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But we are proud to say that Ben Walker contributed 9 entries already.
A colleague recently shared an article from EdWeek titled, “How Much COVID-19 Cleaning in Schools is Too Much?” In the article, the author discusses how COVID-19 has led to an increase in cleaning and disinfection activity in schools (no surprise) and the subsequent impact of that “cleaning” (or disinfection, more appropriately). Pointing to a study that showed an increase in asthma attacks with […]
During a “normal” year, my schedule would start to fill around February. I’d plan trips to many of your campuses and facilities, excited to conduct audits, catch up with you and your teams, talk about what’s new at the office and in the industry. But… we’re still not at normal yet. While I’m starting to […]
A few months ago, someone shared an article in The Atlantic magazine that discussed the extensive amount of cleaning and disinfection happening around the world, calling it “hygiene theater.” The author’s basic gripe is that too much of the focus of our COVID-19 prevention is on disinfection when it should be on aerosols or droplets that […]
“We’re in this together” is a frequent refrain of the past two months. From the pandemic to protests, people share these words to express solidarity and unity throughout the many challenges facing our communities right now. Within the Simon Institute, (OS1) leaders have been working together throughout the pandemic to share best practices and strategies. […]
You know the adage “hindsight is 2020”? I’ve been thinking about that a lot recently. Ultimately, the saying speaks to the fact that it’s easy to see what the right thing to do was after an event happens, but difficult to predict the future. When we get to the other side of this pandemic and are five or 10 […]
What a wild decade. In some areas, we’ve seen the cleaning industry advance. This is the first decade where we’ve experienced full blown automation. Robots are starting to clean floors. New chemical technology is reducing disinfectant dwell time and the Internet of Things (IoT) is expanding the visibility custodial professionals have over their operations. But […]
Note: Each month, Ben Walker shares his monthly musings for our e-Newsletter, Cleaning Matters. April’s column is located here. If you aren’t subscribed to Cleaning Matters, you can do so by clicking here. A few weeks ago, I was asked to present during the Clean Buildings Expo, which is sponsored in part by Trade Press […]
John Walker spent much of his life finding ways to empower janitors and enhance the way custodial operations are organized, managed and executed. When you talked to John, his energy and enthusiasm for improving the industry was contagious. Last Sunday, John passed away after an extended illness. In passing, the cleaning industry lost a legend […]
When you fly into a city at night, one of the first things you notice is all the lights. Lights from the street lamps, illuminating the roads so drivers can see where they are going. Lights from stadiums, shining brightly on athletes so fans can watch them play. Lights from high-rises and skyscrapers, illuminating rooms […]