Businesses try their best to keep the workplace clean. They make sure that dusting and vacuuming is done regularly and often will hire professional cleaning services to ensure the offices are clean.   But unless you hire the best, there are certain areas that usually get missed.  DOW Building Service’s commercial cleaning and janitorial maintenance experience has shown us that there are quite a few specific areas around the workplace that get overlooked. You might not notice it if you work in the environment every day, but chances are they are glaringly obvious to guests and potential customers who visit, and trust me, they won’t go unnoticed.  To follow are the 10 most common areas in your commercial business that are overlooked.

1) Door knobs and switch plates

     Door knobs and switch plates are touched hundreds if not thousands of times throughout the workday. They are prone to be dirty not just by dust and grime but also by harmful germs from visitors and employees.  If knobs and switches are not cleaned effectively and routinely, the spread of illness is much more likely to occur.

2) Furniture and Upholstery

     If you turn over the cushion on the couch by your front desk, the amount of dirt and dust accumulation just might take you back. Typically, what is visible on the front size is cleaned and well maintained, but harmful germs will still live underneath.

3) Behind printers and copy machines

     Next time you make a copy or print out a document, examine the printer closely.  Look behind it and in the small crevices. What you see may alarm you. Modern copiers and printers are faster than ever and can generate lot of miniscule particles, which gathers around these machines. Without a proper and careful cleaning by an expert, these particles will build up and could even damage the long-term functionality of the machine.

4) High Dusting

     Some people just never look up.  Cobwebs can form in corners and dust collects on artwork and the like.  Another task, when done periodically by a professional cleaning company, keeps your building looking like it’s cared for.  It’s on DOW’s monthly rotation.

5) Walls

     Walls and corners behind open doors tend to be overlooked frequently. And walls with texture or wallpaper tend to have more dust attached to them then painted walls. Only the most astute cleaning companies will ensure they are thoroughly cleaned.

6) Stairs and Elevators

     Stairways and elevators attract a ton of foot traffic and accumulate lots of dirt and grime from shoes. The worst collector of all are elevator tracks located on each floor that the elevator serves.  They must be cleaned regularly to keep the elevator and most importantly, your building looking clean.  It's on DOW's rotation!

7) Office Chairs

     During the rainy season, we carry lots of yuck on our shoes and this often parks itself at the base of office chairs. It makes your desk chair susceptible to dust and germs if not carefully cleaned.

8) Office Plants

     Plants, both real and artificial, attract dust and cobwebs that cling to them. Live plants shed leaves, which can unfortunately add to your office’s untidy appearance.  Either have your plants cleaned regularly or you’d be better served to replace them periodically.

9) Vents

     Heating vents and ceiling vents are probably the most disregarded parts of any commercial space unless you hire DOW Janitorial to clean them on a monthly basis.

10) Light Fixtures

     Light fixtures quietly gather dust, which both dulls their shine over time and can cause health concerns for employees, especially those with allergies or asthma. Additionally, bugs are very attracted to these fixtures and, over time, dead bugs can be found in and around them. Let’s face it, no one in the office wants to see or deal with that.  An experienced commercial cleaning service like DOW is necessary to ensure clean light fixtures.  At DOW, you can schedule periodic cleaning of your light fixtures and put those worries behind you. 

If you want to learn more about how DOW can maintain your facility the proper way, call DOW Building Services at 800-791-2902!

     Congratulations to March’s Employee of the Month, Barbara Yakish.   Barbara works for DOW as a Floater out of the Hot Spring Branch.  Barbara covers the 45+ buildings that are here in Hot Springs, filling in for absent employees and doing detail work to make our buildings shine.

     Barbara’s Manager, Andrew Klich, has this to say about Barbara. “Barbara is a great asset to us here in Hot Springs, she always shows up on time, and is willing to give 110% every night”.

     Thank you Barbara, for your hard work and dedication.

     Kristy Jemison is our Janus Award Winner for March.  She works for DOW out of our Jonesboro branch and has been part of our team for almost 6 years now.

     Kristin West, Jonesboro Area Manager, has a few things to say about Kristy.  “She is my right hand woman and when I need her, no matter what the situation is, she is there”.  Kristin goes on to say, “Kristy has had a tough start to the year with the loss of her son, but she has managed to still keep her head up and do her job, and she does it very well”.

     Thank you, Kristy for all your hard work! We love you and appreciate all you do here at DOW!

     Here’s a MAJOR shout-out to all those guys from DOW Janitorial who keep your floors looking great. Here's an example of a VCT strip and wax.  We’ve got some awesome guys all over the state who float in and out of your buildings that deserve a special shout out.  They not only Strip/Wax VCT, they also buff it.  They also hot water extract carpets, scrub ceramic and polish concrete.  These gentlemen  are:  Adam Williams, José Garcia, Jim Dampier,  Anthony Molden, Craig Simmons,  Kenny Logan, Charles Backus,  Reginald Poe, Ray White, Dylan Sanders, Greg Channell, Jesse Elenbarger, Timothy Sizemore, and Tony Bynum.

     I might also add that the first 4 names mentioned above have all been with DOW for at least 10 years, great experienced mentors for the rest of the team.  The list of names does not include those that are assigned to buildings on a full time basis…... I’d be totally out of space in this article.  Y’all know who you are, and we appreciate all that you do!  

     Take a look at this before and after pic.  Pretty telling of their talent!

     As we celebrate Valentine’s Day, did you know that February 14th is also National Donor Day?  It’s more than a coincidence that a day set aside for matters of the heart has a connection to organ donation.  There are well over 2,000 heart transplants a year with over 3,500 people on a wait list.  If you add in all the people on the wait list for kidney, liver and other transplants, it’s way more than 100,000 people waiting for our help right now.  How can you help?  Commit to being an organ donor.

     To get on the Arkansas registry, you can sign up on-line at ARORA (Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency) or go directly to www.donatelifearkansas.org.  Or, if you drive, the next time you’re at the Revenue office to renew your driver’s license, say yes to organ donation and it will be noted on your driver’s license.   And guess what?  You’re never too old to donate.  The oldest person to date who donated was 94 years old!

     It is important to understand that the Donor Registry list is considered to be legally binding.  If you are a registered donor, ARORA (Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency) is NOT required to ask your living next of kin to give final consent for  donation, so it is very important that you share your decision with family members.  Commit to being an organ donor - you alone can save up to 8 lives through organ donation and that doesn’t even include tissue donation.  There’s a whole lot of people out there counting on us!

     Please act now and give hope, and the gift of life to someone in need of an organ or tissue transplant.  This is your chance to do something really great!