TRAINING CLEANING PERSONNEL AS PROFESSIONAL SPECIALISTS by John Walker If commercial cleaning was once a haphazard art form, it is now a scientific pursuit by comparison. Professional approaches to cleaning dominate the field, whether applied to schools, restaurants, hospitals, offices or any other work place. The major concept is this: The best and most effective cleaning is achieved by teams of specialized workers using specialized tools. Imagine an assembly line with four workers, each specializing in one or two tasks only. Together, their work produces a finished product in less time and of higher quality than four "generalists" could do. That, in essence, is the huge advantage of assembly-line specialization established by Henry Ford and refined over recent decades by engineers: Teams of specialists yield higher efficiency, higher productivity, higher quality. In the case of modern team cleaning, experience suggests it also produces higher morale, more on-the-job camaraderie, and greater job satisfaction. With so much at stake, plus significant cost savings over the span of any given facility, it merits taking a closer look at the specialist positions, tools, and training of these new-style professional teams. The Vacuum Specialist The vacuum specialist needs equipment bringing speed, mobility, agility, and high power to vacuum varied surfaces under conditions that change from wide open hallways and lobbies to cramped offices, corners and stairwells. Empirical evidence and time studies show that the best tool for the job is a lightweight, commercial backpack vacuum. Used properly, it's as good at detail cleaning as it is at general open-area vacuuming. However, as with any versatile tool, specific training is required to optimize its potential and ensure its successful use. Getting on With It: Wearing the Vac The lightweight backpack (about 9-11 pounds) is fitted with shoulder straps and a padded belt to distribute the weight of the vac comfortably on the hips. The built-in molded backplate and the shoulder straps help to balance the unit. Teach workers to keep the shoulder straps just loose enough to allow free movement of the arms for vacuuming, while keeping the hip belt snug for stability. Most users tuck the 50-foot cord under the hip belt so they can feel a tug when they are about to run out of cord. Modern backpack vacuums are ergonomically designed. The backpack harness takes most of the weight off the upper body, arms and small muscles and puts it onto the large muscles of thighs, legs and hips-where it belongs to lessen bodily stress and provide the most upper-body mobility. The result is reduced fatigue and increased productivity. Training Cleaning Personnel as Professional Specialists Page 1 Teaching the Techniques For open areas and uncluttered halls, workers use the vacuum in wide sweeping motions, side to side, like mopping but with less fatigue. Around furniture, desks and equipment, workers use the backpack's lightweight wand with easy in-and-out motions for greater access and mobility than traditional vacs. Those who have seen backpacks demonstrated are always surprised by how much territory can be covered and how thoroughly. Time studies done by organizations like the International Sanitary Supply Association find that an operator using a backpack vacuum can clean about 7,000 square feet per hour compared to about 3,000-4,000 square feet per hour for a traditional upright vacuum (see the publication, "358 Cleaning Times," published by the ISSA). Easy Does It With the backpack, workers can change tools on the spot, as needed for the job. Most vacuum specialists carry appropriate attachments right on the hip belt. For example, the user might carry a plastic upholstery tool, a crevice attachment, and a dust brush for sills and ledges. There's even a bulk pick-up tool for the kind of debris that accumulates in restaurants, theaters, and construction sites. To attach a tool, simply slide the pressure-fit collar completely onto the tool. As a rule, workers find that much of the vacuuming can be done with one hand because the backpack is almost weightless as it rests on the hips. They use their free hand to move objects. Consistent, Regular Care To keep cleaning results first-rate and to ensure the life of the vacuum, teach workers to empty vacuums regularly and to check the filter bag before and after every use of the vacuum. When vacuuming, shake out the filter bag every two hours -or more frequently if the surface is especially dirty. A clogged filter strains the motor and could lead to premature burn-out. If your workers are using high-powered backpack equipment with multi-level filtration for the first time in an area, be sure that workers shake out the filter every half hour. That's because these high-performance units remove much more fine dust from carpet and other surfaces than the average vacuum. Advise workers to check the filter more often for the first two or three weeks. Other maintenance tips to teach include: At least once a week, workers should remove the secondary dome filter located below the backpack's enclosed cloth bag; rinse and replace the foam filter. Do the same with the foam filter diffuser. Ideally, after each use, wipe off the vacuum with a damp towel. At the end of the shift, workers should unplug both ends of the cord and wrap it loosely, following its natural contours. (Avoid tight twisting, tangles, and knots that ruin cords.) Vacuuming Routine Teach workers to vacuum under the wastebasket first. Why? Because the vacuuming specialist works in tandem with the light duty specialist for quality control. The light duty specialist has gone before; the vac specialist acts as a double-check on trash since unemptied wastebaskets are the most frequent complaint of building tenants in large facilities. Next, vacuum traffic areas, and so on. Training Cleaning Personnel as Professional Specialists Page 2 Tricks of the trade improve professionalism. For example, put furniture back exactly as it belongs. Place chairs at desks or conference tables about 2 inches away from desks and tables to prevent wear and tear. This kind of professional touch, where consistency is visible, is pleasing to the people who use the space. Another tip: Analyze rooms and halls for the best place to plug in the vacuum, where workers can get the most from the 50-foot cord. Mark these optimal sockets with small self-stick dots. You can also use color-coded dots to remind vacuum specialists, which doors are to be left open, which closed, and which locked, since the vacuum specialist is usually the last team member to enter and leave an area. The Restroom Specialist Yes, there is a right way to clean a restroom. If a worker does two things wrong, compounded by 20 restrooms a day, you can bet that the results will generate complaints with the people who matter most-users of restrooms. However, what patrons see or smell is not the most important issue. The first principle is to clean for health first, appearance second. Protecting public health is crucial, so minimizing germs-disease-causing microbes and bacteria-is Job #1. This leads naturally to a second principle: Use clean tools. The third vital principle is to use a systematic, scientific approach to the entire restroom cleaning process. Work Flow Proper training means having a step-by-step procedure for workers to follow a standardized, repeatable, trackable pattern. First, identify all the steps necessary to clean a restroom. By eliminating wasted motion, the process can be reduced to about 15 steps, with the worker required to make only a couple of decisions. These steps incorporate consistent, reliable, sanitary cleaning standards. One key point in work flow planning is this: Always clean from top to bottom. Move the dirt from walls and fixtures onto the floor, where it's easier to sweep or swab. Some other key steps are: flush all toilets and urinals first and apply a precise solution of disinfectant. Let stand 10 minutes while handling other tasks. Refill all soap, paper and tissue dispensers; empty trash containers. Continuing cleaning from top to bottom; disinfect door handles, flushing handles and faucets every day. Set out the "Wet Floor" sign; rinse and clean the bucket and mop thoroughly when done. The idea is to eliminate all guesswork by mapping routines and methods in detail for the workers, and training them accordingly (and retraining when necessary). Tools Of The Trade Bacteria multiply. In fact, they can double every fifteen minutes -- unless controlled through proper disinfecting. Germs can cross-contaminate from place to place if workers use dirty equipment. The best tool for toilets is a disinfectant applicator-essentially a bowl brush. Brush applicators are good because they shake off dryer than wet-mop varieties of applicators, and they air-dry faster. That means less chance for bacteria to multiply, as they tend to do in warm, moist, dark places like custodians' closets. It is best to use a wet-mop acid applicator in bowls once a week, and use the disinfectant brush daily. Training Cleaning Personnel as Professional Specialists Page 3 We've found that for floors and other surfaces, a compact "flat" mop, such as those imported from Switzerland, is another good tool for restroom specialists. Unlike the big, old, longhandled rag mop, the flat mop is ergonomically correct for the job: lightweight, maneuverable, fits into more compact buckets, which in turn fits easier onto the restroom cart. It enables the specialist to disinfect restroom walls and stalls without bending over, and, of course, to mop floors quickly and effectively. Timesaver tip: A short "fill hose" that connects to restroom faucets allows refilling mop buckets on site without trips to the utility closet. More Tricks of The Trade Include restroom floors in the vacuuming specialist's routine. The backpack vacuum is a very effective tool for quickly removing what brooms often miss: Hair and lint, dirt and dust in grout, fine particulate. Another ergonomically designed aid for restroom specialists is the lobby dustpan and broom. The lobby dustpan-ideally suited to removing large debris quickly-has a long handle with a pistol grip that is easier to use and reduces fatigue because the worker doesn't need to bend down. Restroom floors can be quickly spritzed prior to mopping using this tool. Choice of cleaning wipes is a major issue. We say categorically, "No synthetics and no paper." Synthetics don't absorb well, and paper is environmentally wasteful. The ideal towel for cleaning restrooms is soft and absorbent, such as a cotton bar towel or terry cloth. Launder towels regularly and often. Always use clean tools. Organizing the Work Systematically A distribution tray saves a lot of time for every restroom specialist. The tray acts like a transportable supply case containing safety glasses, keys, pre-measured packets of cleaning solutions, and the daily supplies needed to do the job right the first time. The trays are loaded in advance by the supervisor and ready to go. This, by the way, is a good idea as well for distributing the chemicals and supplies needed by other members of the specialist team. It reduces mistakes, helps workers stick to right procedures and dilution ratios. Portion packaging of chemicals is a blessing for scientific management of the cleaning process. The pre-measured chemical dissolves instantly, must meet EPA requirements if it is a germicidal product, and it always mixes in the same way. We recommend setting up a "one-to-one" system, color-coded when possible-for example, 1 pink packet into a 1-gallon bucket; 1 blue packet into a blue 1-quart spray bottle. Modern cleaning chemicals are often so versatile that many major facilities find they can limit cleaning products to only three chemicals and one disinfectant. Workers enjoy a simplified system-and can therefore clean better and faster than they could when facing a jumble of 10 bottles in the old-time custodian's closet. Hospital environments may, of course, require a few more chemical products for handling blood-borne pathogens, etc. Training Cleaning Personnel as Professional Specialists Page 4 The Finer Points We teach restroom workers to change the water whenever it becomes soiled. Remember: use clean tools-it's basic; it's important; it bears repeating frequently. We also recommend protective gloves and goggles. The health and safety aspect of cleaning is as vital for workers as it is for restroom users. Workloading with Specialist Cards Job cards are a valuable tool not only for training, but also for tracking daily cleaning. The basic principle for specialist teams is to define in logical steps who is doing what, when, how, where, in what order, and how often. And write it down-summarize it preferably on color-coded cards that can be carried by specialists. Cards guide each specialist-in this case, the restroom specialist-in following a course of action, step by step, to accomplish high-quality cleaning at top efficiency. This applies to the other specialists too, including the light-duty specialist (trash & dusting) and the utility specialist (miscellaneous work & floors). Their work can also be assessed and mapped (along with appropriate equipment, supplies, techniques and training procedures) in the same careful manner as was done for the vacuuming and restroom specialists. The specialists then learn exactly how to do their own jobs, while also learning how the work of other team members complements and supports their work. The usual outcome is strong team spirit and genuine pride in workmanship as members pull together. Launching a Specialist Team System The best way to overcome resistance to change is through direct exposure, knowledge and experience. Demonstrations and hands-on training sessions that include step-by-step exercises in procedures and techniques go a long way to turning individual workers into a team of professional cleaning specialists. By equipping workers properly and training them to perform the work using good techniques, organizations will reap the financial and psychological rewards of having a precision "assembly line" of team specialists building highly satisfactory cleaning results for themselves, you, and your customers. John Walker is a cleaning industry consultant with ManageMen, Salt Lake City, Utah, and instructs at Janitor University. He can be reached at 801-355-8884. Training Cleaning Personnel as Professional Specialists Page 5