Tag Archive for: maintenance

The Dirty Truth About Hand Dryers

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One sure-fire way to keep flu and other viruses at bay is to wash your hands often and well.

But, if you can, avoid high-speed jet air dryers in public restrooms. Research shows that they spread — rather than remove — germs. The same is true to a lesser extent for warm air dryers.

The clear winner: Good old-fashioned paper towels.

“We often say that handwashing is the key to preventing the spread of illness. But wet hands increase the risk of transmitting bacteria, so drying is an equally important step in prevention,” says urgent care specialist Theresa Lash-Ritter, MD.

Extensive research
The healthcare and food industries are obsessed with hand hygiene. That’s because in a hospital, transmitting viruses and bacteria can mean life or death. And in a restaurant or on a cruise ship, foodborne illnesses like e. coli and norovirus can make people severely and even critically ill.

Lots of research has focused on hand-washing — and hand-drying — techniques as a result.

In a new study, microbiologists at the University of Westminster in London compared jet air dryers to warm air dryers and paper towels. What they found was disturbing:

The jet air dryer dispersed 20 times more virus than the warm air dryer and over 190 times more than paper towels, at six different heights.

The impact of the virus was greatest at 2 ½ feet to 4.1 feet — which is about face-level for a small child.
The jet air dryer sent out 20 times more virus than the warm air dryer and over 190 times more virus than paper towels, at nine different distances.
The way each method works helps to explain the results. Jet air dryers force air out sideways at ultrahigh speeds. Warm air dryers work by evaporation. Paper towels absorb water.

“Drying your hands with paper towels not only dries them faster, but the friction also dislodges bacteria to leave them cleaner,” notes Dr. Lash-Ritter.

Another option to avoid is the cloth towel dispenser. The patch of cloth at the end of the roll tends can get used over and over again. This transmits germs from hand to hand to hand.

The best way to get your hands really clean
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following:

  • Use warm or cold water. Wet your hands, then turn off the tap, then apply soap.
  • Lather well, washing the backs of your hands, between your fingers and beneath your nails.
  • Wash for 20 seconds — about as long as it takes to sing“Happy Birthday.”
  • Rinse well under clean, running water.
  • Dry hands with a clean towel or air dry.

A last resort: hand sanitizers
Hand sanitizers are better than nothing, according to the CDC. But they won’t clean visible dirt or grease, they can’t kill all germs, and they can’t remove all harmful chemicals.

If hand sanitizers are your only option, make sure they are at least 60 percent alcohol.

And when you’re in a public restroom, remember that low-tech is sometimes better than high-tech — stick with paper towels.

Article by the Family Health Team of The Cleveland Clinic
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2016/02/the-dirty-truth-about-hand-dryers

Kinetex: Textile Composite Flooring

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Kinetex® is an advanced textile composite flooring that combines key attributes of soft-surface floor covering with the long-wearing performance characteristics of hard-surface flooring.
Created as a unique floor covering alternative to hard-surface products, J+J Flooring Group’s Kinetex encompasses an unprecedented range of performance attributes for retail, healthcare, education and institutional environments. In addition to its human-centered qualities and highly functional design, Kinetex offers a reduced environmental footprint compared to traditional hard-surface options.

The key to the high-performance attributes of Kinetex lie within its construction. Each layer, when used together, creates a versatile, lightweight, soft-surface flooring design with parallel qualities to that of hard-surface.

A growing body of research correlates certain aspects of the built environment, such as acoustics, indoor air quality, glare and ergonomics, with measurable outcomes related to productivity, health, safety and effectiveness. Flooring can play a pivotal role in achieving positive outcomes when positioning these factors in many institutional environments. Combined with the practiced approach of evidence-based design, Kinetex provides a solid foundation for performance driven settings.

There are seven critical ways Kinetex advances flooring performance:

Durability: Tested to 5 million foot traffic events
Maintenance: Resists challenging staining agents and is bleach resistant
Health: Sequesters airborne allergens and irritants and is easily sanitized
Safety: Highly slip resistant…reducing potential of slip fall injuries
Acoustics: One of the highest Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) and Impact Insulation Classifications (IIC)
Comfort: Exceptional anti-fatigue properties
Sustainability: As recyclable as an aluminum can

Please call 1-800-497-5707 to talk with a salesman about Kinetex, or email support@4statemaintenance.com for more information.

Square Scrub: Doodle Scrub Clean and Prep Machine

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Having a tough time cleaning and preparing your floor? Square Scrub’s new Doodle Scrub reaches tight spaces and weighs far less than a traditional Square Scrub machine, yet produces the same pounds per square inch and is just as effective. At just 22.2 pounds, the Doodle Scrub puts minimal strain on your back and knees, and is easier to mobilize and maneuver.

The Doodle Scrub is ideal for tile and grout, VCT, rubberized stairs, and much more, giving you the ability to clean and prep around bathroom stalls, toilets and urinals, sinks, and stationary equipment. It also works great for finish removal, wet or dry, with a two-position handle that clips to the long side to cover edges securely, or the short side for a mop-like motion.

New customers can call our offices at 1-800-497-5707 (toll-free) for all inquiries. Current customers are asked to call their salesman for pricing and availability.

Genesan’s LinPol Green: Clean and Protect

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Genesan’s LinPol Green is a concentrated natural soap that cleans and enhances the appearance of all floors, especially terrazzo, natural stones, polished concrete, gym and synthetic floors. It also reduces slipping by a significant 25%, helping prevent injuries that can be costly for both the individual and the company or school. Using LinPol Green regularly will instantly reduce the frequency of tasks normally applied to your floor (ex. stripping, scrubbing) while maintaining a high level of cleanliness and gloss.

See the following link for additional information: Click to Download

Allen County Community College floor completed!

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For more information and numerous pictures visit our portfolio Gym Floors

Introducing Aquapel, a salt and water repellent

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Aquapel is a new generation, 100% reactive, waterborne silane-siloxane sealer. This clear, penetrating, breathable water repellent is ideal for use on interior and exterior, above grade, traffic bearing concrete. It penetrates concrete surfaces and chemically bonds directly with the substrate, which results in a surface that is highly resistant to the attacks of both moisture and salt.

Aquapel is odorless, non-flammable, environmentally safe, invisible, and leaves no film. It is ideal for walkways, stairs, outside malls, building entrances, parking decks, garages, driveways, piers, bus and truck terminals, and precast and prestress concrete. With Aquapel, you are guaranteed protection against moisture, snow, deicers, choloride salts, and rebar corrosion.

Give us a call, or email us at support@4statemaintenance.com, for more information.