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By M. DON SNYDER

We are all victims of having an over frustrating schedule, especially if you have a family. Daily, everyone is fighting traffic to get to work on time as well as getting home at a decent hour. Throughout the day we are busy working with either our patients or customers, depending which field we are involved with. Of course, the home life can be chaotic as well. After giving some time, a neglected indoor environment tends to begin developing issues. These issues range from elevated allergens to even the spread of the cold/flu viruses, not to mention many other issues.

There's a misconception that housekeeping and janitorial services is the only way to help the indoor environment. These services only merits are appearance management for both the workplace as well as the home. A deep clean by a trusted organization such as one that is a certified by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) will help dramatically improve the indoor environment to a healthy level.

Here is a quick reference to help determine if you are overdue for a deep cleaning at your office or home:

• Traffic areas on the floor: (Carpet, Tile/Grout, Vinyl) If the appearance of the main traffic area in the center displays a major difference from the areas around the baseboards, then most likely it is overdue for a deep cleaning company visit.
• Upholstered Items: (chairs, sofas, etc.) If you pat the upholstered items in a well-lit area and it creates a dust cloud, then these items are filled with allergens and need to be cleaned immediately.

A good service provider will help create a program that will be cost effective in both extending the life of the floors and furnishings, as well as maintaining the indoor environment to a healthy level.

Here are some industry-standard frequency of service tips for different areas of deep cleaning:

• Carpets - Carpets were originally designed to help filter the indoor environment. They can filter up to 80 percent of indoor air. When neglected, they can have a huge reverse reaction. The chart provided is the recommend cleaning schedule to help make sure they last a long time as well as performing their main job.
• Tile/Grout - The tile itself is solid and easy to maintain, but the grout is porous and very difficult to keep clean. Within a year of cleaning or installing, the grout tends to turn black in traffic areas. That means the grout is most likely growing mildew and needs a professional deep clean.
• Vinyl & Wood Floors - The dull look of the traffic areas is fine sand etching its way into the floor. The annual cleaning and finish will help these floors not just look good but last a long time as well.
• Upholstered items - Under the fabric of upholstery is a sponge or some sort of absorbent material. People tend to sit on upholstered items for hours at a time shedding skin cells that get absorbed into the sponge. This causes breeding of dust mites and other allergens to build up, meaning that your upholstered items can carry up to ten times the number of allergens than your floors! Annual deep cleaning will keep this issue at a healthy level.
• Exterior Cleaning - Your exterior surfaces do affect your interior environment! Sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots help people track in outside contamination. Toward the end of Spring, as well as the end of Fall is ideal for pressure washing. A clean exterior will not only make a presentable appearance, but it does make people feel the interior is healthy as well.

There are over a thousand deep cleaners in central Florida. Less than 1 percent are fully trained, certified, and licensed in the industry. Many of these people give cut rate pricing thinking they are providing a professional service but only end up providing unfavorable results or do a bait & switch tactic. This leads to issues and misconceptions for service work being performed. The result is that this makes the decision of re-hiring that same company, joining a cleaning plan, or even shopping for a new company even less desirable.

Protecting your indoor environment will save money in the long run by extending the life of the floors and furnishings, as well as lowering the risk of illness. When you have a clean, healthy, and beautiful environment; you can be more profitable due to an increase in productivity and morale. That is why a good deep cleaning service provider will also help provide a plan. This plan will schedule services throughout the year to keep you worry free. That way you know the service will be performed, providing one less stressor in your work and personal life. When deciding on such plan, choose a properly licensed/insured company.

1. Don Snyder has been in the cleaning industry for over 10 yrs. His prior history was 12 years in Aviation ranging from operations to maintenance and manufacturing, including 5 years in the United States Marine Corp. He is a founding member of Evolution Deep Clean and he is a Certified Technician for the Institute of Inspection Cleaning Restoration Certification (IICRC). He can be reached at DonS@instadry.biz.

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