Smart Housekeeping Trends In Business - Liquid Glass, Energy Savers, and Other Wonders

In order to avoid death by dirt, debris, and denizen, current housekeeping trends are to clean more thoroughly, more quickly using fewer resources, achieving longer-lasting results from easier-to-manage equipment that does not break down as quickly as previous models. All this is to be done in the 2010s under an umbrella of sustainability.

It may surprising to readers to know that one of the major focal points of Housekeeping Industry services is the same as that of Preventive Medicine – infection control. This seems most prominent in health and educational settings, but is important in any home or business.

Humans and pets have a number of infectious agents at war with our environment and our bodies: bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, drug-resistance microorganisms, lab-forced hybrid microorganisms, vectors (i.e., animals), manmade germs, robotic microorganisms, biological warfare, construction dusts, the face of the Gobi desert blowing into the USA, the fact that vaccines for “childhood diseases” lose effectiveness in adults, and the imagination of people that have seen too many sci-fi epics and episodes of Monk the Cleaning Fanatic.

There’s more. Pollutants can paralyze the airway-clearing cilia in the lungs and bronchial passages, leading to infections and pneumonia (fluid accumulation). Cat dander is in preliminary stages of consideration as a cause for some types of schizophrenia and dementia, in addition to allergies. Ear mites, dust mites, bedbugs, deep-sea bugs, future moon bugs. What will dog dander cause? How about human dander? People are becoming, cautious, overly cautious, and afraid.

Dining establishments -- Ever had food poisoning? Dysentery? E-coli will kill you and hand sanitizer in your purse or pocket can’t get to the source; and you can’t drink it. Mr. Monk’s disinfectant wipes won’t work. If someone can invent an oral Anti-E-coli and -Salmonellatablet, he may become the world’s first trillionaire.

Besides all this, even computer component plants need 100% clean-rooms to prevent contamination. Housekeeping is more important today than yesterday.

Effective housekeeping in hospitals and clinics is paramount to controlling infections. The August 18, 2010 issue of Health Facilities Management reported that the incidence of the bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. diff) has increased in recent years among health facilities. The bacterium can live on surfaces for months in the environment, requiring more effective and thorough disinfectants, a major tool in housekeeping.

Clostridium difficile

The bacterium causes any of several in humans, from diarrhea to fatal colon inflammation. The main victims are senior citizens in hospitals or long-term care facilities (nursing homes, etc.), manifesting after antibiotic treatment for other infections. However, 10s of 1000,s of people in the USA suffer from the infection every year and many are not old and have not taken antibiotics. These C. diff infections are becoming more frequent and severe and harder to treat [Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.com]. This is not the only bacterium causing widespread infections today.

New Cleaning Methods and Equipment

The use of microfiber cleaning products improves infection control. Cintas cleaning products company of Mason, Ohio suggests that microfibre reduces 99.98% of surface bacteria. This specifically includes their microfiber mops and wipes used with cleaning solutions. Rubbermaid brand HYGEN products are advertised as longer lasting than other cleaning tools, also reducing cleaning solution and water needs up to 95%.

Advanced Vapor Technologies of Ed­monds, Washington suggests steam vapor for disinfecting, especially vertical surfaces. These appliances use a very small amount of water and reduce cleaning costs by eliminating chemicals and large water needs.

Geerpres Inc. of Muskegon, Michigan recommends its surface protectant called BioShield between cleanings. It is advertised to eliminate bacteria, viruses fungi, molds, yeasts, and algaes.

A newer discover is liquid glass (not the car wax with polish). When applied to surfaces, this sprayable liquid glass creates a new surface that stays clean and disinfected longer and is easier and quicker to clean when needed.

Spray-on liquid glass is about to revolutionize almost everything, PhysOrg.com.

This spray-on liquid glass is transparent, non-toxic, and can protect virtually any surface against almost any damage from hazards such as water, UV radiation, dirt, heat, and bacterial infections.

The coating is also flexible and allows surfaces to breathe.

This may be the modern solution to keeping things clean around the house - perhaps even in hospitals and on space stations.

Hard surface flooring is cleaned and kept clean longer by the use of floor scrubbers that are more efficient, require less time to use, and are more thorough. Windsor floor scrubbers perform in those ways. For the hospital setting, a stand-on riding scrubber is even more efficient.

Carpeted floors require a different sort of cleaning apparatus for hospital-grade cleanliness. Vaccuums used for this include HEPA, high-efficiency particulate air filtration systems, as seen to the right below.

Another Ohio company, Proctor and Gamble in Cincinnati, has developed stronger disinfecting power that satisfies hospital cleaning requirements in products that may also be used in the home. This includes Span and Span Disinfectant Spray and Glass Cleaner, along with Comet Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner for wet surfaces.

Sustainability is central to effective housekeeping in the 21st Century. If you have noticed libraries, restaurants, and turnpike rest stops eliminating paper towels and replacing these dispensers with high-powered electric hand dryers with automatic sensors, this is a trend toward using fewer natural resources and preventing customers from having to touch a dispenser. Establishments that maintain paper towel dispensers often use recycled paper and an automatic sensor that prevents the need to touch it.

Germicidal wipes have come into significant importance after the outbreaks of new flu strains and other infections in recent years. KIMTECH by Kimberly-Clark and Clorox produce gemerical wipes that are very effective. KIMTECH wipes biodegrade into water, oxygen, and vinegar. In the computer labs at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, a full canister of disinfectant wipes is stationed beside each keyboard. Many libraries provide either canisters of wipes or wall-mounted hand sanitizer stations. No hand drying is needed.

The EPA does not allow disinfectants to label themselves as "green", but is looking into the matter.

As mentioned above, many products and cleaning systems elminate costs and waste to serve sustainability.

The US cities where the largest numbers of housekeeping jobs are frequently listed include, in the following order:

1. Houston
2. NYC
3. Orlando FL
4. Atlanta GA
5. St. Louis MO
6. Chicago IL
7. San Antonio TX
8. Las Vegas NV
9. Denver CO
10. Dallas TX
11. Los Angeles CA
12. Pittsburgh PA
13. Philadelphia PA
14. San Francisco CA

America

On Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com, we find over 57,000 housekeeping related jobs in the USA for August 2010. Some of this housekeeping is done as part of another job title like clerk, cashier, or salesperson. The numbers of related job listings increased markedly from January 2009 through Summer 2010.

The numbers of hospital housekeeping jobs across the USA has increased 71% From December 2008 through July 2010.

A variety of job titles are available in housekeeping proper, including Housekeeper, Housekeeping Aide, and Housekeeping Supervisor, among others. Some Janitorial and Maintenance work comes under the cleaning and housekeeping category as well. Hiring companies include all types of businesses, from hospitals and healthcare clinics to nursing homes, clothing stores, restaurants, schools, daycare sites, and many others.

Canada

For the same time in Canada, Wow Jobs listed approximately 3,600 housekeeping jobs.

Additional Countries

Indeed for India found about 1,500 housekeeping jobs in that country, while Indeed for China found several thousands.