Cleaning baseboards in any facility is a necessary job to maintain the overall cleanliness of places people walk.
So, any time someone goes to work cleaning baseboards, it’s a good thing.
Yet, the “old ways” of cleaning baseboards are:
- inefficient and
- have potential health hazard consequences that could result in costly legal action against a company or organization.
With that in mind – you’ll want your cleaners, caretakers, and custodial staff to avoid these 4 common “blind-spots” when cleaning baseboards:
BLIND-SPOT #1: USING HARSH / TOXIC CHEMICALS IN SPRAY STRIPPERS:
Here are the real and potential problems of using harsh / toxic chemicals:
- Not recommended for environments like schools and hospitals due to potential exposure to patients, children, teachers, staff, and closure of area while cleaning.
- Exposure to chemical fumes / residue requires respirator masks.
- Additional training often required for personnel on how to handle chemicals.
- The very real risk of getting chemical “burns” on skin (especially when cleaning off chemical residue after cleaning baseboards).
BLIND-SPOT #2: DOING THINGS MANUALLY (USING TRADITIONAL TOOLS TO CLEAN BASEBOARDS):
Here are the real and potential problems of doing things manually, using traditional scrubbing brushes, doodlebugs & scrapers to clean baseboards:
- It’s VERY time-consuming (a very inefficient way to clean long lengths of baseboards. In fact, it takes up to 25 TIMES LONGER cleaning baseboards this way compared to the new smarter / safer way of cleaning baseboards – see demo here).
- It requires more personnel – typically at a crew of 4 to 5 personnel over many days — to get the job done in a typical facility or building (and therefore is more costly in labor).
- It is really, REALLY difficult to remove old, stubborn wax from baseboards with scrubbing brushes (so the finished job is often not of the highest standards).
- It takes a long time to wipe down the baseboards and clean up the mess afterward.
- A crew of cleaners – typically as many as 5 — will be exposed to harsh chemicals for longer periods of time (see #3 below).
- There is more risk of personal injury for personnel (see # 4 below).
BLIND-SPOT #3: CLEANING CREW GETTING TOO CLOSE TO BREATHING IN CHEMICAL SPRAYS ON BASEBOARDS:
Here are the real and potential problems of breathing in chemical sprays:
- The long-term health complications / consequences of breathing in chemical sprays are not yet fully known (but just imagine spraying a highly flammable aerosol into your mouth… and swallowing… and you get the idea of what kind of damage is being done to the respiratory system).
- Certain people may have allergies / intolerances that make them more susceptible to health complications due to breathing in chemicals in baseboard spray strippers.
- Could lead to costly legal action against hospitals, educational institutions, school boards, cleaning companies etc from personnel who make a claim against them for health issues caused / aggravated as a result of a job.
BLIND-SPOT #4: CLEANING CREW OFTEN HAVE TO GET DOWN ON HANDS AND KNEES TO CLEAN / SCRUB BASEBOARDS
Here are the real and potential problems of the cleaning crew having to get down on hands and knees to clean and scrub baseboards:
- Prolonged pressure on knees (which can lead to joint and cartilage deterioration issues).
- Cleaning personnel will be getting too close to the baseboards and will be breathing in chemical / toxic fumes from the harsh chemical sprays / residue.
- Very high potential for personnel putting out their back (often leading to prolonged sick leave of personnel).
- To see how you or your organization can avoid / mitigate against the above – see this QUICK DEMO on how you can clean baseboards FASTER, SAFER, and with GREATER EFFICIENCY