The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2014 l Issue 70

ANSI Upholds Simon Institute Accreditation,

Denies APPA/ISSA Appeal
The American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) has ruled in favor of
Simon Institute on the APPA/ISSA
appeal of SIs status as an ANSI-Accredited Standards Developer. The
joint appeal was focused on ANSIs
Executive Standards Council decision
to accredit SI as a standards developer.

University of
Michigan
Supports
Simon
Institute as
an Accredited
ANSI
Developer

(Continued on Page 2)

APPA, ISSA and Simon Institute presented their cases to the ANSI Executive Standards Council (ExSC) during a hearing at ANSI headquarters
in Washington, DC, on September
10, 2014. The ExSC issued its ruling
on September 14th, citing that Simon
Institutes operating procedures are in

alignment with ANSIs Essential Requirements. Simon Institute is bound

by these procedures when developing
American National Standards within
its scope of activity
The process to create voluntary
standards is guided by principles of
consensus, due process and openness.
An essential element of the ANSI
standards-setting process is the appeals procedure, which affords the
right to appeal by individuals or entities who may feel that they are affected by any action or inaction within a
given standard development process.
ANSIs appeals process is a very important part of the development of
standards, says Jim Ginnaty, Chair of
Simon Institutes standards activities.
It is an important part of standards
development as it provides a forum to
review procedural concerns, provides
process improvement suggestions
and ensures a fair process.
The Simon Institute is working to
develop standards for the janitorial,
custodial and housekeeping industry.
To read the ANSI ruling or for more
information about standards visit
simoninstitute.org.
Page 1

The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2014 l Issue 70

Cleaning Industry Trainers

Guild Leadership Group
Officers
President
Joseph Garcia
GMI at UCLA
Vice President
Mary Clark
Michigan State University
2nd Vice President
Guido Piccarolo
Los Angeles Habilitation House
Communication Director
& Editor-in-Chief
Chris Wallace
Service Point

Advisory
Committee
Julian Castillo
The University of Texas at Austin
Melody Hartford
Rappahannock Goodwill Industries
Nick Pangaro
Project Consultant at USPS
Chris Romero
Sandia National Labs
Matthew Lawrence
Wake Forest University
Anna Tobias
University of Michigan
Mark Samios
Cleaning Alliance Representative
PortionPac

Editor-in-Chief: Chris Wallace

Publisher: Clark Kidman
The Cleaning Gazette is the official publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild.
The Cleaning Gazette is published monthly to
promote the growth of professionalism in the
cleaning industry. For subscription information
contact via email jill@managemen.com

Page 2

University of
Michigan
Supports
Simon
Institute as
an Accredited
ANSI
Developer
(Continued from Cover)

The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2014 l Issue 70

Correct Dilution Essential for Optimal

Performance of Cleaning Products
Mark Samios
PortionPac
Chemical Manufacturers spend significant dollars to optimize the performance of their chemical products.
Cleaning products are designed to perform specific
types of cleaning tasks and
are designed to do so
at an optimal performance level. To
achieve that optimal performance
level it is essential to
dilute the product at
the manufacturers prescribed dilution ratio.
For example, most people want a stripper that
works fast and achieves
instant floor finish removal. To that
end, lets say they buy a product that the
manufacturer has tested and tweaked
to perform at the optimal performance
level when used at a 1 to 10 dilution ratio. The consumer then applies the logic
that if 1 to 10 is good, then 2 or even 5
parts stripper to 10 parts water will be
even better.
The truth is that it does not make it
better, but in fact actually reduces the
efficiency of the stripper since virtually
all strippers on the market today need
water to work. Strippers are designed by
manufacturers to perform at an optimal
level when correctly diluted with a given
amount of water that allows the chemical compounds in the strippers to break

the chemical bonds in the plastic floor

finish on the floor. Without the proper
amount of water, the performance is actually less efficient.
Disinfectants are perhaps the most
critical type of chemical used in housekeeping today that require proper dilution.
Germicidal Detergents and disinfectants are broadly
used in all aspects of
building cleaning. The EPA
rates disinfectants to ensure that
they kill specific types of pathogenic micro-organisms. Each disinfectant label carries the specific
kill capabilities that the EPA has
rated that specific disinfectant to
be capable of killing if used according to the manufacturers recommended
dilution and use directions.
With disinfectants there is a specific
reason for correctly diluting the product. If you under dilute, (use less disinfectant to the prescribed amount of water), then the disinfectant will not have

the same or perhaps any kill capability.

The Micro-organisms you are trying to
kill will not be affected. Even though the
surface may look clean, it will still be
contaminated and will remain a source
for the spread of disease.
If you add more disinfectant to the
chemical/water dilution ratio than the
manufacturer recommends, then the
cleaning solution you will be using will
have an equally disastrous effect.
The extra chemical you have added
will leave a film behind on the surface that you have cleaned. That build
up of the extra chemicals will actually
become a source of food for the very
micro-organisms that you are trying to
kill. Instead of cleaning and disinfecting
the surface you will be leaving behind a
food source that will actually increase
the bacteria count, again leaving the
surface as a disease source.
If you have ever walked across what
may appear visually as a clean floor, but
the soles of you shoes actually stick to
the floor as you walk you have experienced this phenomena.

Page 3

The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2014 l Issue 70

LAHH Commences Eagerly Awaited

Vacuum Specialist Certification Program
By Guido Piccarolo
LAHH (OS1) Trainer
It happened! It happened with great
joy that November 14 at 9:30 a.m.
LAHH opened the office doors to seven
young men ready
to start and continue their professional journey to
achieve their certification as Vacuum Specialist. An
event! Everybody was ready.
David text me on Wednesday morning: Guido, do not need to write me to
remind about class, I will be there! and
Mark: Guido, I am glad I am in school
learning!
What contagious enthusiasm! Six
of the seven men in the program have
achieved their certification as a Light
Duty Specialist. This means a lot for the
LAHH Management. Our employees
want and are ready to strive to achieve
the best. There are neither barriers nor
limits that can stop any human being
by being engaged with the challenges
provoked by day-to-day reality.
Instead, when each of us accepts the
proposal and the challenges posed by
reality we grow and mature, becoming
more and more ourselves. These seven
young men are teaching this to all of
us. Back to school to learn a trade and
achieve the certification is more than
just receiving a title on paper. It is the
first and necessary step toward profes-

Page 4

sionalism and personal growth.

LAHH is committed to help, follow
and learn by the tenacity of our seven
employees. Like one of them told everybody during class: All is positive
here at LAHH!
A special note of appreciation to

Lisa Harris and John Walker for giving us the possibility to provide all our
employees with this positivity of life!
We have implemented the Harkness
Table and I can say that this is a fantastic way of learning, of being and of
learning to love learning!

Guido Piccarolo, LAHH (OS1) trainer, conducts Vacuum Specialist Certification Program.

Instruction materials are ready for LAHH cleaning workers striving for certification as
Vacuum Specialist.

The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2014 l Issue 70

Check out this

classic study by Dr. Jeff
Campbell of BYU.
It documents the value
of an (OS1) program as
a facility management
strategy. To read the
study go to The Cleaning Library on scribd.
Heres the link:
https://www.scribd.
com/doc/140431107/
Clean-SchoolsInitiative

Clean
Schools
Initiative

Provo City School District Case Study

Jeffery L. Campbell, Ph.D.
Brigham Young University October 2012

I. INTRODUCTION
A. Introduction to the Research
Cleaning costs represent 30 percent of building operations budgets, with the other 70 percent going
toward maintenance and energy costs. The United States spends more than $200 billion annually
on building operation costs. Its interesting to note that over the life of a building, the cleaning costs
alone will nearly equal the original cost of construction. This startling statistic is often overlooked as
evidenced by current cleaning practices. In most cases, schools are cleaned with the same processes
that were used 80 years ago. It would be hard to imagine teachers using the same curriculum
and methods that were used in the 1930s, yet that is close to what is
happening in cleaning schools today. This neglected industry is one
that would benefit from improved practices and better management.
Cleaning is standardly measured by appearance with the overriding
objective being to spend as little as possible. However, cleaning is done
for more reasons than just appearance. Cleaning, or lack there of,
impacts indoor air quality and building health. It affects absenteeism
for students and faculty. Lack of cleanliness can become a distraction that clouds the learning
process, thus it has an impact on learning and student achievement scores. Cleaning has an effect on
the overall culture and feeling of a school. It plays an important role in extending the physical life
of a building and improving the value of its real estate assets. Furthermore, cleaning has a profound
impact on public perception.
Cleaning matters. But where is the research? Where are the proven best practices? This report
describes a case study in which these questions were asked, and improved process applications
were put in place. It provides a glimpse into the effects of standardized cleaning and shows that, yes,
proper cleaning can make a difference.

B. History of Dixon Middle School

Built in the middle of the Great Depression in Provo, Utah, Dixon Middle School opened its doors
on March 7,1931. Over the years Dixon has been remodeled numerous times so that today it is nearly
three times larger than its original structure. Dixon is well known for its tiled staircase, its large
collection of hand-painted art, and its tunneled basement that is often referred to as the dungeon.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

Provo City School District was facing numerous custodial challenges, including uncontrolled
cleaning costs, custodians not being held accountable for work, and schools not getting cleaned.
7

Copyright 2012 ManageMen, Inc.All Rights Reserved

The purpose of this literature review is to determine what has been

previously researched, studied and examined about cleaning. The general
topic of researching cleaning is both wide and deep. Because cleaning
is defined and interpreted so many different ways the researchers
sought to study the foundational basics of cleaning. These included
how it is defined, how is it measured, what is contained in janitorial
contacts, determining if there a national standard, and reviewing what
the literature reveals about cleanings effect on indoor environmental
quality. These areas are summarized in the following topics:
1. Definition of Clean
2. Measuring Janitorial Productivity
3. Typical Components of Janitorial Contracts
4. The Importance of a Cleaning Standard
5. The Effects of Cleanliness on Indoor Air and Environmental Quality

A. Definition of Clean
Clean is a flexible word that is defined differently as it is applied by specific groups to their unique
situations. The Webster Dictionary states the process of cleaning is to rid of dirt, impurities, or
extraneous matter.1 This broad definition prompted researchers to review national cleaning
organizations to find a more detailed definition. The American Cleaning Institute (formerly The
Soap and Detergent Association)2 states yet another broad description, cleaning is the mechanical
removal of dirt and soil from an object or area. It is interesting to note that definitions were unavailable
from the cleaning industrys top organizations, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA), the National Institute of Building
Sciences (NIBS), the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF), and the Cleaning
Management Institute (CMI).
In the book, Protecting the Built Environment: Cleaning for Health, author Dr. Michael Berry,
a university professor and consultant, writes,
not only
activity, but is a process and
CLEAN SCHOOLS INITIATIVE
Provo cleaning
City SchoolisDistrict
CaseanStudy

a special form of management.3 He goes on to state that cleaning is the science of controlling
contaminants, and should be based soundly on scientific principles.4

There was no standard for chemical tracking storage, mixing, or handling.

1 Cleaning. (2010). Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved from http:// www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/
cleaning
There were too many chemicals and tools at each station that were not organized, clean, and
2 Aiello, Allison E., Larson, Elaine L, and Sedlak, Richard. (2007). Against Disease: The Impact of Hygiene and Cleanliness
on Health. The Soap and Detergent Association. New York, NY: JMH Education Marketing, Inc.
trackable.
3 Berry, Michael A. (1993). Protecting the Built Environment: Cleaning for Health, p. 23. Chapel Hill, NC: Tricomm 21st Press.
37 Environment: Cleaning for Health, pp. 73-74. Chapel Hill, NC: Tricomm 21st
4 Berry, Michael A. (1993). Protecting the Built
Max/min quantities were not considered for inventory.
Press .

Copyright 2012 ManageMen, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Dixon Middle School Built 1931

Provo, Utah Provo City School District

CLEAN SCHOOLS INITIATIVE

Provo City School District Case Study

ManageMen. (2010). Managemen baselineIaudit.

LakeifCity:
dontSalt
know
theManageMen.
lack of exposure

to heavy chemical cleaners at home and at school

I feel better but I have noticed thatwhen I go into
23 other schools
and businesses and smell the chemicals from cleaners that I sometimes get the
nauseous/lightheaded feeling I was getting before (when) I was having my migraine/
blackout incidents. I cant stand to walk down the cleaner aisle at the store anymore
because it just gags me.

are the
only reason
Copyright 2012 ManageMen, Inc.All Rights
Reserved

So anyway, I just want to thankyoufor being willing to pilot this new cleaning
program at Dixon and for using safer cleaning products. I appreciate what an
awesome job you do keeping our school clean and safe. It does make a difference.
In 2011, Dixon Middle School received the Best New Program Award in the K-12 category of the
2011 Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities that is sponsored by American School &
University magazine, The Green Cleaning Network, and Healthy Schools Campaign.

Copyright 2012 ManageMen, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Copyright 2012 ManageMen, Inc.All Rights Reserved

27

Page 5

The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

Page 6

November 2014 l Issue 70

The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2014 l Issue 70

Weve created an all

new lesson for cleaning
workers in (OS1).
It covers the Protect
Yourself aspects of
EBOLA.
If youd like a copy
contact Jill or Lisa
at ManageMen.

Page 7

The Official Publication of the Cleaning Industry Trainers Guild

November 2014 l Issue 70

Reminder: Bakers Dozen

Inservice Lessons for 2014

January 26-28, 2015

Disaster and
Emergency
Preparedness Class
Nashville, TN

March, 2015
Simon Institute
Meeting
Site TBD

2015

Mark Your
Calendar

http://simoninstitute.org

September, 2015
(OS1) Coach Class

April 27-28, 2015

(OS1) Expert Trainer

Disneys Grand Californian

Disneys Contemporary
Hotel, Orlando, FL

Anaheim, CA
http://managemen.com/education/

http://managemen.com/education/

October, 2015
Janitor University

June, 2015
(OS1) Workloading
Class

Little America Hotel

Mt. San Antonio College

http://managemen.com/education/

October, 2015
Simon Institute Meeting

August 9-11, 2015

Simon Institute
Symposium

Little America Hotel

Louisville, KY
http://simoninstitute.org

Page 8

Websites you should check

regularly for professional
updates include:

Salt Lake City, UT

Walnut, CA

The Brown Hotel

Super
Secret
Websites

Salt Lake City, UT

www.simoninstitute.org

www.managemen.com
www.managemenstore.com
www.simoninstitute.org
www.cleaningindustrytrainersguild.com
www.youtube.com/user/os1channel
www.scribd.com/TheCleaningLibrary
https://twitter.com/JanitorU