CM/Spotlight: Restroom Care surfactant to help with the initial cleaning ■ Some contain protease, enzymes designed specifically to help remove spots and blood from carpets ■ Some bioenzymatic cleaners may work better than others in certain situations and on certain surfaces ■ Cleaning effectiveness may vary based on what other cleaning chemicals were used on the surface before the bioen-zymatic cleaner was applied; in gen-eral, bleach and most disinfectants will minimize or eliminate the cleaning abil-ity of bioenzymatic cleaners, as well as degrade the microbial efficacy of the disinfectant. Then, in many cases, the bioenzymatic cleaner is sprayed onto a surface. For instance, in a restroom, the cleaner would be sprayed on the floor around toi-lets and urinals, creating a super-colony of bioenzymatic cleaners to go after the embedded soils. One of the unusual qualities of bioenzy-matic cleaners is that they can continue to work for several hours, even days, after they have been applied to a surface as long as the area remains moist under moderate room temperature and soils are present. This is especially helpful for removing deeply embedded soils such as those found in grout areas or breaking down hard-to-reach odor-causing bacteria under tiles, in urinal piping or in floor drains. However, it should be noted that, while bioenzymatic cleaners break down soils and waste, the waste is not necessarily completely digested. Surfaces should always be wiped clean to remove lingering soils. 2/19/10 3:38 PM Page 1 Are Bioenzymatic Cleaners For You? Much of bioenzymatic cleaners’ effective-ness depends on the cleaning challenges in your facility. They are especially effective at eliminat-ing odors, typically caused by bacteria, as well as cleaning hard-to-reach areas. Carpet cleaning technicians find them to be effective when used as a spotter for treating organic soils, to remove specific soils from carpets and when performing encapsulation carpet cleaning. Additionally, as referenced earlier, they are often used to clean commercial kitch-ens and foodservice areas where grease and oil buildup are common. In fact, many now consider bioenzymatic cleaners a cleaning worker’s “life saver.” The bottom line: Bioenzymatic cleaners offer facility managers and BSCs a safe, efficacious and cost-effective tool to clean facilities with minimal impact on the user, building occupants or the environment. CM How To Use Them Bioenzymatic cleaners can be used to clean a variety of surfaces from countertops and tile and grout areas to carpets. Similar to other cleaning products, they must be diluted and used according to manufacturer’s instructions. Custodial Supervisor.qxp:Layout 1 Sharon Hillis at 518.640.9163 or [email protected] For more information, contact: Teach the people, management and administrative skills of successful custodial supervisors and watch staff morale and productivity increase. CMI’s Custodial Supervisor Training and Certification Course pro-vides the knowledge and skills your supervisors need to efficiently and effectively manage the operation with minimal environmental impact. Modern buildings made of modern materials require modern equipment, chemicals and techniques in order to keep them sanitary, safe and in proper operating condition. They also require a high degree of knowledge and skill from the custodial teams that clean them. The vast variety of floor surfaces alone, requires extensive knowledge if we are to adequately protect a company’s investment in their assets. The Custodial profession has never been so important to the efficiency of an organization and a healthy environment. www.cminstitute.net 30 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • November 2012
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