2. Hold the door open for the person walking behind you.

 

 

Have a great week!

From QualityOne Commercial Cleaning, Inc.

319 Sondrol Ave

Ames, IA 50010

(515) 232-7272

It’s a new year!  It’s a fresh start, a new chance to make the world a better place.  Why not start with kindness?  Check out this great list of Random Acts of Kindness from Buffini & Company.  They share ten free things you can do to make someone’s day, and ten that you can do for fewer than ten dollars. We’ll post one for each week.  To see the whole flier, click on the link below.

Random Acts of Kindness by Buffini & Co.

Here’s the first random act of kindness:

1.  Hug your loved ones, and always take the opportunity to tell them you love them.

 

“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness.  Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”  – Scott Adams

 

 

Happy New Year!

From all of us at QaulityOne Commercial Cleaning, Inc.

319 Sondrol Ave

Ames, IA 50010

(515) 232-7272

Looking for something to do?     “Angry Janitors,” is here!

“Angry Janitors” is a new mobile app where you attack dirt and germs, that are making people sick, and restore clean, healthy environments.  Earn golden plungers when you post high scores and receive cleaning tips throughout the game.  Help the janitors, Sweepy, Squirt, and Speedster, restore health to The School, The Office, and The Hospital, with ten levels for each stage.

Find the download at the ISSA website, by clicking on this link:
Download Angry Janitors

This is a free download for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android phone, or Android tablet.

 

Wet skin promotes bacteria growth, and thus spreads more bacteria than dry skin. This is why not only washing, but drying, is an important part of keeping your hands clean.
Some argue that the cost of paper towels exceeds the cost of air dryers. However, hygienically speaking, papers towels are the “clean” winner. The reduction of employee illness and absenteeism by using paper towels will reduce a company’s cost in the long run.
Recent studies have shown that paper towels dry your hands faster, remove more bacteria, and spread fewer bacteria than air dryers, not to mention surveys actually show that people prefer them to air dryers. (Washington Post)  Air dryers, besides being slower, are also very noisy and can irritate the skin.
One study showed that hands are 96 percent dry in ten seconds, and 99 percent dry in just 15 seconds with paper towels, while air dryers typically take 45 seconds to dry hands. It also found that both men and women spend only 17 seconds or less with air dryers, a fraction of the time needed, thus leaving the hands moist and more likely to harbor harmful bacteria. The rubbing motion of using paper towels also helps to remove germs that may remain after washing. (Mail Online)

In fact, air dryers can actually spread germs by blowing them around. A study done by Eurofins-Inlab, in Germany, last year showed the extent of the contamination of surrounding surfaces when using paper towels and air dryers. The results were as follows:

 • On average, a user of a jet air drier is likely to be exposed to over 1000 times more microorganisms than the user of a paper hand towel dispenser;
• On average the user of a jet air drier is likely to be exposed to around 800 times more potentially harmful Staphylococci than the user of a paper hand towel dispenser.
• More than half of the jet air driers were contaminated by coliforms, whereas none were found on the paper hand towel dispensers.

Findings as to microbiological counts on floors:
• The floors under jet air driers had on average 20 times greater levels of contamination when compared with the floors under paper hand towel dispensers.
• The floors under jet air driers had on average 27 times greater levels of Staphylococci when compared with the floors under paper hand towel dispensers.
• Coliforms were detected in 46% of the samples taken from the floors below jet air driers, whereas only 10% of the samples under the paper hand towel dispensers contained coliforms.

Surface area sampled was 100 square centimetres for all floors tested. 
–ETS, April 5th 2013–

University of Westminister scientists conducted a study with similarly shocking results. They compared the number of bacteria on people’s hands, both before and after they washed and dried with each of the two methods. This is what they found:

• after washing and drying hands with the warm air dryer, the total number of bacteria was found to increase on average on the finger pads by 194% and on the palms by 254%
• drying with the jet air dryer resulted in an increase on average of the total number of bacteria on the finger pads by 42% and on the palms by 15%
• after washing and drying hands with a paper towel, the total number of bacteria was reduced on average on the finger pads by up to 76% and on the palms by up to 77%.
–ETS, February 11th 2009–

These studies and others like them have clearly shown that proper hand washing and use of paper towels is the most effective way of keeping our environment healthy, which is the most beneficial goal for everyone.

 

Quoted sources:

(1)European Tissue Symposium, Press Information April 5th 2013

(2) European Tissue Symposium, Press Information Feb 11th 2009

 

 

Further informative articles:

Mayo Clinic: The Hygienic Efficacy of Different Hand-Drying Methods: A Review of the Evidence

Nature World News: Study Finds Paper Towels more Effective than Hand Dryers in Removing Bacteria

 

-K. Carter

QualityOne Commercial Cleaning, Inc.

Ames, IA

 

 

Are you dreading the cold and flu this season? Tips to lessen the impact!

 

As the season turns to fall and winter, cold and flu prevention is something we all may want to pay special attention to.  First, most of us know what the cold and flu are, and how they impact our families throughout our work, school, and social life.  Studies show, to help protect yourself and others, the best strategy is still, washing our hands and covering our mouths when coughing and sneezing.

 

What is the leading cause of common cold?

 

Rhinoviruses are the main cause at 30% – 50% of all common colds and are responsible for more cases of human illness than any other infectious agent (1).  Also, on average, kids suffer from 6 – 8 colds per year and adults typically range from 4 – 6 colds per year (2).

 

What are some symptoms?

 

Most of us recognize the runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, headache and coughing as the cold is coming on and lasting 2 – 3 days after becoming infected.  You might even run a slight temperature.  These symptoms can last from 2 -14 days.  As with many viral infections, the common cold is best treated with rest and plenty of fluids, as doctors have no known cure.

 

How can you help stop the spread of the Rhinovirus?

 

The Rhinovirus is spread by touching one’s mouth, nose or eyes after having contact with an infected individual or surface.  Airborne transmissions from coughing or sneezing make getting infected also possible with the virus being able to survive on surfaces for up to 3 hours (3).

 

The prevention is pretty easy to apply: practice proper hand washing techniques as we posted earlier, alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing at least 62% alcohol when you can’t get to a restroom to wash.  Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of commonly used surfaces.  To lessen the spread of germs through touch avoid coughing or sneezing into your hands. Use a tissue or the inside of your elbow.

 

Upcoming information on Influenza and then Norovirus:

(1)  National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,

www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/commoncold/Pages/cause.aspx

(2)   National Center for Biotechnology Information,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2231439/

(3)   National Center for Biotechnology Information,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC182122

 

-Bobbi Dollinger

QualityOne Commercial Cleaning, Inc.

319 Sondrol Ave, Ames, IA 50010