| I dare say there are few, if any, North | | | | and appreciate the value of cleaning and |
| American factories that are still using the | | | | maintaining a healthy work space. In truth, |
| same equipment, assembly systems, and | | | | neither do many of those in the cleaning |
| processes to manufacture goods and products | | | | profession. |
| that they were using 20 or 30 years ago. New | | | | |
| technologies are constantly being introduced | | | | Turning Tides |
| and incorporated, and many are resulting in | | | | |
| scores of benefits - from improved product | | | | If the current scenario is to ever change and |
| quality and customer satisfaction to reduced | | | | benefit the manufacturing facility, it is |
| costs and enhanced efficiencies. | | | | important for the cleaning industry to turn |
| | | | to science in the pursuit of truth and |
| Unfortunately, when it comes to cleaning and | | | | knowledge. For instance, we need: |
| maintaining industrial facilities, few new | | | | |
| cleaning programs and technologies have been | | | | • More credible research on all aspects |
| introduced in the past 30 years, and of those | | | | of cleaning and its associated processes, |
| that have, few have produced significantly | | | | which can lead to more professional and |
| healthier results.This may be why so many | | | | effective cleaning |
| health complaints in industrial, commercial, | | | | |
| and educational facilities can be tied to | | | | • To better understand how cleaning |
| ineffective cleaning. | | | | contains and removes pollution |
| | | | |
| It isn’t that those responsible for | | | | This type of science will not only help us |
| cleaning are not conscientious in their | | | | understand how cleaning affects the |
| efforts; instead, it’s often because | | | | environment, but it will also lead to the |
| not enough is known - at least in fundamental | | | | development of quality cleaning products and |
| scientific terms - about what they are | | | | procedures designed for special environments |
| confronting. Indeed, many times, even the | | | | with specific needs. Ultimately, it will |
| most meticulous of cleaning workers | | | | drive the development of new cleaning |
| unknowingly compromise their own health and | | | | technologies, systems, chemistry, and methods |
| that of factory workers and other building | | | | to improve the indoor environmental quality |
| occupants through improper cleaning | | | | for all types of buildings, regardless of use |
| methodologies because the science to make | | | | and surroundings. Just as important, |
| those processes safer either doesn’t | | | | scientific data and evidence will help us |
| exist or is not well known. | | | | discern truth and knowledge from mere hype |
| | | | and opinion. |
| Unfortunately, the cleaning industry itself | | | | |
| is largely to blame for this state. In | | | | Facility Managers Can Spur the Industry |
| general, the industry has been overly guided | | | | |
| by the desire to market new products - many | | | | Managers of manufacturing facilities can also |
| of which are not necessarily the result of | | | | help spur the industry forward in producing |
| true scientific research. | | | | cleaning tools and equipment that are |
| | | | engineered based on scientific research to be |
| Indeed, many JanSan - janitorial/sanitary - | | | | more effective and hygienic. They can do this |
| manufacturers have invested little in | | | | by insisting that their JanSan distributors |
| research and development to discover what is | | | | provide supporting evidence from independent, |
| actually required to produce a sanitary | | | | third-party organizations that validates the |
| outcome; and they have not used a scientific | | | | cleaning claims of the products they are |
| method to validate their claims. What is | | | | considering purchasing. |
| frequently passed off as science in cleaning | | | | |
| is often just theory or opinion and is not | | | | Additionally, managers should make providing |
| supported by hard data or evidence. | | | | "scientific" criteria a central part of the |
| Therefore, this “science†in | | | | competitive bid and evaluation process when |
| cleaning is often veiled pseudoscience that | | | | selecting new cleaning products, tools, and |
| results from improper, yet innocent, | | | | equipment. This can include asking for |
| scientific processes. Or, at its worst, it | | | | objective, measurable criteria for such |
| results from a purposeful attempt to mislead | | | | important factors as: soil removal; product |
| for commercial gain. | | | | performance; worker productivity rates; the |
| | | | affect or lack of affect the product may have |
| The symptoms of this condition are numerous. | | | | on indoor air quality. |
| For example, throughout the cleaning industry | | | | |
| - a huge, well-established, $60-plus billion | | | | These scientific measurements serve a |
| industry - there is still no universal | | | | secondary purpose as well. They can also be |
| agreement on the definition of | | | | used to judge the effectiveness of the |
| “clean.†Further, few cleaning | | | | cleaning programs and tools currently being |
| standards, systems, or procedures have earned | | | | used in a manufacturing facility. An example |
| “best-practices†status in which | | | | of this would be using a urine detection kit, |
| the methods have been tested and approved | | | | now readily available from some JanSan |
| through science and research. | | | | distributors, to see how well their current |
| | | | cleaning products perform. The same system |
| Also, many of the tools that most cleaning | | | | can be used to test the new tools and |
| workers are forced to use are obsolete and | | | | equipment under consideration as well. For |
| ineffective. Just look at the tools | | | | instance, in one recent study it was reported |
| custodians use in industrial facilities, | | | | there was little difference in the |
| including mops, buckets, cloths, and | | | | effectiveness of microfiber mops over |
| sprayers; they are not much different from | | | | conventional string mops. And neither system |
| those that were used in factories 40 years | | | | performed well when compared to a |
| ago. | | | | “No-Touch†Cleaning system. These |
| | | | are the types of studies facility managers |
| It’s no wonder that today most people, | | | | should be asking for when selecting cleaning |
| including many industrial and commercial | | | | equipment for their locations. |
| facility managers, do not really understand | | | | |