The final certificate we hold, is the Construction Line certificate.  We conduct a lot of work within the construction industry, and it is these clients- and potential new customers searching for a contractor- who will benefit from us holding this.

In a simple summary, obtaining the Construction Line certificate allows us to be part of a database, with other contractors, who are pre-qualified to work in the building and construction industry.  It affirms that our staff, supervisors and area managers who are assigned to this department, are fully trained, informed and qualified to conduct their work.

This benefits those in the construction and building industries who are looking for a competent contractor to work on their site.  By accessing this database, which holds over 2000 contractors (a figure which is growing all the time) they can see an immediate overview of contractors in their area, who meet the  legal  requirements in terms of safety.  This enables them to select an organisation that they know will prioritise safety and best practice from the outset.

As a result of being part of the Construction Line database, we have been encouraged to be even more diligent with potential developments in laws and legislations, which may be subject to change in these types of workplace.  To retain our certificate, we are assessed regularly, to make sure that all of our knowledge and training is up-to-date.  An additional benefit of this is for our staff, as we can guarantee that they are safe, and that we are acting in their best interests, at all times.

If you would like to know more about how our Construction Line certificate can benefit your business, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  You can telephone Newlife directly on 0800 018 9099.

As part of this, we hold the ISO certificates in extremely high regard, and currently have ownershop of the ISO 14000: 2004 and the ISO 9001. For this post, I thought it would be beneficial to discuss the ISO 9001:2008 certificate, and how our holding it can benefit our clients, and help to aid company and staff development.

This particular certificate places a strong emphasis on the arrangement and implementation of quality management systems within an organisation. For a company like us, the term ‘quality management’ can encompass a wide range of circumstances and services.

Firstly it places a high importance on delivery; making sure that we are completing our works to a high standard, no matter what the size or complexity of the task.  This is as applicable to the legal and industrial guidelines that are placed upon us, just as much as it is to how satisfied our customers are. We interpret this in a way that means we will never leave a job that is incomplete, or that a client isn’t 100% happy with.

There are a number of ways in which we do this, to help us to adhere to the ISO 9001, and to improve the service you receive from us.  This includes setting up a number of systems and indicators, which allow us to monitor our performance as a company, and gives our staff guidelines to work on.  Every cleaning service, and every individual process, has a very strict format on how it should be undertaken.  This includes specifying the correct chemicals, equipment and techniques that need to be used.  With this, key performance indicators will be specified, that will help us to check that we are doing our job correctly.  The results of these guidelines and checks give us points for development that we can work upon to keep improving our service.

If you would like further details on the ISO 9001: 2008, or any of our other certifications, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  You can telephone us directly on 0800 018 9099.

The importance of washing hands during the day, including after using the toilet, cannot be understated.  However, with the advancements in hand washing products and soaps, it’s sometimes hard to know which product to choose for your organisation or home.  Additionally, hand sanitising solutions have become increasingly popular in recent years.  This has developed to such as an extent, that now when you’re visiting someone in hospital, they expect you to sanitise your hands before you enter your ward.  So, hand washing with soap and water, or regular use of hand sanitising solutions- which is the best way?

In this month’s Cleaning and Maintenance magazine, an interview with Richard Millard, senior segment marketing manager at Kimberly- Clark Professional, discussed this issue.  As Kimberly-Clark are one of the most high-profile suppliers of cleaning products in the industry, it’s safe to say that the recommendations of Richard Millard are worthy of note.  The below comments are based on his comments in this interview.

It is safe to say that hand washing and hand sanitisers both have their place in the daily hand cleaning routine.  Soap and water is probably the most common, and readily-available method of hand washing in the workplace and in the home; it’s the method that we’re all familiar with.  If the hands are washed thoroughly using this method, with an antibacterial soap, then any germs and bacteria can be removed from the hands completely.

There are also occasions when the opposite is true, and that there are no hand washing facilities, soap or water available to you.  Regular festival-goers will know the water facilities, and general cleanliness at these places is at an all-time low- even if it is just for a weekend.  There, a quick and generous dab of hand-sanitiser is the best wash you’d get for the duration of the festival, and the only hygienic option available to you.

It could also be argued that in areas where there are extremely high volumes of people in small spaces- typically public transport, smaller work spaces,nightclubs, bars and gyms, hand sanitiser is the most appropriate choice.  It is because in these places, there is a likelihood that people’s hands will come into close contact, so sanitisers may be a sensible thing to consider here.  This isn’t to suggest that everyone should become overly-concerned with selecting an appropriate hand-washing routine, but this is just something to consider at this time of year, flu and colds are particularly common, and easily passed around in these places.

The article suggested that on occasions such as these, hand sanitising solutions may be the most appropriate way forward.  It does assert, however, that these products should ideally be used as an accompaniment to other methods, rather than a replacement; hand sanitisers will never be the preferred alternative to correct hand-washing.  This is because sanitisers only clean the bacteria on the surface, and are not effective at destroying high levels of contamination.

It would be advised, and is practised in a number of industries and organisations, that if your workplace requires extremely high levels of hand hygiene, that a combination of both methods would be extremely effective.  Washing the hands with antibacterial soap and very hot water, drying them with a disposable hand towel, and then sanitising the hands afterwards, will ensure that the bacteria is removed from the hands, and that any remaining will be killed.  This is especially essential in areas such as hospitals or care homes, where a strictly-implemented hand washing routing can drastically effect patients’ welfare.

In the interview, Richard Millard does stress that in the workplace, the way to determine the correct hygiene policy, is by making an assessment of your site, and determining what may be the best option.  What chemicals or products are being dealt with on a daily basis?  Is there anyone who may be at risk if hand hygiene levels are not correct, and are there chances of contamination if this were to happen?

At Newlife Cleaning Systems, we ensure that our cleaning operatives and other members of staff, are fully up-to-date on the correct hygiene practices depending on the environment in which they work.  We are responsible for the execution of a range of specialist cleaning services, which require that our levels of hygiene are nothing other than impeccable, and that is something we consistently strive to improve and maintain.  For services such as hospital cleaning, or when we implement a kitchen deep clean, the entire process would be ruined, and could pose a great cost to our client, if correct hand hygiene procedures are not followed.  For more information about how we make hygiene our number one priority, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The article discussed many ways in which the health and well-being of employees can be improved, by the addition of more hygienic measures and practises within the office itself.  This is due, in short, to the number of instances during the working day, especially within an office, when employees can be exposed to germs and bacteria which will make them unwell.

There are a number of items in the office where germs, bacteria and other nasty micro-organisms  can hide, which is especially concerning, with the knowledge that they can survive outside the body for up to two days.  Then, all that’s needed is for the hands to come into contact with them,  then to touch the face and eyes, and the germs easily reach the individual’s system.

Tea cups (for that much sought-after cup of coffee in the morning), pens, and mobile phones are all touched a number of times during the day, often by more than one person at a time.  Pens in particular can be a hotbed for bacteria, as staff can often put them in their mouths as they work, without giving thought to where they had been previously, or who else would use them after.

Another hidden harbourer of nasties is the office keyboard- an essential item in every office in the country.  A study by ‘Which?’ states that there are more germs in an office keyboard, than the average toilet.  This is an eye-opening revelation, especially when a number of members of staff eat their lunch at their desk.

On top of all of that, at this cold time of year, you’re likely to have the heating on high, to make sure staff are warm and toasty while they work.  Unfortunately, the warm office where a lot of people are crammed into one space is the perfect breeding ground for germs.

Finally (and potentially the most worryingly), it has been reported by the Federation of Food and Drink, that one third of grown adults do not wash their hands after going to the toilet.  So using that statistic, up to one third of the workforce could be spreading germs and bacteria that their hands have picked up in the toilet.

So how do we prevent this from happening?

Firstly, as most germs are passed from person to person through the hands, and enter the body through the nose and eyes, so it could be worth drawing employees’ attention to this fact.  Making them aware that touching their eyes and noses  in the workplace could lead to making them ill, could help to prevent them from doing so going forward.

At the same time, it could also be worth identifying the importance of regular hand washing during the working day.  Pointing out the common items which could carry germs may make them more aware that they need to wash their hands more often.  It may also be beneficial to aid them by supplying hand sanitising solutions on their desk, so they can freshen their hands and kill any bacteria on them.

To prevent bacteria from being picked up in the office, stopping staff from eating their lunch at their desks may be something worth considering.  Finding another room in your premises where staff can go to eat will prevent the germs from the office keyboard from touching their fingers, and their food.  Additionally, it will give your staff somewhere to chat and interact in a different environment to the office, helping to build and develop employee relationships too.

To encourage cleanliness and correct hand washing after staff have used to toilet, installing automatic soap dispensers into the office toilets, will be one way to show your employees that you are taking hygiene in the workplace seriously.  Operated by infra-red technology, the user does not need to touch the device, so their hands can be cleaned without spreading bacteria onto the dispenser.  Similarly, investing in a hygienic hand drying system may be worthwhile.  There are a number of hand towel dispensers and automatic hand dryers on the market, that will help your employees to dry their hands and remain germ-free.

Finally, as the winter dies away, keep the central heating on at a minimum and open the windows.  This will help to keep fresh air circulating, so unhealthy microorganisms aren’t spread in the atmosphere.

So if you’re a business owner reading this, investing in office cleanliness is an investment that will pay for itself.  You don’t have to lose any of the business’s valuable funds by handing out sick pay, or suffer a drop in productivity; instead hygienic products and an increased awareness will help to keep staff fit, healthy and in work during winter.

If you would like an office deep clean, we can advise you and provide you with office cleaning services.

One of the ways in which we do this, is to make sure that we have attained the appropriate industry certifications.  This helps us to ensure that we, and our cleaners, are doing the best job possible.

We are therefore delighted to announce that we have recently received a SAFEcontractor accreditation, which we hope will benefit both our clients, and the people who work for us.

SAFEcontractor is a leading UK-based scheme, which helps companies within our industry to improve the quality of their health and safety, and their competency record as a result.

One of the reasons we applied for the SAFEcontractor accreditation, was the desire for uniformed standards across our business.  Many major clients recognise the scheme and accept the certificate as confirmation of competency.

Under the SAFEContractor systems, we have had to undergo a vetting process, which examines our health and safety procedures.  This process also reviews our previous health and safety procedures, to ensure that they were up to standard prior to the review, and not just on the day.

SAFEContractor is applicable to most sectors, although it is particularly relevant to food manufacture, property, facilities management, retail and leisure sectors- all of which tend to be big users of contract services.

The SAFEcontractor accreditation recognises very high standards of health and safety practise amongst UK contractors, which means that receiving this certificate puts us in excellent company.  The certification will also help us with more practical purposes; when our liability policy is ready for renewal, it will demonstrate to insurance companies that we are exploring all possible avenues to ensure that our work is as careful and efficient as possible.

Not only does this benefit our business and our clients, but achieving commendations like this is also accepted as the only way to proceed in an economy that’s as strained as ours.  This is seen clearly in a quotation from John Kinge, Head of Risk and SAFEcontractor, who states:

“Major organisations can no longer run the risk of employing contractors who are not able to prove that they have sound health and safety policies.”

“More companies need to understand the importance of adopting good risk management in the way that Newlife Cleaning Systems has done.  The firm’s high standard has set an example, which hopefully will be followed by other companies in the sector.”

You can view a full and comprehensive list of the organisations approved by SAFEContractor, by visiting their website.  You will need to register on the site, which is very worthwhile, as it gives you access to an entire database of approved companies; giving you more peace of mind when you select contractor to work with.

Our clients will not be alone in seeking the benefits of this database; over 150 major national companies, from a number of key market sectors, have signed up to use it.  This will help them when selecting cleaning, maintenance, refurbishment, and electrical and mechanical services going forward.

For more information on what the SAFEcontractor accreditation means for our clients, please contact us.

The information for this article, including the quotations from John Kinge, was taken from a press release sent to us by SAFEcontractor.

So how do you clean a burnt pan?
If you’ve got a non-stick pan, one quick and inexpensive method involves some fast action and a little seasoning.  After serving your dinner, fill your pan with boiling water and add an extremely generous sprinkle of salt.  Ensuring that the water is piping-hot, leave the pan to stand for an hour.  You should then be able to easily scour the burnt food away from the bottom of the pan.

As an alternative method, if you have a stainless steel pan, salt’s perfect accompaniment vinegar can be used to remove ingrained burnt food with ease.  Adding half a cup of vinegar to the pan, alongside some piping-hot water, can provide you with an excellent solution.  Simply simmer the boiling mixture for 10-15 minutes and your stainless steel pan will shine as new.

If the dirt is more heavily encrusted, you can try adding bicarbonate of soda to the pan.  The best method to do this is to put the pan onto the hob and add boiling water.  Stir in soda crystals, and set the pan to boil again, before removing from the heat.  Once the water in the pan has been cooled, you simply need to pour the solution away and you should be able to scrub the dirt from the pan.  If you have no bicarbonate of soda to hand, washing powder will be equally as effective, when left to soak into the burnt residue.

To find more ways to clean your kitchen appliances, or to organise a kitchen deep clean for commercial kitchens, please visit the Newlife Cleaning Systems website.

Information for this blog is taken from Woman and Home website.

To begin, it is essential to remember that when you begin to clean an iron, in most cases the appliance must be switched off, and allowed to cool.

The methods which enable you to clean the metal plate on the iron vary depending on which substance is stuck to it.

• Waxy stains do not require any specialist products, and require that the iron is turned on, in order for the substance to be removed.  You need to turn the iron on to it’s highest setting, and run it over some absorbent paper, such as newspaper.  The waxy stain should be displaced onto the paper, preventing it from leaving any lasting damage on your iron.

• Oily substances require the use of ammonia, which needs to be rubbed onto the metal plate with a damp, clean cloth.  After this, simply rinse the surface of the plate, to remove the oily stain.  It is vital that the iron is unplugged for the duration of this process.

To clean the inside of the iron’s vents and pipes, a more gentle touch is required.  Dip a pipe cleaner or cotton bud into the vent, and slowly lift out the residue from within the iron.  Ensure that you use something equally as soft, that isn’t too sharp, to avoid risking damage to the inside of your iron.

For all surfaces on the iron, including the handle, you can use a simple solution found in your kitchen cupboard.  On a clean, damp cloth add vinegar before wiping the surfaces; removing any visible dirt and grime.  If it’s been a while since you last cleaned your iron, you can mix a little baking soda with the vinegar before adding it to the cloth.  It’ll help you to remove tougher stains.

Vinegar can also be used to clean the reservoir of the iron.  Just pour an equal amount of vinegar and warm water into the iron and switch it on.  For about five minutes, leave the iron to steam, allowing the vinegar to reach the ducts through the steam.  After this time, remove the water and vinegar solution from the iron, and rinse with clean water.  Be sure to make sure all vinegar is removed before you start ironing!

The information can be found in full at the Creative Homewares website.

Removing ink from carpets

Firstly, you need to mix the cornflower with a small amount of milk, the quantities of the mixture should be so, that it forms a paste.  Then apply the paste directly to the stain, and allow to dry- this could take anything up to a few hours- before you can revisit the stain.  Once the paste is dry, you simply need to brush it away from the carpet fibres, which should lift the ink stain away too.  Then just vacuum the remnants, to be left with a clean, ink stain-free carpet.

Removing blood from carpets and upholstery

Unfortunately, accidents do happen, and when they do you can prevent any damage to your upholstery with fast action and cornflower.

As soon as you notice the blood stain on the fabric, create a paste out of cornflower and water.  Apply the paste directly to the stain, and work the mixture into the fabric’s fibres.  Once this is done, leave the fabric somewhere warm and dry, where the paste will quickly be absorbed.  Brush away the dry mixture, to lift some of the blood.  If a stain still remains, repeat the process again.

The cornflower may not 100% remove the blood stain from the fabric, depending on how ingrained the stain is and whether the blood has dried or not.  It will, however, be the fastest solution you have to the task at hand.

In addition to the removal of stains, cornflower is also excellent at removing any unpleasant scents from carpets.  All you need to do is evenly sprinkle cornflower onto your carpet before you vacuum; it will remove unpleasant odours from the carpet with ease.

If these simple methods cannot clean your carpet, we have carpet cleaning services available, which will get your carpets looking as good as new.  Please visit the Newlife Cleaning Systems website for more details.

So, with the help of Daily Telegraph and Reader’s Digest booklets, named ‘1000 Ways to Save Money and Time’, we have compiled a series of blogs which will help you to use the products you already have in your home, to keep your appliances clean.

Cleaning a coffee maker

Many people don’t know this, but your kitchen coffee maker can be cleaned by a product that can be found in your medicine cabinet.  Alka Seltzer, used to settle your stomach after a heavy meal (or a heavy evening out) can help you to remove any coffee residue from your machine, and leave it sparking clean; resulting in a better tasting cup of coffee for you.

So how do you do it?

Firstly, fill the water chamber in your coffee machine with water, as you would do before using the machine to brew a pot.

Next, for a standard-sized coffee machine, add four Alka Seltzers to the water, and wait until they are fully dissolved.

After this, switch on the machine and put it through its regular brew cycle.  This will allow the Alka Seltzer solution to reach all of the pipes in the machine, and clean any coffee residue.

Once the cycle is complete, rinse the water chamber to remove any remaining Alka Seltzer from the chamber.  Then run another brew cycle using just water, to ensure all the Alka Seltzer has left the pipes.

Once this is done, you can use your coffee maker as normal, and it will be perfectly clean.

As Alka Seltzer is usually used to combat stomach acids, it can tackle the acids from coffee that cause stains and marks on the machinery.  The fact that the Alka Seltzer is designed for human consumption makes it perfect for cleaning the coffee maker, as there will be nothing within the tablet that can harm people if they ingest it.

Other uses for Alka Seltzer:

Cleaning hard-to-reach parts of vases, flasks, jewellery and sinks.  The Alka Seltzer bubbles reach places you can’t reach.

The artwork, named “Wenn’s anfaengt durch die Decke zu tropfen”, which when translated means, ‘When It Starts Dripping From the Ceiling’, was created by late German Modern Artist Martin Kippenberger.
When looking at the piece, it’s not hard to understand how the cleaner made a mistake.  The sculpture is composed of strips of wood, nailed together to make an unsteady structure.  Beneath that is a trough-like dish, which had been hand-painted with a patina effect.  The term ‘pantina’ describes a distressed, dusty and dirty appearance, which had been applied to inside the bottom of the bucket.  This looked, as the artist had intended it, like the marks left from rain water that had collected there, and then evaporated.

It was this patina effect painted on the trough that the cleaner had mistaken for dirt.  They then proceeded to scrub this effect off the dish, in order to remove the unsightly blemish.

Unfortunately, by striving for cleanliness, the cleaner made a very costly mistake.  The piece was worth an excess of £624,000, in other words, over $1m.

Due to the death of the artist Kippenberger in 1997, the artwork cannot be restored to its original form, or appear exactly as the artist intended it.  However, the collector who had loaned the piece to the museum is willing to keep the artwork there, in its slightly altered state, until a decision can be made about the way to proceed.
This expensive error by the cleaner appears to be in breach of the instructions they were given prior to commencing work at the museum.  The daily cleaners, provided by a contractor, had been told strictly to remain 20cm away from the pieces in the showrooms.  The staff, according to the report, had been working in the Ostwall Museum since last October, so explanations for why this incident happened are still being searched for.

So as a cleaning contractor, what does this incident say to us at Newlife Cleaning Systems?

Firstly, it’s excellent that the cleaner was leaving no stone unturned, but this story shows that being thorough isn’t always the best thing…

Secondly, the incident seems to have occurred because the cleaner hadn’t followed instructions, or had missed out on an essential briefing.  So this story emphasises the importance of communication within such an organisation.

Finally, it’s a testament to artist Martin Kippenberger that his patina was so convincing that a cleaner felt the need to clean it!

For a daily cleaning service that won’t ruin any highly valuable goods, Newlife Cleaning Systems can offer all types of cleaning service, from specialist cleaning services to daily office cleaning services.  If you would like any more information about us, please contact us on 0800 018 9909.