Tag Archive for: low maintenance

Just Say NO – To Germs!

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When it comes to a career in the healthcare industry, fighting against germs is an everyday challenge. Even with the all of the quality control measures hospitals and clinics take on a daily basis, germs still present an ever-present risk to good health. We can’t address all the surfaces healthcare workers and clinicians come in contact with every day, but we do have a solution for storing lab coats, scrubs and uniforms. Tufftec healthcare lockers provide an answer for minimizing MRSA, germs and mold due to its non porous HDPE surface.

 

HDPE – Naturally Germ Resistant Surface

While these lockers are designed to meet the healthcare industry’s needs for storage, Tufftec lockers not only meet that need, but exceeds it by creating lockers built from germ-resistant HDPE. The solid core makeup and properties of HDPE provide that much needed bacteria resistant surface that is impermeable to moisture. Since no moisture can permeate the surface, the locker surface can resist bacteria and provide a clean environment to store clothing.

Testing shows that within 24 hours 98% of MRSA bacteria naturally dies off of Tufftec HDPE Healthcare lockers without the use of any cleaning solutions. *

 

*Testing conducted by SiTU Biosciences LLC by the ISO 22196 methods

 

Heavy Metal Not The Right Choice For Healthcare

Outside of the scientific research that makes the case for using an HDPE product, the low maintenance and sustainability provided by HDPE are clear benefits that a traditional metal locker cannot boast. The lockers are impact and dent resistant, making them a better choice than metal in the busy healthcare industry. The 100% recyclable, HDPE materials withstand the harshest daily use, while remaining virtually maintenance free.

Read more about how Tufftec healthcare lockers were the right choice for a new patient care facility in Missouri.

How to Get Rid of Bathroom Odor in Your Facility

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Foul odors in the bathroom can make for an unpleasant experience. Unfortunately, due to moisture and humidity, these odors can end up sticking around for a long time. As a facility owner or manager, you’ll want to ensure that you take every step toward reducing those smells as much as possible. Here are a few tips and tactics on how to get rid of bathroom odor in your facility. 

Air Fresheners

Plug-in air fresheners are handy to have around. They consist of an electric plug and a disposable capsule that’s filled with a scented liquid. When plugged in, these devices will sporadically spray throughout the day, which results in a continuously pleasant smell. You could also get motion-activated air fresheners, which would provide a fresh scent every time someone walks by it.

Adjustable air fresheners are a cost-effective way to get rid of bathroom odor. These cone-shaped air fresheners feature scented gel inside the capsule. You can adjust the strength of these air fresheners to make the scent milder and longer lasting. 

Deodorizers

Deodorizers can be a powerful ally in helping you defeat the awful smells in the bathroom. Luckily, there are a wide variety of deodorizers out there that come in various forms like oils and gels. These chemicals can easily be applied with various cleaning products like brushes, sponges, and mops. Apply a coat of a deodorizing solution to your bathroom and see if it’s effective in combating those odors. 

Re-Caulk Your Tiles

An industry secret on how to get rid of bathroom odor is replacing the caulk between joints, seams, and tiles. This absorbent material could be the reason behind the foul smells that linger in your bathroom. If you notice that you’ve cleaned your bathroom, and it still has odors, there’s a strong chance that you’ll need to replace your caulk. You should remove the original caulk with a razor blade or X-ACTO knife before you apply the new caulk to your tiles and seals.

Invest in New Stalls

It may not be obvious, but the bathroom odors could be coming from your stalls. Laminate, steel, and wood stalls can absorb these foul bathroom odors over time. When absorbed, the smells will continue to emanate from the materials inside the stalls. If you sniff out the problem, and rule your stalls as the culprit, it may be time to get new stalls that are more resistant to these odors.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a durable material that’s not only resistant to stains, dents, and graffiti, but it can help increase the quality of your air. Normal bathroom stalls are susceptible to moisture and humidity, which is why they absorb smells. HDPE is impervious to the atmosphere in the bathroom, so it won’t absorb the odors.

 

Do you want to learn more about how to effectively clean your commercial bathroom and have it smelling fresh? Download our eBook, the Commercial Restroom Cleaning Checklist, today.

Give Your Janitor A Break This Summer – Install Duralife Lockers®

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Lets talk about janitors, you know, those guys and gals, who are always there, on the ready with a sponge, broom or mop, just when you need them. They are in our schools all year long, available for any size clean up, taking care of the spills our kids make in the lunchroom, classroom and hallways. They go about their business undetected, coming out when needed. But do you know one of the ways they spend their summer (that coveted time of the year when your kids are home with you)? We do – they clean what they couldn’t clean during the year, the student’s lockers!

Making The Move Away From Metal

While we are spending our 3 months of summer relaxing at the beach, and eating ice cream, the school janitorial staff is cleaning up from the previous 9 months while school was in session. Schools with metal lockers have a regularly scheduled task associated with those lockers during the summer months, debridement of rust, dent repairs, chemical cleaning of graffiti and surface repainting. Lockers take a beating during the school year, with books being banged around, food deposits and spills, and not to mention, the dreaded odors of smelly, sweaty gym clothes. The labor-intensive cleanup task is costly to the school district, in several areas including labor, materials, and air & surface quality. As you can see, traditional metal lockers require extensive care and maintenance, and still don’t meet the needs of the busy school environment. But, we have a solution, Duralife Lockers® made with HDPE (High Density Polyethylene).

Duralife Lockers® are specifically designed to meet the durability and environmental demands of today’s busy schools. Made with solid-core HDPE, these lockers are impact, scratch and dent resistant, and hold up to the toughest student use. Graffiti readily wipes off the non-porous surface, and because they are impervious to moisture, Duralife Lockers® will never rust, corrode or delaminate. In addition, the HDPE surface does not harbor mold, mildew or bacterial growth, and the lockers can be fully power-washed or steam-cleaned. In short, with Duralife Lockers® you can say goodbye to rust, mold, graffiti, scratches, dents, and worrisome bacteria, and say hello to years of worry-free, low maintenance.

 

Robert Gannon, High School Facilities Director, on the benefits of HDPE lockers.

*Testing conducted by SiTU Biosciences LLC by the ISO 22196 methods

 

Sleek Modern Design For The School Hallways Of Tomorrow

When it comes to design, the modern sleek, simple lines of the Duralife® Locker line, make them a polished and aesthetically pleasing addition to any school hallway. They can really kick it up with their color options that bring high style to any atmosphere. The sustainability and durability stand up over time, making them a smart investment for today and tomorrow.

So Show Your Janitors Some Love This Summer – Invest In The Smart Choice – Duralife Lockers®

Download our brochure and see for yourself how HDPE Duralife Lockers® compare to traditional metal lockers – and Show Your Janitor Some Love This Summer!

Creating a Safe Learning Environment Through Facility Maintenance & Management

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One of the most important components of a person’s ability to learn is their environment. Whether it’s a young child or an adult college student, the facility in which they’re being educated directly affects their ability to learn. As a facility manager, it’s important to take the necessary steps to ensure that you’re creating a safe learning environment through facility maintenance and management.

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you make sure that your facility is well maintained and managed in the hopes of it being perceived as a safe learning environment.

Air Quality

While air quality is important to consider on all levels, it can actually have a direct effect on a person’s ability to learn. If your facility has poor indoor air quality, it could lead to students having irritated eyes, upper respiratory infections, headaches, and even sleepiness—not exactly a recipe for improved learning.

You can take several steps in your facility maintenance and management plan to increase the quality of your air. One involves having clean floors. While mopping and vacuuming can be effective, one way to stop allergens and other harmful materials is through floor mats. Large floor mats placed outside and inside can catch some of these materials and prevent them from entering the air. Be sure to have the floor cleaned at least twice a week. If you’re using a vacuum, it’s always a good idea to clean out the filter regularly.

Cleaner Restrooms

The quality of air in restrooms can be questionable. Humidity and moisture tend to build up in bathrooms, which then can result in mold and fungus. While air fresheners in your facility maintenance plan can be useful for combating the odors in the bathroom, the culprit may be your stalls and partitions.

Bathroom partitions are constantly subjected to moisture and humidity, mold can eventually grow inside the stalls, which will continuously drop the air quality. By, Investing in HDPE (high-density polyethylene) stalls  it can  help to prevent the growth of mold. HDPE is resistant to moisture and a more durable material than those found in most stalls.

Reducing Graffiti

While art is important in a person’s education, said art should only be placed on a designated canvas. Graffiti is a common scourge to facility surfaces like lockers and bathroom stalls. Painting over the graffiti is a common answer to the problem, but not only will it invite more graffiti, the paint could put VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions into the air.

In this instance, using HDPE lockers for your facility maintenance and management plan has numerous benefits. The material is resistant to graffiti and scratches, so it doesn’t require you to repaint it. Any drawing or writing can be easily wiped away without having to risk the air quality during graffiti removal.

Better Ventilation

It’s always good to check the ventilation system to make sure that everything is working properly. Discomfort can be a huge distraction when trying to learn, so providing a comfortable environment is crucial. Make a point to continuously check your heating and ventilation systems to ensure that they’re performing as expected without any waste in energy.

We hope that these facility maintenance and management tips will help to promote a safer learning environment in your school or facility. If you want to learn even more about how you can create a safe learning environment, check out our Hiny Hiders case study and learn how HDPE bathroom stalls helped the Dallas Independent School District.