Has ProTeam Finally Cut The Cord?

As I have talked at length about in the past, I am a big fan of backpack vacuums. Their versatility and ease of use make them one of the best innovations in the cleaning industry in recent history. That being said, as a whole, the industry (and I) have been patiently, yet eagerly waiting for an effective battery backpack vacuum to reach the market.

Just think of the possibilities that removing the cord from a backpack vacuum would offer! Dust mopping would practically become a thing of the past. Dusting even the most difficult to reach areas becomes a breeze. And most importantly, the productivity, comfort and safety of the cleaning staff would be greatly increased. Yes, an effective battery backpack vacuum would change the world of cleaning. Well the GoFree Pro battery backpack vacuum from ProTeam just may be the innovation we all have been waiting for.

GoFree Pro Battery Powered Vacuum

When I first heard of ProTeam releasing the GoFree Pro, I had to learn more. After all, ProTeam has been the leader and innovators when it comes to backpack vacuums for decades. After doing some research and obtaining a unit, I must admit, the GoFree Pro has an impressive design. The issue manufacturers have always had with the battery backpack vacuum, is the balancing the battery weight with operator comfort. Add to that the fact that most backpack users are not shown how to properly adjust the harness to comfortably carry the weight.

Operator Comfort

The GoFree Pro’s battery, weighing in at only 7 lbs, is set low on the unit to allow the weight to be carried on the hips rather than the shoulders. Even out of the box, the entire GoFree Pro unit, with battery installed, only weighs 25 lbs. The harness offers several adjustments that allow users to position the weight of the backpack vacuum so that it is not pulling on the shoulders, but resting on the hips.

I have used many different backpack vacuum styles and while I was using the GoFree Pro, I did not notice any additional fatigue. In fact, I almost forgot that it wasn’t my regular backpack vac. Except of course that I wasn’t tripping over the cord.

Battery Run Time

The other side of the struggle with the battery backpack vacuum has been the run time. In order to make a battery backpack vacuum practical, it has to have a realistic run time. But this meant a larger battery. During my testing of the GoFree Pro, the battery ran for about 55 minutes. Only during the last 5 minutes did I notice any decrease in suction and that was slight. When the battery was done, it just simply stopped. This is a good thing in my opinion. I would rather know that the vacuum was no longer effective than to find out that I had been vacuuming at reduced power for the last 20 minutes and not cleaning at the optimal level.

The good thing is that changing out the battery is very easy. And the separate shelf charger allows for a battery to be charging while another is being used. That being said, the charge time for the battery is about double what the run time is. So with an additional battery, you are looking at a run time of just under 2 hours. But when you add in the additional productivity of not having to worry about a cord with the GoFree Pro, that 2 hour run time is magnified.

What About Noise Level?

The GoFree Pro is very quiet, even by backpack vacuum standards. While it isn’t silent, it is quieter than a traditional upright, even from the operator’s standpoint. At a reported 65.8 dbls, the low noise makes it possible to vacuum without disturbing others in the area. Add to this the fact that there is no cord that would normally be a trip hazard  it becomes a great option for those looking to move vacuuming to the daytime hours.

What Comes In The Box?

When you open the GoFree Pro box you will find:

• 1 Backpack Vacuum
• 1 Battery
• 1 Battery Charger and Power Cord
• 1 ProTeam “S” Style Wand
• 1 Vacuum Hose
• 1 Standard Attachment Kit that includes a floor tool, crevice tool, upholstery tool and dusting brush tool
• 2 Vacuum Bags (1 installed in the unit and 1 with the literature)
• 1 Cloth Filter Bag (Installed)
• 2 Exhaust Filters (Installed)
• 1 HEPA Filter (Installed)
• Operators Manual and “Getting Started” guide

GoFree Pro Battery Backpack Vacuum Summary

After putting it to use, I would give the GoFree Pro by ProTeam a big thumbs up. The unit is very comfortable to wear and run time is better than expected. Power is so impressive that you will forget that it is a battery backpack vacuum.

The only issue I have with the unit really has nothing to do with it being battery-powered but with the accessories. While ProTeam has always delivered very well designed backpack vacuums, the standard “S’ wand has always been a bit frustrating for me. I prefer the telescopic wand kit, which is optional. This is much more useful when switching from floor to high dusting and detail vacuuming on the fly. I would recommend upgrading if you plan on using the GoFree Pro for more than floor vacuuming. Which you should!

You can learn more about the GoFree Pro battery backpack vacuum on the ProTeam NextGen website. If you have questions, comments or if you have used the GoFree Pro battery backpack vacuum, I would love to hear from you in the comment section below.

BaldGuyClean

This past weekend my wife and I were shopping for new carpet. I am always amazed by how little the people who sell carpet actually know about cleaning carpet. When you compare it to any other item you purchase, it really is kind of puzzling. If you buy a car, the dealer has an entire segment of its business that is dedicated to servicing the product is sells. (service is the profit center for most car dealers) But when it comes to flooring and carpet, knowing how to maintain and clean it is almost taboo. 

Carpet Stains Don’t “Just Go Away”

That being said, one of the places we visited the sales person attacked the subject of cleaning carpet head on. He led us over to a demonstration table they had set up to show us how easily this particular carpet could be cleaned. (see the picture above) As he began his sales pitch, he took the sample of carpet that had obviously been stained with a red sports drink, and proceeded to tell us that the stain could be removed by just spraying water on it. As he squirted the stream of water into the carpet, like magic, the stain disappeared! “See how easy that is!” he proclaimed with joy. Then the fun began.

I asked him where the stain went? To which he replied “It just evaporated!” I am sure he is used to people reacting with “Wow” and “oooooo!”s but of course, I couldn’t let this slide. I reached over and picked up the sample carpet, turned it over and said “No it didn’t. There it is.”

Of course the red dye from the stain was in the backing and in the puddle of water on the counter. Feeling a little put off, I’m sure, he responded with “Well it has to go somewhere.” True, but of course it did not just “evaporate.”

Missed Opportunity For Carpet Stores and Cleaning Companies

This, like many flooring and carpet stores, had a very small shelf with a few products for floor and carpet cleaning, but judging from the layer of dust on them, were not promoted very much. This is a missed opportunity. Wouldn’t it make sense for the places that sell the flooring to be able to support the product after the sale? And also have the ability to provide accurate information and tools to care for and maintain the product long after it goes out the door.

Many of the brands that provide the best products for cleaning carpet and floors are unknown to the flooring retail industry. They tend to fall back on the products that are provided by the manufacturers and even then, know very little about how they work.

If Cleaning Carpet Is Your Business…

If cleaning carpet is your business, go to the source. Rather than trying to reach every customer that has carpet, why not go to the place where they get it in the first place? If someone is having trouble with keeping their carpet clean, they are going to go to the place they bought it. Why not offer to hold a carpet cleaning seminar at your local carpet store on a Saturday morning. Demonstrate the right way to remove spots and stains as well as provide information on vacuuming and general carpet care.

You may be surprised at how much business you will drum up and how open the carpet store would be to partnering with and learning from you.

BaldGuyClean

When it comes to floor finish, by far the most wide-spread issue people have is “yellowing.” The bad news is that there are several reasons floor finish yellows, or becomes discolored. Because of the variety of causes, getting to the root of the issue can take some evaluation of processes and products. The good news though, for most of these, the solution is fairly simple.  But you must first diagnose the cause.

Nothing is more frustrating than spending time, money and effort of the refinishing process and the floor finish yellows. In spite of the amount of work you put into cleaning a floor, all it takes is one flawed step in the process to ruin or at least set back your efforts.

Why Floors Used To Yellow

Before we get to the modern-day causes for yellowing floors, first let me explain where this term originally came from. When floor finishes were first introduced, the products were not the pure white color they are today. The ingredients and compounds that were used, they had a yellow tint to them right out of the container. After several coats, a light color tile floor would have an overall darker look. This is one of the major reason that floors were stripped more often, so that this discoloration would not continue. Obviously there were other reasons to refinish floors more often. Cleaning chemicals and equipment as well as maintenance procedures had not evolved to the level they are today. This lead to dirtier floors that in turn, made it necessary to strip them as well.

But in short, it was just the nature of the floor finish product of the time.

Why Floor Finish Yellows Today

Fast forward to today. Floor finish products have evolved and for the most part, they dry clear to the naked eye and don’t contribute to a floor yellowing. Although there are still floor finishes on the market that still have that yellow or amber tint to them. A good way to determine if this is the case is to pour a little of the product into a white styrofoam cup and it will be pretty obvious what the true color of the finish is. But lets assume that you are using a modern, clear floor finish.

4 Main Reasons That Floor Finish Yellows

Over the years, I have run across many discolored floors. While there seems to always be exceptions to the rule, here are the 4 main reasons that I have seen floors and finish turn yellow and discolor. Notice these all have to do with attracting dirt!

#1 – Sloppy Refinishing

Nothing will cause a floor to discolor faster than a poor refinishing job. If the floor stripper is not neutralized and/or completely removed, it will soften the new finish when you apply it. Soft finish will allow dirt to stick to it and become embedded. Over a very short period of time, the dirt will build up and discolor the floor.

Unfortunately, the only fail proof solution to this is to re-strip the floor and make sure that the proper steps are taken to prep the floor for new finish. Sorry, this is not one of the causes that have a simple solution. This is why it is so important to do the stripping job right the first time.

#2 – Too Much Floor Cleaner or The Wrong Floor Cleaner

Another very common cause for a floor to yellow of become discolored is too much cleaning chemical.

Adding too much cleaning chemical to your cleaning water will leave excess chemical residue on the floor. This excess residue is sticky and will attract soil from foot traffic. Most people will blame this on high foot traffic and actually increase the dilution rate for the floor cleaner. Because after all,  ”More always does a better job. Right?” But the reality is that this just leads to even more residue to be left on the floor thus attracting even more dirt.

#3 – Dust Mopping

I have already written a post about why you should not use dust mop treatment or dust mop oil. But just to recap, the oil leaves a film on the floor. This film is, in fact, oil. Since water based cleaners are used to clean the floor, it does not remove to oily film. As people walk on the floor, this film attracts dirt. Then, each time you run the oiled dust mop over the floor, you seal in this dirt. And the process continues to add to the problem.

#4 – Burnishing

The last, most common cause I have seen for floors to yellow, is burnishing. Burnishing a floor is a great way to maintain floor finish. You can learn more about how burnishing works to maintain floor finish here. But when you burnish a dirty floor, it only makes a shiny, dirty floor. This is due to the all of the heat and pressure that the burnisher just pushes the dirt into the floor.

BaldGuyClean

One question I get often is “What is the best vacuum?” After all, there are so many options. The real question should be, “Which vacuum is best for your needs?” The fact is that most vacuums on the market are “good vacuums” when put in the correct setting. And further more, most of them are effective at doing what they claim to do, suck dirt.

The Best Vacuum For Your Needs

Unfortunately we try to adjust our cleaning needs to a certain model of vacuum. While this may be necessary in some cases, there is a lot more to be said for getting the right tool for the job. Evaluating the cleaning goals, the area to be cleaned as well taking into consideration the person doing the cleaning should be factors in choosing which vacuum is best for the setting.

If you expect the vacuum to be used to perform detail edge work and or above the floor dusting, then you will need to look at a model that has on-board tools or even a back pack vacuum. If the vacuum needs to be used on different floors of a building and stairs are the only option, then the weight becomes important. Other factors such as noise level, capacity and filtration, among others impact which model is the best for your needs.

Vacuum Certifications

The Carpet and Rug Institute has set the standard for certifying vacuums and has done a very thorough job of evaluating most makes and models of vacuums and has developed a grading scale by which performance and safety can be evaluated. They award certification for vacuum models that meet or exceed their standards. Their website is a wealth of knowledge for choosing the best vacuum to meet many of your needs.

There are many other resources available that give ratings and reviews for vacuum cleaners. While doing your research is a great step in the vacuum selection process, there is nothing better than putting it to the test in your own environment. Every facility is different and what works for one place or person may not be what is right for you.

So Which Is The Best Vacuum?

The best vacuum out there is the one that works for you and your staff. This may mean having a couple of different brands and types. Although it does make sense to stick with similar brands to streamline stock of replacement parts, bags and filters, in the end, if it does not get used properly, or is unable to do the job, then money, time and cost are all being wasted. The cost of keeping a few additional types of bags on hand is far out weighed by the job not getting done.

BaldGuyClean

I saw this soap dispenser at a rec center a while back. I wondered if they even realized how much money it took to make it that dirty? They could easily reduce cleaning costs by improving their results.

If something isn’t working, or at least working well, money is being wasted. If continued, cost will keep going up. Cleaning budgets are always under attack mainly because it is not easy to justify the cost when the results are viewed as “good enough.” The long-term result of poor or improper cleaning are not always immediately obvious. But when they do become apparent, it is often too late and the cost of playing catch up is much higher.

Don’t Get Caught Playing Catch Up

There are two main types of cleaning that are done in almost every facility, regular maintenance and restorative. Regular maintenance that is done on a daily or weekly basis impacts the amount of restoration that is needed. The more effective regular cleaning is at removing dirt, less time is spent on the difficult tasks associated with restoration. Many like to call it “deep cleaning” or “detail cleaning, but it is in fact just playing catch up.

When it comes to these more in-depth projects such as stripping floors, extracting carpets or even seemingly simple things like stainless steel soap dispensers (see picture above) it takes more time and effort.  More time and effort result in higher cleaning cost.

Improve Your Cleaning Results

There are a lot of ways to improve cleaning results, but many times they may appear to cost more. A perfect example is the automatic scrubber. I have heard for years from facility managers that they cannot afford to purchase a floor cleaning machine that cost several thousand dollars when they can buy a mop bucket, wringer and mop for less than $100.

This is obviously a well proven misunderstanding. The investment in the scrubber can greatly improve the results of regular cleaning and reduce the need for complete restoration of a floor.

This works on a smaller scale too. Go back and take a look at the picture of the soap dispenser above. The brown grime on the dispenser is from using the wrong cleaning chemical. Everyday, someone took the time (and labor dollars) to “clean” it with a product (that was purchased with budget dollars) and the results were a dirtier fixture. Now in order to fix the situation, it is going to take a lot more time and may even result in replacing the dispenser all together. If better results were sought prior to this point, the added cost would have been eliminated.

Ways To Reduce Cleaning Costs

One of the best ways to reduce cleaning costs is to look at what you spend time and money on restoring and try to reduce that. Finding ways to improve the results of regular cleaning so that you don’t have to play catch up will usually save money. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started.

• Educate employees on ways to make their efforts more effective.
• Remove more dirt from carpets with more efficient vacuuming techniques and equipment.
• Use fewer cleaning chemicals that work better and don’t leave residues to build-up.
• Invest in equipment that makes regular cleaning more effective and make sure the staff knows how to use them properly.

In the end, it is always easier to maintain rather than restore. By maximizing your regular cleaning, you will quickly see the return on investment and drastically reduce your cleaning costs.

Have you found ways to reduce cleaning costs by improving results? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

BaldGuyClean

Take a look through any college or trade school course schedule and it is doubtful you will find a single course on cleaning. While there has been talk in the industry for years about developing education programs for cleaning professionals, and there are many out there, few programs have gotten any traction when it comes to the mainstream business world. This is a very frustrating situation. As I have discussed before, there are few positions out there that require no formal training. Especially jobs that impact so many of us. With that being said, there is one subject that almost always leads to action and that is the money. So I dug in to the cleaning industry dollars.

One Of The Largest Industries In The  World

The cleaning industry is, in fact, one of the largest in the world, because it’s done pretty much world-wide at some level. In the U.S. alone, there are almost 3 million individuals that clean professionally. I would venture to guess that only a small percentage of these have had even a couple of hours of formal training in their field. When you begin to apply the labor dollars to the industry, it becomes staggering.

Cleaning Industry Dollars and Labor Statistics

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures from 2011, there were 2,068,460 janitors/cleaners and 877,980 maids and housekeepers on record. The average wage for these positions was $11.13 per hour. That means that in just one year, based on a 40 hour work week, $68,211,264,576 in wages was paid out to professional cleaning personal. Yes, that is over $68 billion, with a “B”.

Compare this to the highly skilled trade of electrician which the Bureau reports there were a total of 633,010 in 2011, earning an average wage of $23.89 per hour. Bringing the total for a $604,904,356.

That means that there is almost 113 times the amount of money spent on cleaning staff than electricians. But it is widely accepted that to become a licensed electrician takes months if not years of classroom and hands on training.

For an industry that is more wide-spread, costs 113 times more to operate and impacts every other employee in the business, we only require that you show up… today.

Learning On The Job Is Not Enough

The standard educational process in the cleaning industry is to learn on the job. A couple of hours shadowing a supervisor or a senior employee and they are ready to go. This along with any required orientation stuff like Right To Know and other safety presentations. But that’s it.

With out formally educating them on why their job is important or how it should be done properly, is it really a wonder that so many complain about high turn over rates, poor attendance and staff members that really do not care?

BaldGuyClean

Clean in 2013. How are you setting the tone for your cleaning in 2013? Are you starting off the year, business as usual? I invite you to make an effort to get your staff fired up. Awareness of the cleaning profession has never been higher and you should take advantage of it.

Taking Clean In 2013 To The Next Level

Here are some things you can do in 2013 to take your cleaning to the next level.

Explore New Technologies – There are so many new and improved ways to clean. Make it a goal to learn how they can help you do your job better, faster, safer and more professionally.

Education – Educate yourself and your staff on the importance of their job. There has never been more avenues to learn about the cleaning industry. Find an cleaning education program that works for your operation and embrace it. Learn all you can.

Mix Up The Schedule – Changing the patterns and flow of the cleaning routines. Yes, there are some things that need to be cleaned at specific times and in certain orders, but evaluate ways to mix up the “same ole’ same ole’.” Everyone gets board with their work at times and making change is the only way to solve it.

Enjoy and Take Pride – Build friendly competitions and contests into the work flow. Develop a staff motto. Tell a joke everyday. (a clean on of course) There are lots of ways to make cleaning fun with a little creativity and if done right, you will also build pride in the work.

Cleaning may not be the most glamorous profession but it is a very important one. By taking some time to set a positive tone in the beginning  you will find that it will resonate throughout the year and help you keep it clean in 2013!

Get your own “Keepin’ It Clean In 2013″ t-shirts here and wear them with pride!

BaldGuyClean

If you were putting off your cleaning duties, banking on the Mayan calendar prediction that the world was going end on December 21st, 2012, it is time to get back to work. 

Unfortunately, I don’t think that was the case for this place. Looks more like long-term neglect and not understanding the importance of cleaning.

BaldGuyClean

Having the proper hand soap program for your facility can help reduce the spread of germs and illness. It is also important to understand what you are paying for. With all of the different brands, models and dispensers available, trying to figure out the best value can be confusing.

Regardless of the type of hand soap program, foam, liquid or spray, what you are really paying for is how much soap each person uses when they wash their hands, or each hand wash. While finding this exact cost may be difficult, there is a pretty simple formula I have used for years to calculate very close estimate.

Estimating Cost Per Hand Wash

1. Start with the amount of soap per refill. (Usually in millilitres)

Example: 1000 ml.

2. Then take the amount of soap dispensed per pump.

Example: .07 ml.

3. Divide the amount of soap in a refill by the amount of soap per pump.

Example : 1000 ml. / .07 ml. = 1429 pumps/refill.

Keep in mind that some soap dispensing systems have adjustments that control the amount of soap that is dispensed per pump. Ask your representative or the manufacturer if this is possible.

4. When you consider that the average user will push a manual dispenser twice, you need to divide the number of pumps per refill by 2.

Example:  1429 pumps per refill / 2 pumps per hand wash = 714.5 hand washes per refill.

5. Then divide the number of hand washes per refill by the cost of the refill.

Example: Refill Cost $20 / 1429 = $.028 per hand wash.

Determining Over-All Hand Soap Costs

Depending on the type of facility, you can take the average number of users per day to find out a good estimate of what your hand soap cost are going to be.

For demonstration purposes, let’s use the school setting for our example but this can be used for just about any type of facility.

1. Take the number of students and the number of times per day they use the restroom. For most elementary schools, 3 times per day is a good estimate.

Example: 300 Students X 3 Restroom Visits per day = 900 hand washes.

2. Now take the number of hand washes per day and multiply it by the cost per hand wash from the formula above to determine your hand soap cost per day.

Example: 900 X $.028 Per Hand Wash = $25.20 per day for hand soap.

3. If you are looking for a yearly budget number, take hand soap cost per day and multiply it by the number of school days.

Example: $25.20 X 180 days = $4536.00 per school year. 

While these figures are nowhere near perfect because they don’t take in to account that there are after school events, some will use more than 2 pumps per hand wash, while many will not wash their hands at all. What I have done is add as much as 10% to cover additional use and any waste that may occur.

By taking time to evaluate the cost per hand wash you can have a starting point to understand the real cost of a soap program. Every hand soap system works a little different, but breaking it down the cost per hand wash will give you a way to compare them fairly. While cost is important, there should be other factors taken in to account such as the number of hand washes in a refill. Having more hand washes in a refill will reduce the time spent changing them out.

BaldGuyClean

Handwashing Awareness Champion

Did you know that December 2nd through 8th, 2012 is National Handwashing Awareness Week? Well it is. The observance is the product of Dr. Will Sawyer and his helpful companion, Henry The Hand. Dr. Will is a family practice physician and infection control specialist that has dedicated himself to providing information on the importance of hand washing in the battle against the spread of disease and illness.

While it is always important to be aware of the need for washing your hands, Dr. Will points out in his introduction video that by following the 4 principles of hand awareness can be taught to eliminate many illnesses.

As he points out, so many organizations report on illness but until recently, there are few that teach how to practice health hygiene and protect yourself. On the website www.henrythehand.com you can download posters, courses and even purchase hand awareness kits that provide tools and activities promoting hand hygiene awareness.

I would love to hear how you celebrate National Handwashing Awareness Week. Here is how The Cleanest Image will be promoting hand washing awareness.  There are many ways to support this very important observation, but take matters into your own hands (ha ha) and make sure you wash your hands!

Take a look at a few of the videos Dr. Will and Henry use to promote National Handwashing Awareness week and hand washing in general. They are great tools for teaching both kids and adults the basic principles surrounding hand washing and staying healthy!

BaldGuyClean