Category: Clean Hire

How cleanliness forms part of the Association of Bus Operators in West Yorkshire’s Bus 18 initiative

 

Whether you’re doing a full trip on the 320 to Wigan, or catching a 33 to see The Mighty Crusaders, cleanliness is next to punctuality in the world of bus operations.  If the lateness of your bus doesn’t spoil your day, the ‘joys’ of seeing half eaten butties or sprawling free newspapers could wind you up. Both factors haven’t escaped the attention of ABOWY, the Association of Bus Operators in West Yorkshire.

The Association of Bus Operators in West Yorkshire represents the county’s bus operators.  These include a number of independent operators as well as the big guns, like First West Yorkshire, Arriva Yorkshire, and Yorkshire Tiger.  In a bid to raise punctuality and cleanliness standards on the buses, ABOWY have launched Bus 18.

Introduced on the 24 March this year, Bus 18 is about improving the journey experience.  The biggest strides have been made with cleanliness.  In cooperation with Cordant Cleaning, First West Yorkshire have raised their game.  This has attracted compliments from passengers.  As well as serving West Yorkshire’s largest bus operator, Cordant Cleaning also work for eleven other FirstGroup divisions.

As for punctuality and reliability, passengers can be compensated for heavily delayed or missing buses.  On First West Yorkshire, Arriva Yorkshire, and Transdev operated routes, your next journey could be free (if you waited for 20 minutes or longer).  If your last bus is later than 20 minutes or non-existent, you could claim the cost of your taxi fare back (from First, Arriva, or Transdev).

We think ABOWY’s move is a welcome one (could Merseytravel introduce a similar scheme?).  As for the 33 bus for Thatto Heath Crusaders, it is every fifteen minutes during the day and half hourly on Sundays (no evening service).  The stop you want is Elephant Lane, just before it passes Close Street. Then walk towards Close Street: the ground is a few yards on the right hand side.

Thatto Heath Crusaders’ next home fixture will be versus West Hull on the 06 May 2017. Kick off is 2.30 pm.

How eight Mumbai teenagers created a new approach to train cleaning

It’s a late Saturday afternoon aboard the Liverpool Lime Street train to Wigan North Western. After its return journey, the train’s next stop will be Allerton depot, where it will be cleaned for the next shift. It is strewn with litter from doorway to fold-up table. With bits of newspaper and drinks cans sharing the third carriage with St. Helens Central bound passengers. These days could be over, thanks to eight Mumbai teenagers who have created a novel approach to train cleaning.

Their invention hasn’t only impressed engineers; it has been seen by India’s railway minister, Suresh Prabhu. The teenagers, aged 12 to 14 years old, have invented a system where rubbish can be deposited through a vent. Their system has split vents in each compartment of the coach. With a foot pedal, passengers can deposit their waste into the vents. Then the refuse would be sucked up by a system similar to a vacuum cleaner. Having attracted the interest of India’s railway minister, it aims to make train cleaning easier.

The rubbish is sucked in with the vacuum system, where it is collected in waste chambers underneath the coach. Each coach will have three waste collection chambers. The students estimated that each passenger generates five litres of waste. For example, a British Rail Mark III coach (74 standard class seats) would potentially carry 370 litres of waste – slightly more than a small wheelie bin.

In the UK, our trains tend to have litter bins beside the doors. Our use of saloon style carriages rather than compartments could make installation difficult. Installing a similar system where most carriages have airline seating would make for tighter legroom (which is no good for tall passengers). On a diesel multiple unit (such as those seen on the Wigan Wallgate to Southport route) this would mean less space for its underfloor engines.
Clean Hire, 22 February 2017.

How to get to know your Tennant M20 scrubber sweeper through this training video

We at Clean Hire are fans of the Tennant M20 scrubber sweeper.  There is not a single word we could hold against that incredible hulk of a machine.  We love how it makes light work of the mightiest forecourts and warehouses.

Us telling you about how good it is isn’t enough.  You may be the proud owner or hirer of the Tennant M20 and wish to brush up your skills with the scrubber and sweeper.  For your very eyes is the official training video by Tennant themselves.

More M20 Action

As a Brucie Bonus, here’s some more footage of the M20 in action. This clip below has some serious Tennant thrash (turn the volume right up if you like this kind of thing).

Clean Hire, 03 February 2017.

How Winbot’s robotic window cleaner has worse compatibility issues than Windows Vista ever did

Window cleaning can be a tedious job and a dangerous one.  Especially if you clean your own windows.  We at Clean Hire recommend hiring professional window cleaners to do your double glazing, entrance doors and the like.  What if you wish to clean your house windows?  You could always use high pressure water jets or the bucket and Windolene. Continue reading “Winbot’s Windows Compatibility Issues”

How Roomba-esque driverless scrubber sweepers could revolutionise the way we clean industrial premises

Over the last fifty years, automation has led to the arrival of driverless trains, cars, and robotic vacuum cleaners. The most famous one of the latter is the Roomba which has become a de facto standard for the automated vacuum cleaner niche. Shortly before Christmas, Nilfisk have launched an industrial equivalent to the Roomba. Enter the Advance Liberty A50 autonomous scrubber.

The A50 is the first of a new generation of autonomous industrial cleaners. This is Nilfisk’s entry into the driverless cleaner market. Like the Roomba, it uses cameras, lasers, and robotic sensors to negotiate floors and edges. Unlike the Roomba, you can switch between automatic and manual controls. Whether you wish to take control or have a rest, the Advance Liberty A50 allows for both options. This video demonstrates its uses in both guises.

The driverless cleaner was tested at the ISSA/INTERCLEAN North American Tradeshow and Conference. This took place on the 26 – 28 October 2016 at McCormick Place, in Chicago.

Joint Venture

The Advance Liberty A50 is a joint venture between Nilfisk and Carnegie Robotics LLC. Nilfisk are a leading name in the design and manufacture of industrial cleaning products. The driverless scrubber sweeper is the first product to be launched under the company’s Horizon Program.

Carnegie Robotics LLC specialise in the creation of advanced robotic sensors and platforms for a number of applications. These include agriculture, defence, and extractive industries.

Would you want a driverless sweeper scrubber?

One major selling point is its ability to switch from automatic to manual modes. Where industrial premises need to be cleaned overnight, the Advance Liberty A50’s automatic mode comes into its own.

Would we buy one? Its dual modes make for maximum flexibility, so it could be a possible “yes”.

A look at the Scott Fetzer company’s iconic Kirby vacuum cleaner

In relation to architecture, John Ruskin gave us these sage words: “When we build, let us think that we build forever.”  This phrase can be applicable to luxury goods.  With cars, the Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Lexus marques.  For cameras, the Leitz Company’s Leica cameras set the gold standard.  With vacuum cleaners, some might say the same about the Kirby vacuum cleaner. Continue reading “Iconic Vacuum Cleaners: The Kirby Vacuum”

One’s looking for a part-time cleaner at the Palace of Holyroodhouse

Fancy a move to Edinburgh?  The Royal Household are looking for a part-time cleaner at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.  It is an ideal position for cleaners seeking a fresh challenge in unique surroundings and a change from the office or shop floor.

The Royal Household’s vacancy pays £8,580 per annum for a 20-hour week, working five out of seven days in a week.  Plus you also get a 15% non-contributory pension with an option to boost your payments or draw down your contribution rate in favour of higher earnings.  You also get 33 days holiday pay, including Scottish and British Bank Holidays, and free lunch.  Staff social and recreational facilities are among the perks.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is no ordinary cleaning assignment.  Your work will include cleaning and caring for irreplaceable items.  For example, rare paintings and furniture of historical interest.  Successful applicants will get to clean public areas, State rooms, and staff offices.  Providing a first class cleaning service for the Royal Family as well as the general public could go a long way on your future C.V.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official Scottish residence of our reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth the Second.  It was built between 1671 and 1678 in a quadrangle layout which it retains today.  Holyroodhouse is at the eastern end of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.   It is also said to be haunted by the ghost of Bald Agnes. Agnes Simpson was stripped and tortured in 1592 after being accused of witchcraft.

To apply for this position, all applications should be submitted by the 29 October 2016, 11.55 pm.

Clean Hire, 17 October 2016.

Norwegian study states how lung conditions like COPD are caused by cleaning chemicals

 

If you wish to duck out of the household chores, this week’s story should give you a valid reason. In a Norwegian study, it was revealed that certain cleaning chemicals could trigger respiratory diseases like COPD. From a survey of 5,000 women over a 20-year period, it was revealed that:

• Professional cleaners saw a 17% decline in lung function compared the average woman;
• Lung function dropped by 14% over the 20-year period with women who did most of the household chores.

Cleaning chemicals like ammonia can irritate the airwaves and other substances that are likely to cause an allergic reaction. Due to the increased potency of today’s cleaning products, they are more likely to cause respiratory disorders like COPD, bronchitis, and emphysema.

The study was conducted by Oistein Svanes, from the University of Bergen in Norway. His response to the findings: “Cleaning your home is a regular activity, and that’s why this concerns so many people.

“We need to start being much more aware of the chemicals we’re releasing into the air we breathe when we use things like cleaning spray.”

Dr. Gareth Walters, of the West Midlands NHS Regional Occupational Lung Disease Service, said: “It is a concern because it’s the first evidence that there’s some long-term damage to lungs due to exposure to cleaning agents.”

With concerns over MRSA and superbugs, domestic cleaning chemicals are using the same substances of their industrial equivalents. Though these make for more effective cleaning, the smaller space of a family home have made the chemicals bad for asthma sufferers.

Possible allergy triggers

Be aware of the following cleaning chemicals:

• Methylisothiazolinone (MI/MIT): you will find this chemical in kitchen and floor sprays. Some beauty products also contain MI/MIT.
• Benzalkonium chloride (Quaternary Ammonium Compound): popular as a disinfectant in household cleaners (for floors and hard surfaces).
• Chlorine-based agents (Sodium Hypochlorite): used as the active
  ingredient in bleach.
• Isothiazolinones: these are used in some washing-up liquids and laundry washing liquids.

Some scents within cleaning agents (for example, limonene) can also trigger allergies.

As with any cleaning chemicals – home or industrial – make sure your room is well ventilated. Some extra protection, like gloves and a face mask, could be a good idea. Also, consider purchasing products where the cleaning agent can be applied with a cloth, instead of aerosol-based products.

Clean Hire, 31 August 2016.

See how Sierra Blair-Coyle scales a 33 storey skyscraper – with two vacuum cleaners

 

On both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, you may have seen the Oreck adverts with David Oreck. In each of his adverts and product demonstrations, Mr Oreck uses the vacuum cleaner’s suction abilities as a selling point. For his vacuum cleaners, he uses a tenpin bowling ball as a demonstration prop, differentiating his cleaners from the Dysons, Kirbys and Electroluxes of this world.

If you never got to see the ads on British television (they were usually on UK Living between a rerun of Crosswits), you may be more familiar with The Wrong Trousers. In Nick Park’s follow-up to A Grand Day Out, Wallace invents a pair of Techno Trousers. They have suction controlled feet. With some modifications, they were controlled by Feathers McGraw, a rogue penguin. Asleep, Wallace was ushered to a museum, where he was accessory to a plan to steal a diamond.

Twenty-three years after BBC One’s premiere of The Wrong Trousers, we see real life mirroring art (well, almost). Using two vacuum cleaners, we see Wallace’s climbing feat mirrored by Sierra Blair-Coyle. With the aid of fall arrest equipment, she scales a 33 storey skyscraper in Songdo, South Korea.

The method of this madness? It is part of an advertising campaign by LG for their CordZero Climber range of vacuum cleaners. The selling point is similar to David Oreck’s: the cleaner’s suction abilities. Interestingly, the CordZero’s motor is 28% smaller, 24% lighter, and 13% more efficient than its competition’s vacuum motors. This clip below shows Ms. Blair-Coyle scaling the tower block.

“We wanted to demonstrate that today’s vacuum cleaners include sophisticated technologies that can undertake extraordinary challenges and thanks to Sierra, I think the message came through loud and clear.”

Who needs bowling balls to sell vacuum cleaners? We think LG have pulled off a cracking stunt.

Clean Hire, 19 August 2016.

Meet the Canadian window cleaner duo behind Saskatoon’s kilted window cleaning service

They are men, they’re men in kilts. Yes, window cleaners in kilts. Plus they do a host of other things like pressure washing, carpet cleaning and gutter cleaning. Since 2002, parts of Canada and the USA have had their windows cleaned by kilted window cleaners.

The company, Men in Kilts, was formed in 2002 when Nicholas Brand, an exiled Scotsman living in Vancouver decided to add a kilt to a window cleaner. Gradually, the business grew. Their first franchise was in Victoria, British Columbia. The business really took off when they entered a partnership with a Calgary-based window cleaners.

Today, the company has gone beyond its window cleaning roots and have added other services to their roster. Gutters, sidings, and driveways are cleaned by the kilted crusaders. Some franchises also offer blind and carpet cleaning, moss and snow removal, and lawn care. For time-pressed households, Happy Holidays become Happier Holidays, as Men in Kilts can install your Christmas lights. No more National Lampoon style cack-handedness.

Two recent converts to Men in Kilts are Mark Brosinsky and Sergey Zametalin. This June saw the twosome, and Ardiena Schatz, set up Men in Kilts’ Saskatoon franchise. Both Mark and Sergey are seen on the streets of Saskatoon with kilts and “No Peeking” T-Shirts.

Mark wanted a break from the stultifying corporate world. His interest in Men in Kilts marked a career change for the window cleaner. Sergey emigrated to Canada to join his family this March. He was drawn to the idea of kilted cleaning by a billboard sign. The looks that Mark and Sergey received from the public was amazing, to say the least. Ardiena Schatz has previously worked in the gas and oil industries, so her knowledge of working at height comes in handy.

So, where next for the Men in Kilts? New York? Chicago? St. Helens or Wigan even? The site of kilted cleaners in Peasley Cross would be a sight to behold. Onwards and upwards we say.

Clean Hire, 11 August 2016.