tackling trouble areas Masking And Eliminating Odors In The Workplace By: Rich Bucher Tips to combat unpleasant smells in office buildings, educational facilities and other areas where odors linger. A As the old saying goes, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” But, in an industrial, institutional or work setting, cleanliness becomes some-thing more earthbound — and, removing unwanted matter from surfaces is the real key in fighting malodors. Foul smells in a building are typically caused by the presence of bacteria left to breed through either infrequent or inade-quate cleaning procedures — possibly both. Although odor problems can be preva-lent in any area of a building, there are certain spots that tend to have more odor issues than others — primarily restrooms and break rooms. Odors can be masked, but janitors, custodians and housekeeping personnel should strive to keep in mind that freshening the air is only a temporary solution that can actually make matters worse; masking air fresheners can combine with smells already present and result in an even more offensive odor than before. Making the air smell nice only masks the odors and does not get to the root of the problem: The growth of bacteria. Your scenting program should begin with the complete removal of soils from surfaces before selecting a fragrance considered soothing by occupants in a given area. 38 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • March 2013
CMM – Archives Mar 2013: 38
