Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke gets a lot of complaints against air duct businesses.
 
Hiring an air duct cleaner can be tricky, because typically customers don't know what it looks like inside the ducts.
 
So when it's all over, customers don't know if they got their money's worth.
 
John Varvel hired Indoor Air Solutions.
 
"We don't make a lot of money -- tight budget," Varvel said.
 
He put $900 down, then he changed his mind and asked for a refund.
 
"Extremely frustrating,” Varvel said. “We cannot afford to lose $900."
 
Around the same time, another customer said IAS did the work, but that a line started dripping and that he couldn't get the company to come back, that customer said in an email to Action 9.

More at source: WSOCTV

Find a cleaning service here. 

Lorena Arita, a member of Tufts University’s custodial staff, comes to West Hall dormitory every morning and tries to ignore the threat of layoffs as she works to keep the building clean. Coming to Tufts in 1998, after the university had outsourced its custodial staff to DTZ, a property services company, she and her coworkers have experienced long work weeks and rising efficiency standards. Now, as Tufts seeks to renew its contract with DTZ, Tufts Labor Coalition (TLC), a student group that advocates for university employees, is stepping in to protest the possible cuts.

“Rumors began spreading from DTZ managers to janitors that there would be cuts to personnel sometime this year,” said TLC president, Tufts sophomore, Lior Appel-Kraut, “The administration hasn’t denied it. . . claiming that these cuts [may] need to be made to increase efficiency.”

TLC planned escalating demonstrations to raise awareness around the potential cuts, which culminated in a 31-hour sit-in at the end of the semester in Ballou Hall, Tufts’ central administrative building.

More at source: USA Today

Find a janitorial service here. 

Law360, New York (January 05, 2015, 6:52 PM ET) -- Custodial company Coverall North America Inc. and a class of 166 franchisees have settled a long-running wage-and-hour suit a week before arguments were to begin in the First Circuit, announcing an end to a case in which a federal judge had ruled the janitorial franchisees were employees under Massachusetts law.

More at source: Law 360

Find a janitorial service here. 

 

1. Vacuum in both directions. If you don't, you're likely to miss small pieces of dirt and dust that get trapped under the fibers of your carpet. 

Looking for more vacuuming tips? Read about the seven most common vacuuming mistakes here.

2. Vodka can clean mildew and mold. Spray onto mold or mildew, wait ten minutes, and rinse clean to eliminate the problem.

Have an excess of vodka after the holidays? Here are 12 unexpected uses to clean your whole house.

3. Newspaper is not actually the best cleaner for glass. It can leave streaks and ink marks, so use rags or paper towels instead. 

We busted six more cleaning myths undefined read them here.

4. Replace your loofah! The fluffy cleaners are breeding grounds for all sorts of gross bacteria. Make sure to replace yours every few weeks.

Read more about the dirtiest places in your bathroom.

5. You can make your own all-purpose cleaner. Combine baking soda and water, and you'll never need to buy brand again. 

Want your cleaners to go completely homemade? Find more recipes here!

6. Reusable grocery bags are gross. (But only if you use them to carry meat!) Half of the bags tested carried disease-causing bacteria like E.coli. Ew!

What other secret spots in your kitchen are dirty? Find out here!

7. Clean... your house plants? Yes, really. Shine and dust their leaves to make sure they're living to their fullest potential. 

More at source: House Beautiful

Find a cleaning service near you. 

NORTON SHORES, MI – Muskegon-based paper and supply company Nicholsrecently announced the latest expansion to its ever-growing operation.

The company, headquartered at 1391 Judson Road in Norton Shores, acquired Kellermeyer of Bowling Green, Ohio, on Oct. 28. It is the latest acquisition the company has made over the course of its 78-year history.

In the last 26 years, Nichols has acquired ICS of Waterford in 2013, the sanitary supply business of Great Lakes Air Gas in 2004, Van Wood Chemical of Grand Rapids in 1992 and Marvin Albers Co. of Holland in 1988.

"We are excited to have brought together these two strong and successful family-owned businesses," Nichols CEO Mike Olthoff said in a press release. "Kellermeyer has always been a highly regarded company and we are happy to have joined forces to continue to provide high-quality products and solutions and to expand our presence in the Great Lakes Region."

Kellermeyer has been a janitorial and industrial supply distributor for more than 70 years. The multi-million-dollar company specializes in industrial, education, building service contractors and healthcare markets in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

Its facility in Bowling Green will operate under the name Kellermeyer-Nichols. Kellermeyer President and CEO Jill Kegler will remain with the company, serving as general manager.

"This is an exciting opportunity for Kellermeyer, our customers and our team members," Kegler said in the release. "Nichols is a highly reputable company with strong values and ethics. I am pleased to be a part of the team and look forward to the future."

Nichols paper was founded in 1936. It has Michigan branch locations in Muskegon, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Holland and Traverse City.

More at source: MLIVE

Find a janitorial service here. 

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) -

 ompany that specializes in cleaning homes in ruinous states is going to help clean a house infested with rats.

Laura Spaulding, with Spaulding DeCon, is taking on the task of cleaning up a south Saint Petersburg home, once hundreds of rats are removed.

Spaulding got a frantic call from the Coleman family. She specializes in cleaning up crimes scenes and animal hoarding homes.

Now she is donating her time to help clean up.

"I think this house is a house of horrors. Now it's even worse," she said.

The problem started in 2012 when Florine Brown brought home a few rats. They began multiplying and Brown made each her pet.

"A couple of times I almost got arrested because I'm trying to tell her to do the right thing," Lonnie Coleman, Brown's uncle.

Coleman lives inside the family home and hears the noise of nearly 700 rats roaming.

"It is kind of mind wrecking. You think it's somebody breaking in or something like that," he said.

More at source: Fox News

Find a biohazard cleaning service here. 

You'll spend less time cleaning if you take care of small messes and spills as they happen. De-clutter often, and do similar tasks at the same time, like dusting and vacuuming.

More at source: Philly.com

Find a cleaning service here. 

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/new-roanoke-business-aims-to-make-cleaning-environmentally-friendly/30282170

Green Meets Clean uses only products that are certified to be environmentally friendly.

Co-Owner Paul Thompson says Roanoke's been in line with a nationwide emphasis on going green.

His business already has commercial and residential customers and thinks green cleaning products are the next big step

"None of our products use anything like bleach or ammonia or synthetic fragrances, petroleum petroleum derivitaves, anything like that. Yet, all of our products have to meet the same kinds of standards for effectiveness as any other type of cleaning product," Thompson said.

More at source: CBS

Find a green cleaning service here.

Green cleaning service, how to clean green, commercial green cleaning products, green cleaning for the home or business. USA green cleaning. 

Crews are expected to finish their power-wash cleaning of the vacant venue by January. Workers on Wednesday used platforms or hung from lines to spray cleaning fluids on the the Astrodome.

The Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation last month voted to wash the exterior of the Astrodome, which formerly hosted sports teams and concerts. The cost is estimated at nearly $64,000. The work will be paid for by proceeds from two Astrodome memorabilia sales.

More at source: CBS

Find a cleaning service here. 

How to clean a stadium, stadium cleaning service, who cleans the stadioum, stadioum cleaning supplies. Houston cleaning service. 

Filthy buildings. Principals overseeing cleaning or hiring extra help out of pocket. Teachers scrambling to clean classrooms in time for the first days of school. Reports of missing, broken and misplaced equipment. Mouse poop.

That’s what many Chicago Public School principals say resulted after CPS privatized janitorial services in the schools to the tune of $340 million, and neither CPS nor Aramark have fixed the problems even after being informed of the situation.

UPDATE:
CPS to lay off 476 custodians

Some 226 principals (CPS operates 516 schools) responded to a survey taken by AAPPLE, a new activist group under the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association. The Aramark contract is the first issue the group is tackling, calling now on the Board of Education to rescind its $240 million contract with Aramark if the facilities giant can’t maintain “ordinary tidiness” standards known in the industry as APPA Level 2.

One Southwest Side elementary principal undefined who along with others did not want her name printed for fear of retribution undefined said in a telephone interview that since Aramark took over the school, it has developed a problem with bugs and rodents that are feasting on garbage and on spilled drops of milk on floors that aren’t being cleaned enough, she said.

She’s yet to visit classrooms this  ... 

More at source: Sun Times

Find a janitorial service here.