ASTM D3273-16 and ASTM G21) for mold-resistant coatings that can help further guide you in your choice of products. When it comes to botanical products, one should look out for some additional claims, too. Most cleaners and disinfectants marketed as “botanical” aren’t genuinely botanical and will often contain synthetics in their formulation. For remediation professionals looking to differentiate, seek out products that are authentically botanical, with active ingredients that come directly from plants and harness their natural antimicrobial properties to effectively disinfect surfaces. Various benefits of botanicals Why choose botanicals? These products can bring a few unique benefits to any remediation job. A few of them include: Reduced toxicity exposure: For the contractor doing the cleanup work and for the occupant using a product that poses no health risks is very important. Both have already potentially been exposed to numerous pathogens, so why risk additional exposure to a chemical burden when it is not necessary. Authentically botanical disinfectants pose no risk if inhaled, ingested, or contacted skin or eyes. A simple way to verify if a product is authentically botanical is through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) BioPreferred Program. This program includes third-party lab testing of products to quantify how biobased (from a plant) a product is. Some botanical products are as low as 18% biobased, while others are 100%. Greater material compatibility: Traditional disinfectants have the potential to corrode metal fixtures and damage wood, paint, and other common building materials. Botanical-based products are typically less corrosive, making them ideal for repeated applications without harming surfaces, which is often necessary for extensive post-flood cleanups. An important consideration when applying disinfectants in an open space with exposed CPVC piping is whether that product is certified in the FBC Compatibility Program. This program tests products, such as disinfectants and coatings, to ensure they will not compromise CPVC material. Authentically botanical disinfectants (those that are certified at 100% biobased in the USDA Program) are certified in the Lubrizol FBC Compatible program. The clean, kill, and coat strategy Once you’ve selected the proper cleaning and disinfectant products, it’s important to follow effective methods to ensure that contamination threats have been eliminated and that the potential for mold regrowth has been mitigated. Once water has been removed from the impacted area and the impacted area has been appropriately dried, the process involves three steps: Clean. Kill. Coat. Clean: In an interior that has experienced significant water or flood damage, flooring and ceiling panels can sometimes be salvaged by using the right cleaning product applicable to porous surfaces if completed within 48 to 72 hours. However, in the wake of an event like a major hurricane, such work isn’t commonly completed within that window of time, making it necessary to tear out the damaged drywall and start from scratch. Available hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners can aggressively target stains from porous, semiporous, and nonporous materials. Surfaces should then be dried before moving on to the next step. Kill: Importantly, cleaning removes debris and stains from the surface but doesn’t kill any lingering mold or mildew spores. Step two involves treating the affected areas with the appropriate EPA-registered disinfectant to eliminate microbial contamination. Lingering mold and mildew spores can cause health risks later down the line, even if surfaces appear free of stains after cleaning or if a nonregistered disinfectant product is used. For restoration and remediation professionals, it’s important to educate customers here. Professional products are a necessity. Coat: Finally, after potential microbial threats have been eliminated, surfaces can be treated with an antimicrobial coating that inhibits mold growth. This final coating acts
CloroxPro released its 2024 Clean Index report, detailing the perceptions, needs, and challenges of more than 1,500 cleaning professionals and consumers from the past year. The findings highlight increasing adoption of eco-conscious cleaning products, as well as ongoing burnout faced by staff because of constrained resources. Responses from the study show the adoption of eco-conscious cleaning products is becoming widespread: two in three cleaning professionals stated that their facility is using such solutions, and 60% reported that their facility has set a business goal to use more eco-conscious products. This year's study also reinforced that burnout is a big challenge faced by cleaning professionals. Half of cleaning professionals indicated that they experienced burnout within the last year, with almost 50% of all respondents saying their level has increased in the last two years. Cleaning professionals highlighted a lack of training as a key factor to burnout—less training can lead to less employee knowledge about cleaning protocols and efficiency as well as lower employee confidence in cleaning outcomes. In fact, 60% of cleaning professionals do not feel confident that the areas they manage are properly cleaned and disinfected due to lack of training programs. The Clean Index survey also found that more than half of consumers continue to be concerned about germ exposure at work, with 79% of consumers noting that it is important for businesses to provide disinfecting wipes. View the complete 2024 Clean Index report here.
A Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, soap and detergent manufacturer faces US$161,310 in federal penalties following a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) investigation of a chemical gas release from its manufacturing plant that sent a dozen workers to the hospital in July 2024. The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) initiated an inspection on July 11 after being notified by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and AFCO, the facility’s operator, about an incident involving a release of nitrogen dioxide gas. The release occurred when chemicals reacted during processing by AFCO employees. A manufacturing subsidiary of Zep Inc., AFCO is based in Atlanta and specializes in producing and distributing maintenance, cleaning, and sanitation solutions. OSHA inspectors determined the company had taken no action to assess the impact of the release immediately and did not swiftly evacuate workers from the building as a precaution. Inspectors discovered that workers were exposed to nitrogen dioxide gas levels exceeding the chemical’s ceiling limit, resulting in 12 employees being evaluated at a local hospital, with two of them requiring hospitalization. Additionally, inspectors determined that the company had no emergency response plan in place, and that its respiratory protection and hazard communication programs failed to meet federal requirements. OSHA has cited AFCO for one repeat violation, and nine serious and two other-than-serious violations. “AFCO’s lack of urgency in addressing the hazardous conditions put employees at serious risk,” said Kevin T. Chambers, OSHA area director in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. “Employers have a legal responsibility to identify workplace hazards and take immediate action to protect their employees from harm.” Since 2022, OSHA has cited Zep for four serious violations for its failures to protect employees at its Emerson, Georgia, facility from hazardous chemicals. Founded in 1937, Zep serves industrial, institutional, retail, and food and beverage customers on six continents. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Cintas Corp. launched its 12th annual Cintas Custodian of the Year contest, which honors exceptional school custodians. From now through Feb. 7, the public can submit their custodian nominations at custodianoftheyear.com. “Beyond cleaning and maintenance, school custodians often make our schools and universities feel like home,” said Emily Ramos, Cintas director of marketing. “For more than a decade, we’ve been inspired by countless incredible stories of custodians going above and beyond, and we’re thrilled to continue honoring them as we celebrate the 12th year of this contest.” Cintas will award US$10,000 to the winning custodian and $5,000 in Cintas and Rubbermaid products and services to the winner’s school. The winner’s school also will receive a complete facility assessment and Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) Advanced certification from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of ISSA, valued at $20,000. The other nine finalists will receive $1,000 each from Cintas, a cleaning supply package from Rubbermaid, and complimentary tuition to one ISSA Cleaning Management Institute (CMI) virtual training event valued at $1,500. The top three finalists will also receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to ISSA Show North America 2025 in Las Vegas in November, where they’ll be celebrated for their accomplishments. “Creating healthy and inspiring learning environments wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of custodians,” said John Barrett, ISSA Executive Director. “ISSA is honored to partner with Cintas to recognize and celebrate the dedication, hard work, and essential contributions of custodians across the U.S.” Last year, Cintas awarded Bob Galewski of Wabasha-Kellogg High School in Wabasha, Minnesota, the 2024 Cintas Custodian of the Year. The Cintas Custodian of the Year contest is open to all elementary, middle, high school, college, and university custodians who have worked at their school for at least two years. Nominations must be 500 words or less on why the nominee deserves the award and must be submitted by Feb. 7. Cintas will announce the top ten finalists on March 4. The public will then be able to vote for their favorite custodian through April 11, and the finalist with the most votes will be crowned Custodian of the Year in the spring. “We’re proud to partner with Cintas to honor the custodians who go above and beyond daily,” said Robert Posthauer, Rubbermaid Commercial Products senior vice president and general manager. “Custodians are true heroes, and we are committed to showing our gratitude and appreciation for all they do.”
Nearly 28% of norovirus tests run for the week ending Jan. 4 came back positive for the virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. That is more than double the 13.52% of tests coming back positive reached during the peak of last season's wave in March, CBC News reported. Rates of norovirus in that CDC system have reached levels at or above last season's peak in all regions of the country. Norovirus on cruise ships also reached higher-than-normal levels in December, with at least six reported norovirus outbreaks on vessels, CBS News reported. A newer strain of norovirus now makes up a majority of outbreaks nationwide, according to data from the CDC. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024, the GII.17 norovirus variant is attributed to 57 outbreaks amounting to 72.2% of U.S. norovirus outbreaks. The GII.17 strain emerged in 2014 and has spread worldwide, according to Health. However, the strain only rose to dominance in norovirus outbreaks over a year ago; between Sept. 1, 2023, through Aug. 31, 2024, GII.17 accounted for 109 norovirus outbreaks. On the other hand, the former leading strain, GII.4—which had dominated previous norovirus outbreaks since 2012—was only responsible for 84 outbreaks. From Sept. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2024, GII.4 only accounted for 7% of norovirus outbreaks, the CDC reported. Still, health officials do not believe the GII.17 strain is more contagious or causes longer or more severe illness, CBS News reported. The robust norovirus season is thriving with the help of numerous strains of norovirus, which also means people can (and do) get norovirus many times in their lives. Americans may have lower immunity to the GII.17 strain though, health officials believe. The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water often to prevent norovirus spread.