Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Granite Polishing

Waxed floor before stripping
Here's another interesting project we had. Granite is a nice product as it is one of the hardest natural stones available so a floor can last a long time with the proper care. This particular client had been waxing his floor for the last 15 years and placing matting in the winter. Stripping the floor proved interesting.

As the finish on a polished granite floor is hard and shiny floor finish will adhere to it but once stripper is introduced most of whats on the floor comes off with much ease. In fact for the amount of finish that was on the floor this was probably one of the easiest stripping jobs I have ever done.

Stripped floor
1) we applied Time Out Plus floor stripper diluted at 1:10 and allowed it to sit for 10 minutes before stripping with a 3M high pro pad.

2) Rinse the floor well and allow to dry.

Applying Granite Polish Cream
3) Using the weight floor buffer with full weight ( about 225lbs) and Ecolab Granite Polishing Cream slowly buff a section 10'X10' adding water to the cream to create a consistent slurry.


4) Wet vac slurry when finished.

5) Flood floor with clean water to remove all residue and wet vac it up.

6) Give a final rinse and allow to dry.

Finished Product
7) Buff floor with white pad to remove any remaining residue and admire.

NOTE - If the floor does not have finish on it presently and you want to clean it up a little then you can alternatively use a tile and grout cleaner on the initial step. Also keep in mind that as granite is a natural stone the finished product will differ from location to location as well as under different lighting.



Finished Product Under Different Lighting Conditions







Though this is the process we used and the final product was what we had hoped for I was recently sent this video from Ecolab which shows the process done slightly differently and appears to be just as effective. Enjoy.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Polishing Marble

After stripping floor
Recently I had the opportunity to polish marble in the lobby of a hotel. The program is fairly easy and the results are great. Client had waxed the floor and was looking for a better more permanent solution. Here is a quick step by step of what we did.

1) Strip the floor to remove all topical coatings

Prepping floor with 1st compound
2) Using Mighty Max swing buffer ( Unit is a weighted buffer with over 75lbs of extra weight) we applied the Marble Prep 1 compound to the floor adding water as we went.

3) Vacuum slurry with wet dry vac and rinsed floor thoroughly.

Prepped Floor




4) Again using Mighty Max buffer we applied the Marble Polish 2 compound to the floor. This is a wet product which add more water to. We work the product into the floor for about 30 mins.

Finished Product
5) Vacuum slurry with wet dry vac and rinsed floor thoroughly.

6) Buff floor with white pad to remove any residue left behind.

Thing of beauty
7) Admire the finished product.







The final step is now maintenance. All the client has to do is on a monthly basis buff this floor with a 6000 grit diamond polishing pad and once a year using a little marble polish paste to shine the floor up.


Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Study On Laundered Towels Finds E. Coli, Tetanus

Study On Laundered Towels Finds E. Coli, Tetanus

Dr. Charles Gerba, a University of Arizona microbiologist known as “Dr. Germ,” spends his days digging into the unseen — uncovering the world of germs, pathogens and bacteria everyone knows exists but prefers not to think about. 

Gerba’s recent study of hospital cleaning towels shows why the world of pathogens we live in is something that should be on the minds of jan/san distributors, building service contractors and in-house service providers — especially in hospital settings, where at any given time, approximately one in every 20 patients acquires an infection from these tiny dangers.These infections cost the U.S. healthcare system as much as $147 billion each year, according to the Journal of Medical Economics, and can lead to these patients paying the ultimate price — their lives. 

Recently, Gerba turned his microscope on the microfiber and cotton cloths used to clean hospital rooms. He found that the very tools being used to wipe germs away could be spreading them around. 

The study selected 10 Arizona hospitals at random, and collected three clean cloth or microfiber towels from each location. It also collected samples from the inside surface of the bucket used to soak the towels in disinfectant. He then tested the samples for bacteria. What he found was surprising: 93 percent of the laundered towels used to clean hospital rooms contained bacteria — ranging from E. Coli to total coliforms (bacteria indicative of fecal matter) to Klebsiella, all of which could result in hospital acquired infections (HAIs).“Some cloths actually had E-coli in them after supposedly being cleaned for re-use in hospital rooms,” Gerba says. “E-coli was the main one, but there was a number of other bacteria known to cause HAIs, as well.” 

The study points to insufficient laundering practices as one culprit, but also revealed that 67 percent of buckets with disinfectant used to soak cloths contained viable bacteria, including spore-forming bacteria, which can cause botulism and Tetanus. 

“It is concerning to think that the very processes hospitals use to prevent the spread of bacteria may actually cause it,” Gerba says. 

In a separate companion study, Gerba learned that laundered cotton towels can actually reduce the strength of hospital-grade disinfectants by up to 85.3 percent. The key concern is how to keep microfiber and cotton cloths effective for the longest period of time. 

Steven Attman, co-owner of Acme Paper & Supply Co., Inc. of Richmond, Va., explains the study shows that there’s a breakdown occurring caused by the chemicals being used and microorganisms being left behind after laundering. 

All of these study findings point to the need for hospital cleaning staffs and infection control experts to rethink their current cleaning practices and products. One way distributors can help healthcare facilities curb cross-contamination is to introduce alternative products, such as wet wipes, disposable wipers and disposable microfiber. 

- See more at: http://www.cleanlink.com/articleemail/smarticle/Study-On-Laundered-Towels-Finds-E-Coli-Tetanus--16655?displaySplash=no#sthash.LV6fhDJe.DZ6EF4Gg.dpuf