Essential Winter Maintenance Pt2 – Prevention checklist
Ensuring the safe and uninterrupted use of your facilities over the winter months requires a lot of preventative planning. This Essential Winter Maintenance Checklist is intended as a simple reminder of what problems you may face as a facilities manager this winter and how to prevent them.
Essential winter maintenance – National Gutters Day
The highlight of the FM calendar, National Maintenance Week takes place from 18th November to 25th November, culminating with the glamorously titled National Gutters Day on Friday 25th November. All joking aside, it is that time of year when some essential maintenance work needs to be undertaken. Damp can be a serious problem for FMs […]
A brief history of… the vacuum cleaner
The humble vacuum cleaner may not be the most glamorous product ever invented, but it is an essential cleaning tool and everyone now owns one. Contrary to what you might expect, it was not William Henry Hoover, the brand name that has become synonymous with vacuum cleaners, that invented the technology, but an English man […]
Global hand washing day – The importance of good hand hygiene
October 15th 2016 was Global Hand washing Day, “a global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of hand washing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives” Although the campaign is primarily aimed at other parts of the world where public sanitation is less […]
5 steps to avoid people getting SAD in your office this winter
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression is a type of depression linked to the seasons. More apparent in the winter months, sufferers start to feel lethargic, irritable and depressed around this time of year and it can last until Spring. The exact cause of SAD is not fully understood, but it is […]
5 cleaning jobs best left to the professionals
Cleaning is often overlooked, especially within start-ups or small businesses, and some business owners even think that they, or one of their employees, can keep on top of the cleaning themselves. Whilst washing up, emptying the bins and even a spot of vacuuming might not seem like rocket science, this in itself is not a […]
Effective pest control – Rats
Rats have been a pest problem since the dawn of civilisation due to the fact that they thrive off human activity. There are an estimated 10 million rats in Britain and they are a particularly common problem in large cities. Britain has two species of rat, although in reality, most rat infestations are likely to […]
How good cleanliness can improve a school’s Ofsted report
An upcoming Ofsted inspection can strike fear into the hearts of even the best run schools. They can make or break a school’s reputation and it is therefore vital to make a great impression and demonstrate all the strengths and effort invested in providing a safe and secure learning environment. Even if a school takes […]
5 things to consider when appointing a cleaning contractor
Appointing a cleaning contractor is no mean feat. We know as well as anyone that the cleaning market is crowded with many players, some good, some not so good. Low barriers of entry make it easy for anyone to set up a website and start a cleaning business, but as with most things, to do […]
How can the cleaning sector help to address the UK’s worsening productivity rating?
In February 2016, it emerged that the UK is suffering from the lowest rates of productivity growth on record. Output per hour for UK workers is 18 percentage points below the average of the rest of the G7 group of nations and has widened since the global crash. Whilst there are a multitude of factors […]