Punxsutawney Phil, that famous ground hog we rely on to tell us spring is on its way, didn’t see his shadow.  Spring is around the corner! When the snow is gone and the cold weather gets warmer, it often brings in dust, pollen and other debris into facilities. The winter weather also leaves behind leftover ice remover, such as rock salt, and general dirt and debris. It requires special attention during cleaning in early spring to keep the indoor environment clean.

Pollen causes what is often referred to as “spring allergies” or “hay fever”. This includes symptoms similar to a cold or flu, such as a runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing. Not everyone has allergies, but it does affect over 58 million people in the U.S. each spring, which is about 20% of the U.S. population. The reason some people have allergies is because their body’s immune system treats pollen like bacteria or a virus – this causes the body to release antibodies to fight the potential illness. Although allergies can be annoying, they’re generally mild allowing people to go about their normal daily activities. Some people suffer from much more severe condition, such as asthma, which can be caused by allergies from pollen. Continue reading →

Many businesses and facilities contain odors no matter how much they’re cleaned. Each business or other environment is unique. You can’t control how the facility runs its business or where the odors come from – but you can help keep the odors at bay. You can’t clean every time there’s a bad smell, but there are products to help assist with odors that may linger. You can also control them on a routine basis. Odors can potentially drive customers and employees away from your business. Consider using products that assist in keeping odors at bay or eliminating them.

These products shouldn’t be used to mask cleaning and sanitizing, but to assist in making a fresher, cleaner-smelling environment in all areas of a business. Cleaning and sanitizing is always important. Continue reading →