Green Cleaning Certified Helps Our Planet

First:Improving your knowledge and protects the public, certified green cleaners have met the standards that specifically address health and safety concerns of most consumers. Products used by certified green cleaners must meet the criteria, ensuring they are environmentally safe, free of ozone depleting chemicals and less likely to be toxic to our water system. 

Second:Becoming aware of the potential health consequences of some chemical products would amaze and boggle the mind. 

Third: Read the label I think everyone will be quite surprised. Some companies have pledges not to use knowingly harmful chemicals in their products, so these are the best products to buy if you’re looking to clean green. Most green products advertise they are green and don’t use harmful ingredients.Having the peace of mind in a clean and healthy home or office, without the worry of harmful chemicals surrounding your loved ones, is priceless.

A clean business space can reduce the risk of illness for your employees, increase productivity, and even reduce stress. But does the need for a clean work setting also mean that you need to pollute the air (and work surfaces) with potentially dangerous chemicals?

Even though chemical cleaners can sanitize and disinfect surfaces, reducing the likelihood of spreading illness-causing bacteria and viruses, they can also cause allergic reactions, skin irritations, respiratory issues, and other health problems.

If you want a clean commercial space but want to avoid harsh chemicals, green cleaning is an alternative that works. 

We as people are like a virus by using regular cleaning products that have toxic chemicals in them, we are attacking or breaking down our plants self detoxing system. Just like there are bad viruses, there are good viruses which are the people that practice or apply using green products to help our environment.

They are no better way to know, then to educate yourself on what or how killing germs and reducing the spread of infection than to take these steps. 

Ingredients To Watch Out For in Cleaning Products

·       Formaldehyde...this has actually been found in certain laundry detergents!

·       Thiourea

·       Perchloroethylene

·       Nonylphenol Ethoxylate

·       Butoxydiglycol

·       DEGBE

·       Phthalates...these are often listed as "fragrance"

·       Ammonia

Many of these ingredients are skin or lung irritants and some are carcinogens. 

Find Professional Certified Green Cleaning Firms Here

Going Green

AcoStar Cleaning LLC is genuinely committed to protecting environmental health as well as the health of our employees and clients.  We operate green for that reason.

Introducing green training for all employees, in collaboration with environmentally friendly equipment and products abridges our dedication to environmental health.  We leave everything, including this planet, better than we found it.

We Eliminate Waste

We do this in two ways.  First, we make sure that we eliminate physical waste.  As much as possible, we use recycled items, such as bags or paper products, and items that we can recycle or repurpose.  The less waste we generate from our business practices that better we serve you the environment.

Second, we eliminate waste in business practices and processes.  For example, we recognize how valuable your time is, and we ensure that the practices we incorporate into our processes are timesaving value-maximizing processes.  

We Are Value-Focused

We constantly are monitoring and incorporating elements into the business that provide value to you and eliminated elements that are not of value.  This helps us to ensure that we are efficient in providing the service you need without wasting time on issues of little importance.  In doing this, we ensure you are getting the best value for your money.

We Maintain the Five P's

We are continuously seeking to improve Processes, Purposes, People, and Perfection.

Process

We always make sure to streamline our processes by asking ourselves and our customers “What do we do well?” and “How can we improve?” 

Purpose

What is the reason we do what we do?  Sure, it’s of course to provide excellence in cleaning and customer support.  But we also do what we do for a deeper purpose.  We care about the environment and the space you spend your time in.  We care about you and your health.  We care about your children.  We care about your pets.  And we want to make sure your health and their health is not at risk in the place where you should feel the safest. 

People

You

We want nothing more than for you to feel at ease knowing that your home or office is in good care with us.  You spend most of your time at either work or home, and let’s face it, you feel happier when your space is not only clean, but it’s safe from toxic chemicals.  We’ll provide you that peace of mind.

Our Staff

We make sure our staff is properly trained in the following:

·       Cleaning products and their ingredients

·       Cleaning techniques

·       Safety on the job

·       Communication

·       Leadership

·       Ethics

·       Problem-solving

·       Time management

Perfection

We know that nothing in life is perfect for everyone.  But we’re not focused on everyone, we’re focused on you.  What is your idea of a perfectly clean home?  What should we focus on to maximize value to you?  Let us know what makes you happy, and we’ll work hard until it’s perfect for you and your needs.  

Peace of Mind

You shouldn't have to worry about adding unnecessary health risks to your coworkers or family due to exposure to toxic cleaning chemicals.  You should always have peace of mind knowing that not only are you providing a safe place to work and live, you're also doing your part to help the environment without having to do anything except let us help you with your cleaning needs.  It's a "win" all the way around!

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In today's environment with all types of germs and allergens thriving on our surfaces that can make you ill. Living in a clean home is most important to you and your family. It is your duty to keep your home germ free and dust free with the help of a cleaning service.

https://www.ijcsa.org/House-Cleaning-Services

Cleanliness is totally related to disease prevention and hygiene. Various cleaning services play an important role in achieving this.Maintaining a clean environment is for the health of humans,as their health completely depends on the atmosphere around them.

It is of great important to have knowledge about working with Bloodborne Pathogens. It teaches you and your employees how to be safe while working. Knowing the procedure OSHA gives you the capability of doing the work the right way.

OSHA bloodborne pathogen or infection in human blood can cause diseases in employees. The Pathogen can cause Hepatitis B(HBV) C(CHV) and immune deficiency virus (HIV) and can cause death if not treated in time.

When doing this kind of work you have to make sure you and your employees have the proper Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to work with or you can be contaminated, OSHA gives you a better insight how to prepare and protect yourself and employees from getting infected with these diseases. Very important is to remember that you and your employees must be vaccinated after initial Bloodborne Pathogen training and within 10 working days of any assignment.

IJCSA is not your average cleaning service provider. If you ever worry about being unsatisfied, IJCSA would surely take those fears away. They don't just clean and go. They clean with care. Care for place, and care for customers. SATISFACTION is their assurance for every client and every customer.

If you ever think about getting someone to clean your place, here's a few companies you could check to meet your standards:
https://www.cswpbc.com/
http://www.anointedhandscs.com/
https://www.biocleanllc.com/

They will leave your place SPOTLESS.

Mold has had its 15 minutes of fame over the last few years. Though the hype has died down, mold—and mold remediation—in homes is still an important issue. Customer complaints require home builders to have a fast action plan, both to clean up the mold problem and to show customers that a quality home builder (you) is looking out for their health and safety and the durability of their home.

There are two important things to remember about mold:

1. Prevent it by doing things right the first time 

2. When you do face mold, take care of it immediately.

 

Ensuring your warranty team follows a process for mold remediation will take care of the latter.

The following steps, which can be adapted to fit within your company's policy, serve as a basic process for quickly remediating mold problems.

 

 

Step 1: Learn about moisture

Assessing mold growth involves more than just looking at what's visibly growing on the walls or in a corner. Mold can be an invisible intruder, growing behind and around what you first see. Such devious behavior requires inquisitive thinking.

First, understand that behind all mold growth is a water or moisture problem. Second, become a master of moisture — know where moisture comes from and how it gets into the home. The ultimate goal of these two steps is for warranty representatives to identify a moisture source and use its location to help locate all mold growth, not just what's immediately visible.

 

Mold grows by releasing its reproductive cells (spores) into the air. Spores are invisible to the naked eye, and mold can spread and grow anywhere in the home as long as moisture and oxygen are present. Common surfaces that harbor mold growth include drywall, insulation, tile, fabrics, and wood.

 

Step 2: Document the mold problem and create a remediation plan

Before you begin mold removal, document the mold situation with writing, photos and video. The warranty team supervisor will use the documentation to develop a remediation plan, which typically answers questions like when work is slated to begin, when that work is scheduled to be completed, who will be performing the remediation, any testing that should be done, and if homeowners will be temporarily relocated. In the longer term, the documentation can help manage liability for your company or point to larger trends in mold growth.

 

Why mold in the home is a problem: Aside from the fact that it looks unsightly and unclean, mold has ramifications for people's health. Mold spores that land in a wet or damp location can begin to grow and can produce allergens, irritants, and potentially toxic substances, affecting indoor air quality and occupant health. Continuous exposure to mold in home environments can cause or worsen homeowners' pre-existing health conditions. (Photo: Pexels / Joanna Bu)

 

Step 3: Calculate the extent of the mold contamination

Mold may not always grow in one area, so you need to figure out how much contamination you're really looking at. Calculating the extent of the contamination will impact how you approach mold removal and clean up. The goal of mold removal is to clean up mold growing within the home, and to avoid exposing homeowners to large amounts of mold.

The New York City Department of Health (NYC DOH) has developed guidelines for cleaning up mold contamination. These guidelines are widely used in the construction industry and recommend six levels of mold removal based on the square footage of the mold and whether or not the mold is located within the home's HVAC system. Following the NYC DOH's guidelines, available online, calculate the remediation level needed.

 

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Step 4: Remediate mold contamination

Remediation will always involve cleaning up existing mold while avoiding exposure to oneself as well as homeowners, as well as preventing new growth by addressing the moisture source. Based on your calculation of the contamination area, determine if you're working in an area up to 30 square feet (approximately the size of a full sheet of drywall). If so, you'll be following the guidelines for remediation levels 1 and 2. Level 1 remediation is used for small, isolated areas of mold up to 10 square feet and Level 2 remediation covers square footage from 10 to 30 square feet.

 

The cleanup process is the same for Level 1 and Level 2 mold remediation and is comprised of these steps:

• Repair the water problem. This will help prevent new mold spores from growing.
• Isolate the contaminated area. Close all doors and windows between the contaminated area and other rooms of the home for both levels. For Level 2 remediation, also cover all doorways and any other openings with 6 mil polyethylene sheeting. Seal all seams of the sheeting with duct tape and slip openings in the sheeting to enter the contaminated area.
• Suppress dust. Do this by misting the contaminated areas.
• Remove materials. Remove all wet and mold-damaged porous materials. Check with your supervisor and reference Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documents on mold remediation if you're not sure which materials to remove.
• Place materials in plastic bags. Discard all wet and moldy materials in plastic bags that are at least 6 mil thick, double-bag the materials, and tie the bags closed. The bags can be disposed of as regular trash once the outside of the bags are wiped with a damp cloth and detergent solution prior to leaving the contamination area.
• Clean. All non-porous materials and wood surfaces that are moldy must be cleaned. Use a wire brush on all moldy surfaces and then wipe the area with disposable wipes. To dispose of as regular trash, discard wipes in 6 mil polyethylene bags, double-bag and tie closed. Finally, scrub all moldy surfaces using a damp cloth and detergent solution until all mold has been removed and rinsed cleaned surfaces with clean water.
• Clean the affected area and egress. The process for Level 1 differs from Level 2 at this point. For Level 1, clean with a damp cloth and/or mop with detergent solution. Level 2 requires you to vacuum all surfaces with a HEPA vacuum, and then clean all surfaces with a damp cloth and/or mop and detergent solution. Discard wipes as described above.
• Visibility test. All areas should be visibly free of contamination and debris — no dust and dirt means no mold.
• Dry. Cleaned materials should be dried to allow leftover moisture to evaporate. To speed up the drying process, use fans, dehumidifiers or raise the indoor air temperature.
• Replace. All materials that were moved should be replaced or repaired.

 

Reference the remediation plan during the actual remediation to make sure it's being followed. If additional mold is discovered during the clean up, the warranty supervisor should update the plan.

For contamination areas greater than 30 square feet, many builders hire outside mold removal firms to perform the clean up. In this case, you and your team switch from actually performing mold remediation to supervising a qualified contractor. Having a general understanding of the proper procedures an outside company should be following is useful. The NYC DOH guidelines address such procedures for Level 3 contamination and above.

 

Step 5: Determine if cleanup has been successful

Just because the mold is gone and there's no dirt or dust doesn't mean that you're done. Your last step is to determine if your clean-up efforts have been successful. While this last step is a judgment call, there are some options and guidelines to follow.

The EPA document, Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings, is a great resource that provides guidelines for helping you complete your clean up efforts. Some of these guidelines include:

• The moisture problem has been fixed. Verify this by revisiting the home soon after remediation — you shouldn't see any signs of recurring water damage.
• No sign of visible mold, mold-damaged materials or moldy odors.
• Homeowners should be able to occupy or re-occupy the home without physical symptoms or aggravated health complaints.

 

Depending on your company and the specific details of a mold problem, additional testing by an environmental testing company may be performed after the clean up to verify that all mold has been removed.

When it comes to mold, the key is to implement a comprehensive moisture management strategy. Potential liability and health issues from mold can be dramatically decreased by doing it right the first time. Clean up must be immediate and thorough, following a process like the above steps. It may sound over-simplified, but the primary failure in response to homeowner complaints is simply the fact that builders don't respond fast enough, or with the emphasis that the issue is potentially serious.

Minimum personal protection equipment for levels 1 and 2 remediation includes an N95 respirator, eye goggles without vents and rubber gloves that extend to mid-forearm.

It is very important to know and learn about the care that one has to have when encountering cases where is to clean bloodborne pathogens as a cleaning job that I have already learned today to be very careful when these cases arise

All employers have a responsibility to educate their employees about the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens and are required to provide OSHA bloodborne pathogen training, especially to those in the healthcare sector. This type of training has been made mandatory for businesses that have a high likelihood of exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

All employees should be aware of the procedures of cleaning and decontaminating areas that have had contact with blood, vomit, and/or other bodily fluids. It is always safer to assume that these things may be the source of some type of bloodborne pathogen.

All custodial staff that handles biohazard waste, sharps bins, or other potentially contaminated objects should be educated on how to protect themselves from bloodborne pathogen exposure, as well as the correct procedures to take in the event of an “accident” or event of exposure. Explaining the use of protective equipment and procedures, as well as reporting and follow-up in the event of exposure are requirements that benefit both the employer and employees.

Carpet cleaning is an essential part of every building, residential or commercial. It is one of the best ways to improve indoor air quality and overall indoor health. For maximum life expectancy of carpets and resilient fibers, thorough carpet cleaning is a must have. Especially for higher traffic areas and heavy use areas, it is imperative to deep clean all areas regularly.

With recent knowledge gained, we plan on expanding our services to offer regualr carpet cleaning services for all of our customers. As a result we expect to evolve our business into a more complete cleaning service for large and small customers alike.

With the increase in cleaning technology, better cleaning chemicals, newer methodology of cleaning, we believe that we can provide the most comprehensive cleaning and maintenance solutions for all sized companies and businesses. With an emphsis on Green Cleaning to compliment our current services, this additional trade will send us to the top of our market and integrate seamlessly into our existing client base.

It is very important that all the cleaning employees are educated on bloodborne pathogens. Having knowledge of how to properly handle and take care of these potentially deadly pathogens can be a matter of life and death. Employees and staff are the first people on the scene so they having to take extreme measures to prevent the spread of the pathogen and protect their own health.

Bloodborne pathogens and OPIM's such as HPV and HIV are known to cause liver damage and even death. All employees and staff should be properly vaccinated if they know they will potentially come into contact with an infectious agent. With the cleaning staff being informed and vaccinated on these pathogens they should have no problem with properly handling the mess.

In this time especially, we need our cleaning staff's educated on the bloodborne pathogens. If there was exposure to a bloodborne pathogen in a nursing home we would need the staff to be 100 percent sure that they can handle the job. Which means they have to thoroughly inspect, clean, and discard of any contaminated objects or materials. This is why we need our cleaning staff and employees to be highly educated on these pathogens because it isn't just about our health it's about others as well.