Topic: Industrial Cleaning

Office Cleaning Toronto – February 2016

Posted on February 23, 2016 by - Industrial Cleaning

WHAT DO THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER AND THE FEBRUARY SLUMP HAVE IN COMMON?

State Building Maintenance Limited is keeping it clean in February

To some “the dog days of summer” are defined as a few weeks in July and August that are the hottest and steamiest and are marked by lethargy and inactivity. Many of us who find the heat oppressive sit around in our office chairs wishing and waiting for the cool breezes of fall. We then suddenly get our energy back and start talking about a thorough fall office cleaning and getting ready for winter.

February falls into that same category, it is the month, unless you love being out in the snow, that we slump in our office chairs and await spring. We are just starting to see signs of spring, the days are brighter, it is no longer dark at 4:30 PM and even an early spring bud may be poking its head out of the ground. But offices will say it is not the right time for that thorough spring cleaning. Offices want to wait until the end of March or even well into April to do their annual spring cleaning.

But we at STATE BUILDING MAINTENANCE LIMITED do recommend that your office cleaning company keep on top of all daily office cleaning. This will make for an easier but thorough spring office cleaning.

You may not want to give your windows a complete cleaning at this time of year and want to wait until spring but we do recommend that you keep cleaning your windows or at least let your cleaning company perform a spot cleaning of your windows on your lower levels so visiting customers enter through spotless doors and see the glisten on your windows. Many of our customers, no matter what the winter brings, have their lower windows cleaned on a monthly basis for this very reason. To create a good impression STATE BUILDING MAINTENANCE LIMITED provides many of our offices and our storefronts with this window cleaning service. It is one less item that our clients have to worry about. We generally do all other floors levels every three months or twice a year but we can set up a program for you of your choosing.

Think of your employees at this time of year as we are still in flu season, it is necessary to keep your soap dispensers topped up, and for those who desire it, we can supply you with an antibacterial soap for these dispensers. Make sure your cleaners are working with an antibacterial product such as a Lysol product in bathrooms and on such items as phones. An antibacterial liquid in a hand dispenser on the front desk is a considerate gesture for your visiting clients. But whether it be flu season or not, it is necessary to always keep a hygienic work place.

We have been lucky in our area of Ontario as we have not had to deal with many major snow storms but we still are scattering crystals in entrances and even on parking lots to protect our staff and clients from falls. These crystals are then carried in on our shoes and boots. Our cleaners do a daily vacuuming of all carpets and if needed they will perform a spot cleaning of these areas. This will help halt the wear and tear of your carpets, so come the spring when State Building Maintenance Limited will perform a deep spring cleaning, we will have prevented major winter damage.

We, at STATE BUILDING MAINTENANCE LIMITED, provide the best products to seal your hard surfaced floors but we also advise a weekly buffing of your floors to maintain a strong barrier against crystals and the damage from footwear.

As we move into spring you will start to see flyers in your mail and colourful emails extolling the virtues of many cleaning companies and they will be offering exceptional discounts. We know there are hundreds of cleaning companies in southern Ontario but be wise in your search for professional office and janitorial cleaners. Please look into their past history. The length of time that they have been in business will attest to their knowledge and reliability, check that they are insured and bonded, are members of WHMIS, ask for referrals and please don’t let them sell you something you don’t need. The lowest priced quote doesn’t always guarantee the job you have the right to expect.

STATE BUILDING MAINTENANCED LIMITED , a professional office cleaning and janitorial cleaning company, offers an individual approach, one size does not fit all, flexible schedules and quality work you can trust.

State Building Maintenance Limited will provide you will a free no obligation quote, so please call us at 416-247-1290 or email us at info@sbml.ca.

Office Cleaning Toronto

 

CARPETS IN OFFICES AND THEIR BENEFITS

Posted on November 4, 2015 by - Industrial Cleaning

Have you ever entered an office and found their flooring a bit too slippery underfoot or have you had to grab on to something to stop yourself from slipping when walking over a wet patch on a hard floor surface such as marble or vinyl?   The solution to those problems would be carpeting.  There are safety advantages to carpeting, if one does slip or takes a tumble over something left on the floor, carpeting acts as a cushion and reduces the chance of serious injury.  And when the odd item is knocked off a desk carpets lessen the chance of breakage.   Offices often avoid carpeting because they believe them difficult to maintain but the solution to that would be to hire a professional cleaning company such as STATE BUILDING MAINTENTANCE LIMITED and set up a yearly cleaning program.  If you have or are planning on installing carpeting in your office our company recommends a nightly vacuuming with a commercial vacuum, spot cleaning as needed and at least a yearly deep cleaning of all carpets, depending on their usage.

A benefit that might surprise our customers would be that carpets aid in reducing allergy symptoms. Most people would think the opposite to be true but carpets assist in decreasing those itchy eyes and runny noses by trapping air borne particles such as pollen, dust mite feces and every day dust deep into their fibres.   Then these allergens are not constantly being recirculated.  And after a thorough nightly vacuuming and spot cleaning by our company, part of our daily office cleaning program, the carpet is revived. It is similar to replacing a furnace filter so in the morning the newly vacuumed carpet can once again do its job.

Another bit of information that is important to know is that emissions from new carpets are amongst the lowest of any furnishings and what remains in the air after an installation does not linger longer two days.  No formaldehyde is used in the manufacturing of carpets and the latex that is used in the backing is a synthetic so it is not associated with latex allergies.  If you are still the least bit concerned about allergies there are now even lower emitting carpets.

We know that offices can be somewhat noisy with the sounds of office machinery such as keyboards, printers and phones plus the usual hum of office chatting and of course the footsteps of employees.  Carpets will reduce the clatter of foot traffic, lessen the intensity of sound from equipment and can hush the noise of chatter. Carpeting can even be added to walls to absorb even more sound. When carpeting is utilized throughout all offices and corridors it will dampen office noise in the entire facility.

Carpets can make a statement and set the tone in an office. There are many thicknesses, patterns, colours and textures of carpets to choose from depending on what kind of office you have and the foot traffic in your office.  You can chose a calming colour to encourage quietness in an area or if your company is showing off a product, the product should be the focal point against a neutral background.  Whereas bright colours can draw attention to a certain area or add energy.

As half of our year is either chilly or snowy, and even in summer some office air conditioners can make it feel like December, carpeting can add warmth to an office. Carpeting adds R value to an office and could possibly reduce heating costs.  There is nothing more pleasing underfoot than the cushioning effect of carpeting.

STATE BUILDING MAINTENANCE LIMITED would like to offer our services to your company.  Besides a traffic areas, kitchen areas if they are carpeted and in winter, entrance mats must be used to prevent falls and protect floors. The entrance mats will need to be cleaned more often in winter because of the staining from de-icers and the moisture brought in on shoes. STATE BUILDING MAINTENANCE LIMITED offers deep steam extraction, rotary cleaning and will use anti-static solutions if requested.

We, at State Building Maintenance Limited, in business since 1963, a top-rated full service cleaning company, know that carpeting is an expensive investment for your office but when your carpets are properly maintained, whether it be wall-to-wall carpeting, area rugs or carpet tiles, carpets will offer all these benefits for many years to come.  But it is imperative that you hire a professional cleaning company that has an extensive knowledge of carpet fibres and are experts in correct cleaning methods and the use of effective cleaning solutions.  We will gladly work with all our customers to set up the most cost effective maintenance program to suit your budget.  Please call STATE BUILDING MAINTENANCE LIMITED for a free quote at 416-247-1290 or email us at info@sbml.ca

 

A FALL CHECK LIST – Office Cleaning

Posted on September 24, 2015 by - Industrial Cleaning

PREPARATION FOR THE COLDER MONTHS

Summer has come to a close and the evening shadows fall a lot sooner so now is a right time to take stock of what you need to do for your buildings and offices in dealing with the fall and winter seasons.

In cleaning, one doesn’t often think about landscaping but if you own a building now is the time to take a good look at the land surrounding your building. Besides the usual cutting and watering of lawns walk around your property and remove plants that have not survived the summer so that mold or blackspot that may be on them will not affect soils. At this time of year you will see sales on evergreens and trees, with warm days and cool nights it is an excellent time to plant evergreens and trees as they still have time to set up a good root system. As long as temperatures stay above freezing you need to keep on watering all trees and evergreens. If you enjoy the look of spring flowers such as tulips and daffodils now is the time to plant those bulbs. A good start to a healthy lawn next year is to spread on a top quality fall fertilizer.

It is time to take a walk around your building and look at items that may cause problems for you during the next six months. Check all garbage bins that have sitting outside, whether they be a heavy metal or cement, inspect them to see if they are worn and need to be replaced. Make sure that they are always lined with a heavy duty poly liner. Also check your sidewalks for grimy residue, pop spills, gum etc. Gum should be scraped up and the sidewalks washed. Take a good look at the caulking around windows and doors and if it has deteriorated have the caulking replaced. Caulking helps keep your windows clear of moisture between the panes and also helps to stop drafts. Now is the time to give your entrance doors and interior and exterior windows and window frames a good washing to remove summer dust and acid rain. Nothing is more attractive to a building’s facade than pristine windows. This indicates hands on management.

In some offices, windows can still be left open so everyday dust and allergens will seep in. In other offices, windows are tightly sealed and the AC is continuously running in the summer and circulating the same dusty air throughout, even if there is an air cleaning system. So besides giving all windows a good washing at this time of year, your venetian blinds, your cloth partitions, all soft materials and carpets should be cleaned. We are trying to, AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, clear your offices of the fecal matter that has been left behind by dust mites, allergens from pollen and the general grime that has been dragged in on your shoes. A fall cleanup of these items will reduce illnesses and lost work days.

Thinking back to last winter, ask yourself if you had enough mats for your entrances to be able to soak up autumn rains and melting snows. At the same time ask yourself if at the end of last winter did your cleaning company give them a good scrubbing to remove winter stains and let them dry before they put them away until the next fall. Make sure that the mats you have are commercial grade mats, heavy in weight so that they lay flat so that clients will not trip over them. They also need to have the proper kind of backing so that they do not easily slide around and cause someone to fall. State Building Maintenance Limited will gladly supply your company with new mats or re-clean your old mats.

Some winters are kind to us and some are fierce. Take a look in your storage room and see if you have any bags of ice melt leftover from last year. If not, fall time is the time to stock up on these as we cannot forecast what the fall and winter will be like, despite what your meteorologist may tell you. It is often too late to purchase ice melters when ice or snow is on the ground. There have been some very icy winters that have left us in short supply. There are a wide range of de-icing preparations that can be used on sidewalks, driveways and parking lots. Some are made of all natural ingredients, some are safer to use around landscaping, pets and cement, some don’t leave a powdery residue and some of these also provide good traction.

We at STATE BUILDING MAINTENANCE LIMITED will be only too happy to go through a fall check list with you, answer any of your questions and offer our cleaning services. Please call 416-247-1290

WHMIS

Posted on August 6, 2015 by - Industrial Cleaning

WHMIS MSDS
What do these mean and does your cleaning company work within these requirements?

WHMIS
This is an information system set up by the government, it is course taken by a number of our employees at State Building Maintenance Limited to ensure the health and safety of all our fellow employees and the companies we work for. This course is a legal requirement for companies of a certain size who work with cleaning materials. This course follows all Federal and Provincial regulations. A fee is paid and a course load is provided and then an exam is written. State Building Maintenance Limited has employees who have passed this course and are certified members.

MSDS
This stands for Material Safety Data Sheets. Companies that manufacture our cleaning solutions are required by law to maintain safety data sheets for all the products they produce and we use, whether it be Pledge or Lysol, just to name a few. We obtain the necessary data sheet for each product, we then assemble the sheets into a binder and they are left on the premises with our customers. These books are generally updated yearly or as needed when a new cleaning product is used on your premises.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW SITE!

Posted on July 6, 2015 by - Industrial Cleaning

We at STATE BUILDING MAINTENANCE LIMITED (sbml.ca), in business since 1963, specializing in Office, Floor, Carpet, Window and Industrial Cleaning and providing an array of Janitorial Services are pleased to announce our newly redesigned website created and maintained by Insiteful Solutions.

This newly streamlined site is designed for our clients to easily access relevant topics that their company may need to search out. This new user-friendly site will provide more information about our company on full service Office Cleaning, Industrial Cleaning or delivery of Janitorial Supplies, just to name a few services that our company offers.

WE DO IT ALL, so please call us at 416-247-1290 or go to our website sbml.ca to learn more about STATE BUILDING MAINTENANCE LIMITED and the expert, comprehensive work we can do for you. We will gladly provide a free estimate or answer any of your questions regarding your office cleaning enquiries.