Evergreen Building Maintenance provides best rated daily and weekly commercial cleaning services and janitorial services in Kelowna, Kamloops, Vernon, Penticton, Cranbrook, West Kelowna, and Lake Country regions.

Tag Archive for: janitorial cleaning services

Medical Office Cleaning

The Right Medical Office Cleaning Company Can Help Prevent Cross-Contamination

The most important part of medical office cleaning is cross-contamination and infection control.

When a patient walks in the door the last thing they want to have happen is cross-contamination from other people’s illnesses.

Make sure your medical office or dental office is cleaned and sterilized without the worry of harmful micro-organisms that can aggravate already weak immune systems.

Cleaning Medical Offices Is A Specialization

The requirements for medical office cleaning services are not the same as for other types of office cleaning.

In order to properly clean a medical office cleaning staff must learn specialized cleaning procedures and medical awareness training that keep everyone safe.  In addition to other training all cleaning staff must be trained in:

  • “Sharps” handling
  • Different types of sharps disposal containers and how to operate them safely
  • Awareness of bloodborne pathogens and related disposal systems and containers
  • How to handle infectious waste disposal equipment

Medical Office Cleaning Checklist

  • Cleaning medical offices take a little more time than other types of offices. Make sure your medical office cleaning company has budgeted enough time to do a thorough cleaning.
  • There is a difference between disinfecting and sanitizing. It is important to do both on a daily basis for medical office cleaning.
  • Some areas of the clinic will need extra thorough disinfecting. Go over these areas when discussing your cleaning needs with the manager of the cleaning team as well as the cleaners themselves when they first get started.  The last thing you need is for your patients to get infected.
  • There are different types of trash cans and each needs to be handled in the appropriate way. Some can just be emptied the normal way while others will need to be disinfected each time they are emptied.
  • Waiting rooms are a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. This high traffic area needs to be cleaned regularly…more than once every day, in some medical office cleaning cases.
  • Furniture must be thoroughly cleaned daily.
  • Don’t forget that people drop things and put their bags on the floor and under the furniture. The floor around the furniture is especially prone to dirt and infection-causing micro-organisms.
  • The toilet is the most infectious place in the medical clinic. Make sure to budget lots of time for cleaning staff to sanitize, disinfect, and thoroughly SCRUB the inside and outside of the whole toilet, the floor around it, the sink, and all countertops.
  • Air duct cleaning is highly essential in a medical clinic. While germs on the floor, walls, and furniture can be cleaned fairly easily, people often forget about the air ducts.  Dirt, germs, and bacteria get trapped in the air duct and circulate back out into the room.  Make sure to have a proper filtration and cleaning schedule for HVAC systems.
  • If you have toys for the kids consider soaking them in a cleaning solution and allowing them to soak for at least 10 minutes, every day.
  • All touchpoints need to be sanitized. The main touchpoints like doorknobs, table tops, switches should be sanitized daily.
  • Use “green cleaning” products, equipment, and techniques so patients don’t have allergic reactions to cleaning chemicals.

Cleaning medical offices is something that must not be done in a hurry. Frequently touched surfaces must be well cleaned and disinfected to avoid microorganisms growing and transferring from one person to another through such places.

Special attention must also be paid to the kind of products used in cleaning the medical facility. Especially rooms like the doctor’s office, waiting room, restroom, and other common rooms.

Evergreen Building Maintenance has several professional cleaning teams that have experience in medical office cleaning.  Give us a call for a quote.  We’ll work with the specific needs of your medical clinic to keep your staff and patients safe.

Our Experience In Medical Care Facility Cleaning Includes:

  • Medical offices
  • Dental office cleaning
  • Cleaning for elderly care facility
  • Senior’s health center
  • Medical clinic
  • Retirement home cleaning
  • Massage clinic cleaning
  • Medical spa cleaning
  • Other professional office cleaning

Call now for a quote on daily or weekly medical office cleaning and janitorial services for your facility: 1-888-959-7304 or 250-800-3732.

Woman in white shirt sitting in an office chair at a desk and laptop, wearing gloves - Professional office cleaning - Evergreen Maintenance commercial cleaning and janitorial services.

How A Professional Office Cleaning Company Prevents The Spread Of Viruses

A professional office cleaning company can play a vital role in controlling the spread of viruses.

Every year people get sick from the flu and other viruses. When people are unable to report to work it causes millions of dollars of lost profits for companies in BC.

How Do Viruses Spread?

WebMd says “Viruses spread from person to person mainly in droplets that fly out when you cough or sneeze. These tiny drops from a sick person go through the air and land on the mouths or noses of others nearby.

Germs are also passed along when you touch mucus droplets from someone else on a surface like a desk and then touch your own eyes, mouth, or nose before you get a chance to wash your hands. Viruses like the flu can live 24 hours or longer on plastic and metal surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and cups.”

Unfortunately, the flu virus isn’t the only virus that can spread easily.

The Spread Of Diseases In An Office Environment Is Worse Than You May Think

The BMC Infectious Diseases Journal published a study in 2006 saying “The most common nosocomial pathogens may survive or persist on surfaces for months and can thereby be a continuous source of transmission if no regular preventive surface disinfection is performed.”

This study was done in a hospital environment and shows the long-lasting power of severe, even deadly viruses. Shari Solomon, president of CleanHealth Environmental LLC, Silver Spring, Maryland says “Over the past few years, a number of infections that we always considered hospital-acquired infections, such as MRSA and C.diff (a bacterium that causes diarrhea and colitis), have become community-acquired infections, as well,”

Not only are superbugs becoming more resistant to antibiotic drugs. Antibiotic-resistant infections are typically spread when people touch a contaminated surface and then touch their mouth, eyes or nose.  This is why handwashing and cleaning of high-touch surfaces is imperative.

Offices Are Prime Locations For The Spread Of Diseases

The possibility of spreading disease is especially high in facilities where people live or work in close proximity to each other.

A growing number of people are choosing not to get vaccinated and showing up at work or school when they are sick.  This increases the risk of spreading the illness exponentially.

Professional Office Cleaning Solutions

Manual disinfecting methods have their limitations.  Commercial office cleaning company workers who are trying to conform to a schedule may miss contaminated surfaces or skimp on the time spent on cleaning due to scheduling pressures.

Technology Based Solutions For Disinfecting An Office

Innovative technologies combined with training programs on how to use the technology properly can provide safer, better coverage in a shorter period of time than traditional disinfecting methods.  For example:

  • Electrostatics can cover large areas and hard to reach surfaces quickly and efficiently.
  • In hospitals, copper-treated surfaces have been found to reduce a number of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).
  • Chemicals remain on the surface for a much longer time when spraying disinfectants using electrostatics.

Non-Technology Based Solutions To Get Better Office Cleaning

Commercial janitorial services technology offers some great options for getting the best cleaning possible, but quite often what you need is an experienced cleaning professional with the right tools and training. Here are some examples of what to look for in a well-managed commercial cleaning company:

  • Custodial workers should be trained to identify cleaning areas that may not get enough attention in regular daily cleanings.
  • Cleaning hot-spots should get special attention based on a schedule instead of waiting for the dirt to become obvious before someone pays attention to it.
  • Cleaning and disinfecting should be done every day.
  • A more thorough, rigorous deep-cleaning should be scheduled on regular basis.
  • Schedule workloads for janitorial staff so they have enough time to give personal attention to areas based on their judgment.
  • Use “Green Cleaning” products instead of caustic disinfectants for sanitizing and disinfecting in the least toxic way.
  • Avoid bleach based cleaners which can cause irritation and respiratory problems.
  • If there is an outbreak of sickness spreading through the office, get a special “office deep cleaning” done asap! You’ll be surprised how quickly you can stop the spread of an illness.
  • Institute a color-coded system of microfiber to help prevent cross-contamination.

Professional Office Cleaning Company Offers Safer Alternatives

Although it is true that “people get sick all the time” a professional office cleaning company can do a lot to keep your staff and clients safe.

Evergreen Building Maintenance specializes in office cleaning.  We use green cleaning solutions to sanitize and disinfect your office environment.  With over 30 years experience in the commercial cleaning business, we have cleaning crews that have several years of experience.

Using in-class and on-site training protocols, we are constantly training and equipping our cleaning professionals with the latest technologies to give you a safe environment.

Call now for a free, confidential office cleaning and building maintenance quote from a professional office cleaning company:   1-888-559-6870 or 250-999-2796

Commercial Cleaning Service and Janitorial Services

How To Get The Best Commercial Janitorial Service On A Tight Budget

Janitorial Cleaning Services At The Okanagan Correctional Centre

Evergreen Building Maintenance was recently awarded the honour of working with the Okanagan Correctional Centre (OCC), the largest correctional facility in British Columbia, located north of Oliver on the Osoyoos Indian Band Reserve. This is an expansive contract, as the facility spans 300,000 square feet across 14.5 hectares (36 acres).

The 378-cell facility is a $200 million project that is part of BC Corrections’ second-phase of their capital expansion plan. When it’s completed, it will hold double its original capacity in B.C.’s interior. It also requires a deep trust of Evergreen’s trained and educated employees, as it’s a high-risk, high-security area that requires enhanced security clearance for all staff on the grounds.

Project Goals

The goal of the project is to enhance public safety for communities, correctional staff and inmates within the province and to stimulate the economy in the area. It will create up to 1000 new permanent and contractual construction jobs along with 240 full-time correctional job positions for both experienced workers and new recruits. Other contracted staff will include on-site nurses, doctors, dentists, counsellors, food service workers and trades personnel.

Environmental accreditation

The OCC developmental project has been applauded for its environmental efforts and has obtained Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification. The project is also using wood in accordance with the B.C. Building Code, to adhere to the First Wood Act set out by the Government and to maximize energy efficiency.

Evergreen’s Milestone

As a company, we feel we’ve hit a milestone since we’re working on not only a large project, but also one that directly reflects our environmental values. At Evergreen, we continually strive to use eco-friendly measures in our cleaning from using fragrance and scent-free products that are free of toxic chemicals like VOCs, to implementing products that are GREEN SEAL or ECOLOGO certified.

Other green practices we use include:

  • Zinc-free floor finishing procedures
  • Conducting interior building air quality reports
  • Using paperless billing systems
  • Using non-fuel powered equipment
  • Creating customized disposal and recycling programs
  • Hiring employees trained in green cleaning practices
  • Low impact solutions to remove graffiti
  • Lotus Pro High Capacity Wall Units

Evergreen began in the Okanagan Area over 30 years ago and has expanded to several regions across Canada. Interested in learning more about our work? Get in touch with us if you company or facility is in need of quality commercial cleaning services.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Evergreen Building Maintenance Advantage

Life can be fickle, so it’s important to take advantage of the good things life has to offer. As for commercial cleaning and superior janitorial services, the advantage is with Evergreen Building Maintenance. EBM has the experience, expertise and resources for contracts of any duration and specification. This includes buildings of all shapes and sizes. Our portfolio includes everything from airports and educational institutions to hospitals and office spaces. So what makes Evergreen’s services the best?

EXPERIENCE

Evergreen has been one of Western Canada’s most trusted janitorial service providers for the last 28 years. EBM currently provides commercial cleaning to more than 120 different facilities and we expect the same high standards from our premier team at each location we maintain. On average, we service 2.5 million square feet per day.

CAPABILITY

Whatever the size or use of your building, we have trained staff who are capable of handling it. We bring the same unwavering commitment and value to a wide variety of diverse industries including: retail, financial, healthcare, real estate, commercial office and government.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Our cleaning specialists have a meticulous eye for detail, which is important when cleaning spaces that require a special set of commercial cleaning equipment and products. With Evergreen, you get a spotless clean today and every other day. Trust us; we do this for a living.

QUALITY CONTROL

Maintaining the highest standards of health, hygiene and professionalism is our most important consideration. We spend our time and resources to effectively train our staff ensuring that optimal standards of cleanliness, safety and quality are met at all times.

EMPLOYEE TRAINING

At Evergreen, we are dedicated to comprehensive and continuous training for all of our staff. In addition, all of our employees are WHMIS certified. We make it our business (because it is our business) to stay up-to-date on all the latest procedures and products to provide our clients with an unparalleled experience.

ADAPTABILITY

EBM’s managerial team will always try their best to accommodate your needs. We modify our cleaning schedule to suit the scope of work and can clean exactly when you need us to (E.g. daily, weekly, bi-weekly, etc.). Our service is bespoke to suit your unique requirements. 

The Evergreen Advantage isn’t just a set of words; it is a statement. It’s also a commitment and a promise to all of our clients that their cleaning requirements are being met and wherever possible, exceeded. The Evergreen Advantage is a guarantee of our consummate professionalism and quality service. Call us today to receive a free quote or read more about our services.