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Cleaning Do’s and Don’tsA word about Bowl Cleaner Would you believe I have acquired accounts solely because the previous janitor service ruined the chrome fixtures on and in the customer’s washroom sinks. Not that I could correct the situation – the account was simply outraged by the previous service’s negligence. Therefore: Don’t use bowl cleaner on anything other than the inside of the toilet bowl. Don’t use bowl cleaner on any chrome in an attempt to remove calcium or lime build-up. There are appropriate cleaners for that purpose. Bowl cleaner will simply and quickly burn the chrome, leaving behind a purplish-black permanent ugliness. Likewise, for the same reasons, do not use bowl cleaner on stainless steel either. Don’t spill bowl cleaner on vinyl tile. If the tile has a sufficient coating of finish, you will have time to mop up any bowl cleaner you spilled on it, With time-relative damage to the finish. But if you spill bowl cleaner on a bare vinyl tiled floor, you’ll wind-up with the same permanent ugly coloration as you would on chrome. Don’t! Please, whatever you do, don’t spill bowl cleaner on carpeting – ever! A weak bowl cleaner will bleach the carpet leaving behind whitish, yellowish spots. These are permanent. If it’s a strong bowl cleaner, it will eat right through the carpet to the padding leaving behind permanent black holes. I can assure you, not only will you lose the account, you could very well be sued to replace the carpeting. Don’t use the brush-on-metal toilet bowl cleaning-stick that has been a home staple for decades. They have an awful tendency to scratch the porcelain. I also don’t like kitchen cleansers that sand away the porcelain’s finish. Carpeting I love carpeting because it’s easier and cheaper to clean than vinyl tile. But while it can be cleaned, it cannot be easily and cheaply repaired once damaged. Do always protect your account’s carpeting. Another serious danger to carpeting aside from bowl cleaner is bleach. Play it safe and try to avoid spilling any chemical except the careful application of carpet cleaning solutions. If you don’t have a cart to carry your chemicals safely in, use a five gallon pail. Its high walls will prevent any spilling onto carpets (besides, you’ll be collecting a lot of five gallon pails once you empty them). Do repair you power cords on vacuums or buffers, They all suffer from eventual cord and plug breaks. Vacuums especially because the cord is thinner. Always wrap a sliced-up power cords with electrical tape. The last thing you want is for it to short in an explosive manner that permanently blackens the area of the carpet at the point of the occurrence. Same with outlet plugs – they can blacken the wall area should they short. If your cord and plug are showing significant wear – replace them. Don’t walk away from a vacuum when powered on. The brush will generate enough heat to scorch the carpet. Do double or triple bag. A collection barrel is the desired means of collecting garbage. But it’s not an immediate expense. For beginners garbage is oftentimes simply and successfully collected with 55 Gallon liners, like a leaf bag. But beware the break and the trail of liquids on the carpet. Double or triple bag the liner. Toss the inner liner once full of garbage. Replace liner – but with the new liner on the outside.
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