Commercial Cleaning

Industrial Cleaning: Your Facility is Unique, Your Clean Should Be Too

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As we all know, cleaning and disinfecting, in any setting or capacity, are more important this year than ever before. Now and in the future, there will be a greater need for thorough cleaning and disinfecting services in offices, schools, medical centers, and industrial buildings alike. Whether you operate a transportation service, auto dealership, manufacturing plant, or another industrial facility, it’s important to create a safe and compliant workspace. Luckily, you can count on Corvus to create this type of workspace for you.

Typically, industrial facilities have a host of requirements that differ greatly from general office-based cleaning services. We know and understand these unique requirements and needs very well. We will give your facility the high-level attention it deserves. Here are a few things to expect from your Corvus Janitorial industrial cleaning:

Customized cleaning services

The tools and skills we bring to an industrial cleaning won’t be the same ones we arrive at a corner office with. We don’t provide cookie-cutter lists or one-size-fits-all solutions. We offer top-level industrial cleaning based on your specific requirements and needs. We will comply with your business’s guidelines, as well as the guidelines from the CDC and EPA that were carefully created to keep all of our workspaces safe. Each of our crews are highly trained and knowledgeable in terms of compliance, proper methods, safety procedures, and effective services.

Zero interruptions

Many businesses have been interrupted due to a lack of compliance with safety protocols. If one person gets sick, you may have to shut down your entire operation for a time. Corvus can save you both time and money by ensuring that we keep your operation open and running smoothly. We’ll help you meet the standards you’ve set, avoid interruptions, and keep your employees and their families safe.

Downtime in any manufacturing facility can be costly. We’ll help you ensure that everything is moving along the way it should be so that you can focus on doing what you do best: running your business. To accomplish these goals, we can offer a variety of needs-based services, including increased frequencies, cleanings outside of traditional weekday work hours or on the weekends, and high-level cleaning and disinfecting tools and techniques.

Total transparency

We won’t leave you guessing about which services you need and which we’ll provide. Our account executives will meet with your or your facility’s manager to go through any special requirements, guidelines, budget caps, or other nuances that make your industrial cleaning unique. We’ll do everything we can to ensure that we are meeting your facility’s needs. This includes providing the appropriate chemicals and equipment, as well as SDS sheets you need to stay compliant with any audits or safety guidelines. Our customized proposal will include all of the specifications written up solely for your facility. We will meet with you and work with your team every step of the way.

Additional services

Your previous industrial cleaning services may have been limited to the bare minimum to get by. Most businesses chose this path without even realizing it. We offer a wide array of additional services that will not only keep your industrial business clean and disinfected, but will also keep your facility looking exactly the way you want it to. Your facility serves as a place of business and daily operation, but it may also serve as a tool to demonstrate your services and products to your customers. Even if this aspect of your business is currently suspended, things will go back to normal eventually, and it is best to be prepared now rather than waiting for that day to come.

Some of our most popular additional services include:

• Hard floor care
• Carpet cleaning
• Electrostatic spraying
• Green cleaning
• Post-construction clean-ups
• Window cleaning
• Day porters
• Emergency clean-ups

Corvus Janitorial Systems

We’ll work with you to determine the best schedule, plan, and services for your facility. We’ve been an industry leader for the better part of two decades, and we’ve used our experience to create systems that ensure we are providing top-level industrial cleaning services. We’ve worked with and met the unique needs of industrial operations for years. We look forward to learning about yours and becoming a part of your team. Contact us today for more information and to receive a free quote.

Electrostatic Spraying: A Safe & Easy Step for Your Cleaning Routine

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Electrostatic spraying is a powerful disinfection technique that promotes health and safety in public spaces.

How Does Electrostatic Spraying Work?

Electrostatic spraying has gained a lot of attention as businesses, workplaces, and schools reopen. These large, indoor spaces have several high-touch surface areas that, if improperly cleaned, can induce the transmission of COVID-19. A detailed explanation can be found here, but essentially electrostatic spraying works by applying a positive electric charge to a liquid spray. The liquid spray then passes through a nozzle and sticks to a surface containing a negative electric charge. Most surfaces are negatively charged, so the positively charged particles produced in the electrostatic sprayer will stick to these surfaces. While standard cleaning sprays disinfect the areas that the spray is directly applied to, electrostatic spraying provides complete, 360-degree coverage of the area. It ensures that the disinfectant reaches those hard-to-reach corners and crevices that are often neglected in standard cleaning routines.

Your Facility Needs Electrostatic Spraying

Just as individuals must continue to follow recommended safety actions like wearing a face mask, washing hands frequently, and maintaining a social distance of at least six feet, organizations must take the necessary safety precautions to protect individuals and control the spread of COVID-19. This fall we are seeing more and more businesses reopening their doors to customers, employees returning to workspaces, and students going back to school. Social distance restrictions are being lifted at a state and local level alike, but many people are still nervous about contracting COVID-19 in public spaces. Shopping in stores or eating at restaurants can be avoided, but someone who is an employee or a student might not have the option to work from home or learn remotely. It is crucial that all facilities, whether they are deemed essential or non-essential, keep this in mind as they are operating through these times.

Follow CDC Guidance

We know that when the coronavirus lives on an object or surface, it can take anywhere between a few hours to several days for the virus to die naturally. Traditional cleaning methods, like using soap and water, can decrease how much of a virus is on a surface, but in order to completely kill a germ on a surface, a disinfectant must be applied. Fortunately, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be killed with proper cleaning and disinfection. The cleaning and disinfecting guidelines they published emphasize that both a cleaner and disinfectant must be used to best reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

Don’t Just Take Our Word For It…

An electrostatic sprayer is beneficial no matter what the size or scope of your facility might be. Take airlines, for example. This industry was immediately affected by the stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions implemented in response to COVID-19. There are many high-touch surface areas on an aircraft (overhead bins, seats, armrests, tray tables, etc.) that require deep cleaning and disinfection. Major airlines, such as Delta and American Airlines, are using electrostatic sprayers to ensure that the aircraft is sanitized and their passengers’ are safe.

Is Electrostatic Spray Toxic or Dangerous?

There is no need to worry about electrostatic spraying being toxic or dangerous. Electrostatic sprayers require fewer chemicals than standard disinfection techniques. This is due to their vastly higher transfer efficiency – it requires fewer chemicals to properly disinfect, leading to less chemical exposure for both humans as well as the environment. While electrostatic spray technology has only recently been used in the cleaning industry, it is not new by any means. The technology was invented in the 1930s to improve spray disposition and was made popular by the auto industry in the 1940s. Electrostatic spray is completely safe for the person applying it as well as the occupants within the area it is being applied to.

Take the Extra Step

As state and local officials continue to ease social distancing restriction, day-to-day life is becoming seemingly more normal. It is important to understand that the coronavirus is still very much out there, and we must do everything in our power to stop the spread. Corvus Janitorial is offering electrostatic spray services for high-level disinfection that will protect your business and give you peace of mind as you reopen.

Corvus Janitorial Systems

If you are looking for a commercial cleaning company that uses only the highest-quality products and proven techniques, Corvus Janitorial is it. For all of your cleaning, purifying, and disinfecting needs, trust Corvus Janitorial. Contact us today to learn more about how Corvus can help your facility.

Cleaning Matters: The Importance of Floor Care | Pro-Tips from Corvus Franchisees and Personnel

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The Importance of Floor Care

…$.30 per square foot or $4.00 per square foot to replace

Most facility or office managers know the importance of floor cleaning, insisting their workspaces receive regular sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming as a part of their regular janitorial services. However, many organizations overlook the importance of more technical floor care processes. This can be a costly oversight in terms of both appearance and cost. Whether an office possesses a soft, carpeted floor or a harder floor material like vinyl or terrazzo, methods for deeper cleaning and protection of those surfaces both exist and should be utilized at least twice per year.

Carpet Cleaning – Hot Water Extraction

In the case of carpets, steaming the material, also referred to as hot water extraction, is an essential part of the process. Hot water extraction is a method by which hot water and a properly diluted carpet cleaning solution are injected into the fibers of the carpet using relatively high-pressure. This form of cleaning yields several desirable results.

First, this method dislodges debris, dirt, and dander from carpeted materials. The same debris which causes foul odors can contribute to sinus or allergy issues by contaminating the air, or simply render the carpet’s aesthetic unpleasant to the eye.

Hot water extraction also allows for agitation of the chemical application that further cleans the carpeted material, all before being vacuumed up by a high-power suction hose attached to the equipment. While some organizations use truck-mounted carpet cleaning techniques, hot water extraction works at a lower pressure level which, in turn, keeps the liquid and chemical from overly pressurizing the important adhesive material used to attach carpet to the subfloor.

Hard Floor Cleaning – Strip and Refinish

When it comes to cleaning hard floors, more rigorous applications for cleaning and protecting floors also exist. Notably, a service called “stripping and refinishing”, or “stripping and waxing”, stands out as the gold standard for floor protection and maintenance of aesthetics.

Typically, when a floor is installed, a layer of floor finish, or sealant, coats the top surface of the raw floor. This provides protection from wear and tear by creating an in-between layer of sealant. As the sealant is worn down by typical traffic and other use, the floor becomes increasingly prone to scrapes, scuffs, or cuts into the actual flooring. Unfortunately, this could lead to a costly replacement process.

Moreover, debris, dust, and dirt usually begin to seep into eroding sealant. As this happens, the “deep, wet” desirable look turns dull, giving the floor the appearance of being unclean and unattractive. The remedy for these phenomena is to remove the sealant with a cleaning chemical called a “stripper”. Essentially, this is the commercial cleaning version of fingernail polish. Once the sealant is removed and the floor material is exposed, janitorial service providers can begin coating the floor with a floor finish or “wax”.

Stripping and waxing not only protects the floor as it dries “hard”; the acrylic in the compound also provides the floor with the wet look that gives it that much-desired sparkle and shine. Of course, the reapplied finish also builds back up a protective layer, which mitigates the potential for damage. The strip and refinish process will not only save the unfortunate cost of ultimately having to completely replace the flooring, it will also restore it to its former, shiny glory.

Considering the cleaning and sanitary benefits of hot water extraction carpet cleaning or stripping and refinishing, pursuing a floor program seems like an easy decision. However, further comparing the relative prices of floor replacement – $3 – $6 per square foot – against service cost – $0.10 – $0.35 per square foot, the choice becomes a no brainer.

Corvus Janitorial Systems

With over two decades of experience, Corvus Janitorial Systems has perfected floor care. We use a wide range of techniques and tools to maintain facilities of all types. Reach out to us today for a free quote for your floor care, cleaning, disinfecting, and/or sanitizing needs.

Understanding Dwell Time and Why It’s Important

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The words “dwell time” have been thrown around quite a bit more this year than in any other year in the past. Dwell time, or contact time, is the appropriate amount of time that a disinfectant has to remain visibly moist on the surface being cleaned to effectively kill the germs, viruses, or bacteria you’re combating. One common disinfecting mistake is spraying the disinfectant and wiping it away without giving it any time to work its magic.

Without adhering to the right dwell time, the disinfectant won’t have enough time to do its job, which is to disinfect and kill the targeted pathogen. While the disinfectant may kill some of the bacteria or germs on the surface, it won’t be nearly as effective as it would be if you had followed the suggested dwell time. In many cases, this bad habit leaves behind surfaces that aren’t disinfected at all. So, let’s clear up some of the mystery behind dwell times:

What is the right dwell time?

The right dwell time will vary depending both on the disinfectant you’re using and the goal you’re trying to achieve. For example, a regular household disinfectant that’s meant to kill germs that cause the common cold may have a much different dwell time than a stronger disinfectant that’s approved for use against the coronavirus. And the dwell time for different disinfectants can range drastically, lasting anywhere from a mere 30 seconds to 15 minutes.

But there’s good news: you don’t have to do the math or work too hard to find the answer. The dwell time of your disinfectant should be listed right on the label! If it’s not, you can find the dwell time by searching for your disinfectant on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website. Disinfectants approved for fighting fast-spreading viruses like COVID will likely have shorter dwell times. This may seem counterintuitive, but trust the process; a single-minute dwell time simply means less time waiting around and more time protecting your loved ones, employees, and customers.

Which disinfectants should I be using?

If you already have disinfectants at home, check the label or the EPA’s website to see if they are approved for use against COVID-19. Otherwise, finding the right disinfectants has been a bit challenging for many over the last few months. Just like finding toilet paper was in April. Clorox and Lysol are two of the most common household disinfectants and they are generally effective against COVID (always double-check the specific product before use), but if they have a longer dwell time, they may not be your best option.

One favorite this year has been Diversey’s Oxivir TB Wipes. These have a dwell time of one minute and are approved for use against COVID pathogens. While the shorter contact time makes effective disinfecting easier, there’s one other thing to keep in mind: make sure the surface doesn’t dry before the dwell time is up. If it dries, you’ll have to reapply. Diversey wipes (when used appropriately) tend to keep the surface wet for the required dwell time, so this shouldn’t be a problem here if you can get your hands on some.

What is the shelf-life of diluted disinfectants?

While many effective disinfectants come ready to use, others may need to be diluted with water. These are typically used in the old-school-style of disinfecting that involves filling a bucket with the diluted disinfectant and dipping towels or rags in it. They’re effective for a variety of surfaces, but they have a short shelf-life once you alter them. Your disinfectant’s label should give you the right time frame that you have to use it in before disposing of what’s left.

Are dwell times really that important?

When it comes to cleaning and disinfecting, there are plenty of opinions and suggestions floating around. Dwell time isn’t one of them. Following the appropriate dwell time is a requirement for effective disinfecting. The EPA puts in a lot of work to test and confirm the effectiveness of different disinfectants so that we don’t have to. If the end goal is thorough and effective disinfection of any surface, letting the disinfectant dwell for as long as the label specifies is crucial.

Corvus Janitorial Systems

While we’re sharing space with COVID-19, following the appropriate cleaning and disinfecting procedures is more important than ever. If figuring out the ins and outs of effective office or business cleaning feels overwhelming, we’re here to help. We understand the appropriate dwell times of common disinfectants, use high-grade chemicals and procedures, and offer a variety of advanced services specifically designed to fight fast-moving viruses like COVID.

If your workplace is in need of commercial cleaning and/or disinfecting services, contact your local Corvus Janitorial Systems team for a free consultation and quote.

Organize for Success: Cleaning Tips from Corvus Franchisees and Personnel

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Organize for Success

Typically, when we think of operating a business, we think about the actual delivery of the product or service. And as it relates to the office cleaning business, clearly delivery of high-quality cleaning and disinfecting is key to maintaining a thriving business. After all, if customers are not receiving the service which they deserve, they won’t be customers for long. However, it’s also important to focus on activities and systems that occur before, during, and after service delivery. The little details are the things that take a business from mediocre to extraordinary.

Organizing Your Route of Accounts

Before delivering the service of an exemplary cleaning, you’ve got to organize your routes and make a schedule. Whether you are a large operator of a janitorial services business or a small purveyor of office cleaning, building out your weekly, or monthly, schedule of customer accounts to be cleaned in a visible manner is enormously important to succeeding. A calendared view with account names, days cleaned, approximate length of service, and location changes everything. You can plan for what equipment and chemicals are needed as well as assist in providing visibility into other potential costs like travel expenditures. A high-level view of the customer schedule may seem small, but it packs a powerful punch.

Pre-Cleaning Prep

Similar to an athlete preparing for a big game, successful owners and operators of office cleaning businesses prepare for their cleans on a nightly basis. Once you have a laid-out route and schedule, you can then begin to think about the specific clients, their needs, and how you’ll meet those needs. According to Jonathan Frias, Regional Director at Corvus of Northwest Arkansas, “I always remind our franchisees to do the prep work for nightly cleaning at some point during the afternoon. That is the time to not only ensure you have your chemicals, equipment, and other tools ready to go, but it is also a good time to think through what hot spots, areas of focus, or special attention a customer account needs. Mentally getting ready for the work that needs to be done is an essential part of being successful”. Just like athletes, you’re never going to reach your true potential of success without being prepared for what is ahead.

Organizing the Clean

Why start from scratch on each clean? Why waste time finding new ways to do what you already know works? As the saying goes, “don’t reinvent the wheel”. Corvus Franchisees learn to create established cleaning patterns that they follow at each office or place of work. They spend time learning, organizing, and implementing the most impactful cleaning and disinfecting techniques in a manner that optimizes both the client’s time and the Franchisee’s time. Once the cleaning plan is established and proven effective, consistently following it not only helps in terms of ensuring wonderful service, it also allows for improvement on the quality and efficiency of it.

Finishing Up

Finally, once an office is cleaned, disinfected, and secured, there remains more to do if you truly want to be successful. “I always load my vehicle the same way after a clean, making sure I have all my chemicals and equipment. Leaving anything in an account does not only irritate a customer; it puts me in a jam for the next clean…or, worse, if I don’t recover whatever I left, costs me money. There is no excuse for not collecting and organizing your tool kit”, said Latarsha Key, a Corvus of Jacksonville Franchisee.

Michael Kerby, Regional Director of Corvus of Denver, takes that advice a step further by adding, “…and the work really isn’t done until a Franchisee checks his or her inventory levels, cleans their equipment, launders rags or mop heads, and stows their gear…if you will”. Clearly, organizing, cleaning, and taking care of the tools needed to provide an excellent clean is a critical part of succeeding in the office cleaning business. Again, with the athlete analogy, if an athlete simply walks off the court or field and goes home, they’re never going to be truly successful. They’ve got to stretch, reflect, shower, and clean up. Once you can look back and appreciate a job well done with nothing left unturned, then you can call it a day.

To learn more about the janitorial service industry or receive information about Corvus Janitorial Systems’ Office Cleaning Franchise Opportunity, call or email our team today.

What to Think About Before Going Back to School

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Disinfection is an important step in your back-to-school checklist, but it isn’t enough on its own. If other precautions, like wearing masks, physically distancing, and practicing good hand hygiene aren’t followed, it won’t do much. Educators and leaders in the public health space are diligently working to put together programs that’ll help schools across the country reopen safely and responsibly. While they develop these programs and guidelines, here are a few things to keep in mind as you get ready to reopen your school:

Implementing general safety measures is key

As we all adjust to new rules and ways of living, establishing, and maintaining effective communication is crucial. Over the coming months, guidelines and best practices may change to adapt to new needs. Continuing to communicate with important local officials and other educational institutions in the area can help you stay on top of these changes and keep everyone healthy and safe. Make sure to put a plan in place for handling future closures in the case of a new outbreak.

With cold weather coming, many health officials have speculated that COVID-19 cases will increase as flu season hits. As schools and businesses begin to reopen across the country around the same time, additional cases are inevitable. Have a comprehensive plan in place for everyone to follow. It’s also important to develop a separate plan for at-risk students. Students with pre-existing health conditions should be provided with resources that’ll help them succeed at home instead of on-site.

Promoting healthy hygiene practices can help stop the spread

Healthy amounts of proper handwashing may be our best defense against the spread of COVID. This is an easy and effective way to remove germs and protect against infection. Another important hygiene practice is to avoid touching your mouth, nose, or eyes. Ensure everyone is covering all sneezes and coughs. We’ve heard a lot about this throughout the year, but this isn’t always something that comes naturally to students, especially young ones.

Take the time to educate your students on proper healthy hygiene practices before you reopen, and keep educating them after they arrive. Spend extra time on this with your younger students. Put up signs in the hallways, bathrooms, classrooms, and common areas. If you can, encourage students and employees to wear face masks or cloth coverings.

Checking for COVID symptoms will help keep everyone safe

Be sure to put screening procedures in place for anyone entering your school, including all students and staff. If you operate a small enough school, forehead scanners drastically cut down the amount of time you need to take everyone’s temperature. But in most schools, this won’t work. Instead, asking each person if they’ve had any COVID symptoms, and having them fill out a check-in form, is more practical.

In the case of potential exposure, keep clear records. Encourage anyone feeling COVID symptoms or anyone that has been in contact with a COVID-positive person to stay home. Sometimes, COVID symptoms can sneak up on you. Keep a separate room or area to isolate anyone who shows COVID symptoms unexpectedly during the school day. Once they’ve been tested, you’ll either be clear to open the space back up (if they’re negative) or you’ll have to close off areas they’ve used (if they’re positive) and clean and disinfect these spaces before others can use them again.

Educating students, employees, and families will get everyone on the same page

While you may be on top of updates from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), local health officials and educators in your area, your students and their families may not have all of the information that you do. Inform students and families of enhanced cleaning and disinfecting measures, guidelines for safe social distancing, the requirements around face masks, your preferred screening procedures, and your plan for symptom identification. You can do this in a variety of ways:

• Post updates on your school’s website

• Send regular email updates to your students and their parents

• Create a social media page dedicated to reopening and staying healthy throughout the school year

• Develop webinars for students, families, and employees

• Send home flyers

Whether you choose to do one or several of these things, you’re not only helping to maintain a safe school environment. You are encouraging a safe environment at home, too.

You’ll need to intensify your regular cleaning and disinfecting procedures

While it’s difficult to monitor or control the actions of all of your students and employees, it’s easy to exercise control over the environment. By the time your school reopens, it should be effectively cleaned and disinfected. But it shouldn’t end there. Intensified cleaning and disinfecting procedures should be implemented after you reopen, too. While cleaning gets rid of the dirt, dust, some germs, and other materials that collect on surfaces, it won’t necessarily kill harmful bacteria or viruses. For that, you need disinfection, which does kill bacteria and viruses.

Focusing on high-touch surfaces doorknobs, desks, light switches, sinks, water fountains, and cafeteria trays can help drastically reduce the chance of these bacteria and viruses spreading. Keeping a surplus of supplies on hand and closing shared spaces like fountains and cafeterias can also help. If these areas can’t be restricted, increased cleaning and disinfecting can help here, too.

For everything from deep corners to high-touch surfaces, Corvus Janitorial has your cleaning and disinfecting needs covered. We use high-level techniques and tools along with COVID-approved chemicals to give you the best cleaning and disinfecting services available. Reach out to us today for a free quote for your cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing needs.