Letters To The Editor Insights from the JanSan industry. Each month, we welcome readers to opine on the noteworthy — or even the trivial — aspects of their lives as JanSan professionals. What follows is some of the correspondence we have received over the past month. I am intrigued enough to wonder if any of the mechanized floor cleaning machines can be used outside once or twice a year to clean our flat roofs. We have a combined 40,000 feet of rub-ber roofing on two buildings in Vineland, New Jersey, that gets horrendously dirty and becomes easily stained. If left on the roof, the “dirt” begins decom-posing and dry rotting — especially where the water puddles sit. If I had a machine lightweight enough to lift, I would use it to clean the roofs. Now, if I were only 20 years old again … There must be several thousands of com-panies who need their roofs cleaned at least once or twice yearly. If you see what I’m getting at, this would make for a profitable new business or add-on service. — Joe Gadala. I belong to the Wisconsin Chapter of the International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA). At times, I travel long distances to cities in Wisconsin to attend a monthly meeting. When I enter the hotel room, the first thing that I do is look for bedbugs. The second thing that I do is inspect the rest of the room to make sure that it has been cleaned properly. I have been in the housekeeping depart-ment of Milwaukee area hotels for 23 years. My jobs have included: Room cleaner, public areas cleaner, inspector, assistant executive housekeeper and execu-tive housekeeper. I will honestly say that I have not yet seen a perfect hotel. — Barbara Feiler. condition of the pavement, parking space lines, overhead lighting and, when I get into the building, it gets really exciting. Inside, I look at the obvious items you describe plus I look for evidence of poor air filtration maintenance, inade-quate lighting, blocking of fire exits and fire alarm pull boxes. Stale, musky odors are a def-inite indicator, as well as oil streaked mirrors. The list goes on and on. I don’t think we are the ones with the problem! Too bad everyone else can’t see the world as “we do.” — Ken Van Zandt. I just had to shoot you a note and say how much I enjoyed your editor’s note in the November issue. I smiled and chuckled through the whole thing. Then, this morning, here I am evaluat-ing the tile flooring at my gym. Ugggg ... there is no getting away from it! — Virginia Petru. Responses to the Cleanthoughts memo from November 2010 titled “Analyzing The Thoughts Of A JanSan Insider.” I agree with you; I don’t look at other hotels like a normal person, either. It appears that you and I are plagued with the same obsession. I, too, have the “inspection disorder” that you describe. Actually, my obsession begins the moment I drive onto the facility parking lot. At that point, I am looking at the overall Do you have something you want to get off your chest or some informational tidbits you want to share with your industry cohorts? Drop Managing Editor Aaron Baunee a line and tell him how you feel at [email protected]. CM www.cmmonline.com 11
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