The annual flu season is headed our way. So is the annual flu vaccine.

But will this year's shot be more effective than last year's version, when an unexpectedly strong strain of flu walloped thousands of Californians?

"We think it's better this year but won't know for certain until the flu season begins," said Dr. Erica Pan, Alameda County deputy health officer.

Flu season typically runs from October through May, but in the Bay Area, peak season hits in January and February.

Experts say the strength of the vaccine all comes down to how well manufacturers -- which work months in advance to produce shots -- predict the strains of flu that will hit us.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Tom Frieden receives a flu shot from nurse B.K. Morris during an event about flu vaccinations, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015, at the National Press Club in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin / AP)

Three kinds of viruses commonly circulate among people today, according to the Centers for Disease Control: two types of influenza A, H1N1 and H3N2, and influenza B viruses. The CDC said all of the 2015-16 vaccines will protect against those three viruses, and so far, health officials say, they appear to be on target.

Dr. Scott Morrow, San Mateo County's health officer said flu vaccine predictions start early every year based on what kind of flu strains are hitting people in the Southern Hemisphere during their flu season, which is the opposite of ours.

Manufacturers try to determine if the same flu strains will make their way to us in the Northern Hemisphere. Last year, Morrow said, "their guess was not as great as it could have been.''

More at source: Mercury News

Find A Cleaning Service Here

Ribbon cutting: MTO Janitorial

Courtesy The Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce did a ribbon cutting for new member, MTO Janitorial located at 5810 N. Prairie Ln. Pictured is (left-right) Chamber Ambassador, Jean Lupa, MTO's Relations Coordinator, Jann Watts, MTO's Office Manage, April Chavez, Owner of MTO Janitorial, Lucy Leyva with her husband Juan, Chamber Ambassador, Lesa West, and Membership Services Director, Zack Hurt . For more information on the services offered by MTO Janitorial you can contact them by calling (928)772-0004 or you can visit their website at www.mtojanitorial.com

 South Central Inc., a division of New York-based ABM Industries Inc. (NYSE: ABM), will cut approximately 260 Houston jobs due to the loss of a janitorial services contract.

The company’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport worksite, 2800 N. Terminal Road, will close, and the jobs will be cut on Oct. 31, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification letter sent to the Texas Workforce Commission.

The employees do not have union representation, nor do they have bumping rights, meaning more senior employees cannot take the jobs of those with less seniority.

ABM Industries is a building maintenance firm with a market value of $1.7 billion, according to StreetAuthority. Janitorial services account for about half of the company’s more than $5 billion in annual revenue, and ABM’s janitorial services market share is about five times that of its closest competitor, according to StreetAuthority.

As of Oct. 31, 2014, the ABM Industries had about 118,000 employees companywide, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Source: Biz Journals

Find A Janitorial Service Here. 

BANGOR, Maine — There was a thick layer of dust on the air intake units at Penobscot County Jail, so about 40 inmates were shipped to other facilities earlier this week to allow cleaners access to the ducts blocked by bars, Sheriff Troy Morton said Friday.

“It was filthy,” the sheriff said of the air cleaning units that were installed about 25 years ago. “It needed to be done.”

There were no health problems reported before the cleaning, Morton said. The project started Monday, and several inmates have already returned, Morton said. The inmates were sent to Cumberland County Jail or Somerset County Jail.

“We sent a friendly note to local [police departments] and the courts to let them know,” Morton said.

Jail officials didn’t want local police or the court system to be caught off guard, in case they were looking for a specific person at the jail for interviews or for court, the sheriff said.

“It’s an everyday battle,” Morton said, referring to the fact the overcrowded jail in Bangor typically boards out inmates on a daily basis.

The jail has a listed capacity of 156 inmates, with an average daily population of 177 and typically boarding out 56 inmates at other facilities, officials said earlier this year.

With the 40 displaced by the air duct cleaning project, the total boarded out Thursday was 90, the sheriff said.

Jail officials also are taking advantage of the fact the cells are empty and are painting and cleaning them, Morton said. The paint and supplies cost around $3,500, he said, adding he didn’t know the expense of the duct cleaning work.

“The labor is being done by inmates and supervised by our staff,” the sheriff said.

A total of 16 inmates spent a portion of Friday cleaning and applying paint to the walls, Morton said.

Source: Bangor Daily News

Find A Cleaning Service Here

There is nothing like having a clean house. It can make the difference between a stressful home or a peaceful one. Here are seven miraculous cleaning products that will change your life and make your home and family life that much better.

1. A good vacuum

I hated my carpet. We had only lived in our home three years and we already needed to replace the carpets. They were dingy, flat and definitely not something you wanted your kids playing on. Then, something came into my life that was a complete game changer. I got a new vacuum. I had a nice vacuum before; it’s a vacuum, and all it needs to do is suck up the gunk on the floor, right? WRONG. I discovered the powers of a Dyson Vacuum. This vacuum worked wonders on my carpets. They look brand new again. I vacuumed the day before with my old vacuum and it was shocking to hear and see just how much my Dyson picked up off the floor just a day later. My carpet is soft, clean and inviting now. Trust me, it is well worth the money spent. I spent more buying vacuum after vacuum before. Having a good vacuum changes everything.

You can find Dyson products at any big retail store that sellss vacuums as well as by visiting www.dyson.com. You may also consider another great vacuum found atwww.sharkclean.com.

2. Bar Keepers Friend

This should really be named Bar Keepers BEST Friend. Seriously, this stuff is fantastic! I can't think of an area of my home I haven't used it on. You can use it anywhere, from outdoors right into your kitchen. I fell in love with this product when I was struggling with hard water stains on my glass shower. A friend recommended it to me, and as a last resort I gave it a shot. I was immediately hooked. After using it, you couldn't even tell there was glass there. It was perfect! It works great in the kitchen to shine up stainless steel sinks and even cookware.

Bar Keepers Friend can be found at all retail stores. Visit www.barkeepersfriend.comfor more information.

3. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

I bet I am not the only parent out there that has walked into a room to discover it newly redecorated with toddler artwork all over the walls. I don't panic anymore. I know that the Magic Eraser will get it off. I use this product on my walls way more than I should admit. It is also great for getting scuff marks off baseboards and for cleaning up dingy blinds. I have even used it to spruce up tennis shoes before handing them down to my next son. I always make sure to have one on hand. You never know when you will need it.

More at source: News OK

Find A Cleaning Service Here. 

Former Janitor meets with Hillary Clinton. Report states he saved for over a 

Year to make contribution. 

Full story at ABC. 

Find A Janitorial Service Here. 

A janitor was assaulted in a bathroom at Chelsea Piers on Sept. 11, according to police. 

CHELSEA — A man using the bathroom at Chelsea Piers repeatedly whacked a janitor on the head with a plunger and punched him after the janitor accidentally bumped him with his mop, police said. 

The 63-year-old janitor, who was cleaning the public bathroom on the north side of the building, was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital and had a bloody left ear and bruises and swelling on the left side of his face, according to police and workers there.

Soon after the incident that took place on Sept. 11 just after 9 a.m., police arrested Billy Thomas, 46, and charged him with assault.

More at source: DNAINFO.com 

Find a janitorial service here. 

Custodians took home an average pay of $109,467 in the 2013-14 school year — and 634 of the city’s 799 custodians earned more than $100,000 in salary and overtime during that time, city payroll records show.

That’s because of the city’s 1,500 school buildings, 238 have no full-time custodian on site, up 74 percent from the 137 empty slots in 2012, according to data from the custodians union.

The arrangement is forcing nearly one-third of the city’s 737 custodians to cover two schools — and reap additional pay.

So why not hire more janitors and avoid the double pay for overtime?  Maybe it has something to do with all the perks, including retirement arrangements, that don’t seem to figure into the average pay reported above.

More at source: American Thinker

Find A Janitorial Service Here.