New Carpet Trends for 2016

During a time when our industry is realizing that our No. 1 priority is to keep people healthy, the “trash-and-dash” approach to cleaning is sure to result in a number of problems, not the least of which is making it harder for us to accomplish our goal of cleaning for health and safety.

When you are interviewing a candidate, your role is to “sell” your organization to that person by communicating the value your company provides, and that starts with proper planning for your interview.

While sustainable cleaning options include the use of green cleaning solutions, products, and equipment, that is just one leg of what sustainability is all about. The other two legs are: people and profit.

Managing cleaning operations, at its most basic, is providing the most services possible by using the resources that are available.

This month we address several timely bidding and estimating questions to help your business kick off the New Year right.

The new ThinAir® Hand Dryer is a high-efficiency, surface-mounted model that dries hands in 15 seconds; operates on 960 watts; and features adjustable speed and sound control, on/off heat, an antimicrobial ABS cover, and a washable pre-filter to extend the life of the unit. As a sensor-activated, touch-free hand dryer, ThinAir reduces touch points and decreases the risk of cross-contamination.

StandOut™ Durable Floor Finish is designed to protect floors from hand sanitizer damage and daily wear and tear in high-traffic areas, while still being repairable and removable. The finish dispenses through a two-in-one package that allows employees to burst the inner seal between the chemicals to blend the final product. The correct proportions are predetermined, removing the guesswork for staff.

The OB 20 floor machine moves away from the traditional disc style to a square pad with high-end features, such as a durable three-quarter-inch-thick epoxy coated steel frame, 180 pounds of down pressure, 3,530 RPM running speed, and a low 64 decibels. This product features an easy-to-use handle adjustment at the operator level along with chemical-free floor stripping.

IC Series battery charging solutions are designed to withstand challenging conditions faced by electric floor care machines, including battery-powered scrubbers, sweepers, and burnishers. The three models in the IC Series lineup—the IC650, IC900, and IC1200—provide 650, 900, and 1200 watts of DC output power, respectively, and all are available in 24-, 36- and 48-volt models.

Tork Image Dispensers are a full line of towel, bath tissue, and soap dispensers that combines form, function, and quality. Dispensers are touch-free and fully automatic. They also meet hygiene standards and are made of premium materials, including brushed stainless steel exteriors that feature anti-fingerprint protection.

The Sapphire Scientific® 570 truckmount is a dual-wand unit for residential and commercial applications. The 570 is powered by a liquid-cooled 31-horsepower Kubota gasoline engine and has a patented thermal well design that incorporates a tube-and-shell heat exchanger to maximize heat transfer from the engine to a solution. The 570 is now CRI Seal of Approval gold-certified.

The new SPHERGO Surface Cleaning System features a lightweight base tool to which workers adhere one of the company’s MicroWorks® microfiber environmental hygiene and cleaning micropads. The tool features a patent-pending spherical ball handle that can minimize musculoskeletal stresses common to manual cleaning processes. For hard-to-reach areas, the ball handle can be attached to an extension pole.

The Doodle Scrub EBG-9 is ideal for a multitude of floor surfaces. It’s designed for cleaning and preparing floors around toilets, bathrooms stalls, and other tight spaces where larger machines can’t reach. This product features a patent-pending handle/base design that allows the operator to attach the handle to the base from the side or the end.

The Scotch-Brite™ Quick Clean Griddle Cleaning System cleans efficiently, does not require rinsing, and leaves no messy residue behind. The cleaning liquid features ingredients that are considered “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) in food by the FDA, and has been certified by the Green Seal™ organization.

The ProTeam application for iPad is now available for free download. The app allows users to browse the full catalog of ProTeam products in addition to an extensive collection of literature and videos to view and share at the touch of a button. The app can be used as a training tool and a reference guide for owners’ manuals. To download, visit the Apple App Store and search for “ProTeam.”

The VIBE® PLUS with Vibrating Mesh Technology is a programmable air care dispenser that creates fragrances for large spaces. The VIBE PLUS consists of two 17-fluid-ounce scent cartridges that enable a blend of fragrances to disburse from one dispenser and into an area of up to 120,000 cubic feet. Micro fragrance particles remain airborne for hours of fragrance delivery.

With its coarse bristles, TURFSCRUB™ works like a brush, but with the ease of a pad. The pad is designed to be both flexible and lightweight, and consists of heavy-duty turf material. With no serged borders, this pad provides edge-to-edge cleaning power and is ideal for use on standard speed floor machines up to 500 RPM, automatic scrubbers, and oscillating floor machines.