Have you noticed that almost every single airline trip you take lately seems to end with a case of the sniffles, or worse, with a full-on case of the flu? If you’re starting to feel just a tad paranoid about picking up a nasty virus when you fly, you’re not alone. It’s a common perception that airline cabins are happy incubators for cold and flu germs.

But is that really the case? Well, it turns out that recent studies point to a number of possible causes for this actually being true. The causes include: close quarters, shared air, and extremely low cabin humidity. Today, with more than just the common cold virus going around making flying an even scarier scenario, airline passengers are taking the virus risk associated with flying more seriously.

So here are 8 ways to dodge those viruses when you fly:

Keep yourself hydrated.

Drink plenty of water before getting on the plane, and continue to drink while flying. A doctors’ number-one tip when you’re flying: Buy a big bottle of water as soon as you get through security and start drinking before you fly, so you’re well hydrated when you get on the plane. Drinking water keeps the mucus membranes in the nose and throat moist and better equipped to fight germs. Continue to drink water throughout the flight; if you’re on an international flight where they confiscate water bottles, request glasses of water from the attendant. Or bring your own refillable bottle — just be sure it’s empty when you try to board, and then ask the attendant to fill it for you once you’re on the plane.

Disinfect the surfaces you touch.

Using an alcohol-based disinfection product is a good second choice when you can’t wash your hands. You can also use disinfecting wipes to wash down surfaces you can’t avoid touching. Carry a pack of disinfectant wipes in your travel bag and wipe down armrests, tray tables, and the seat

Bring your own blanket and pillow on the plane.

Not only do few airlines reliably provide blankets anymore, but the ones they do offer can harbor germs. In fact, this fall several airlines removed all blankets and pillows from flights as a precaution against cold and flu transmission. Carry a light, foldable blanket in your bag; ladies, a pashmina shawl works well. Traveling with an inflatable or foldable neck pillow is a good idea, too. If you want to conserve space, you can bring along your own pillowcase and put it over the pillow provided, but wash your hands after the switch.

Turn on the air vents to circulate the air.

It might sound counter-intuitive, but the lack of circulating ventilation is one of the main reasons airplanes are safe havens for germs. In fact, the airline study showed that flights featuring actively recirculated air, which is filtered, had lower cold and flu transmission rates than those that didn’t. Some experts advise opening the air vents above your seat as far as possible, so the blowing air can help push away the germs that might float into your space from a nearby passenger.

Shut the toilet lid before flushing in plane and airport bathrooms.

Most people try to avoid touching toilet seats but don’t think about the spraying action of flushing. But researchers do. In one study, researchers measured the microorganisms in the air and on nearby surfaces after the first and subsequent flushes and found that “large numbers of microorganisms persisted on the toilet bowl surface and in the bowl water, which were disseminated into the air by further flushes.” And because plane bathrooms and airport cubicles are tiny, you tend to be standing much closer — or even directly over — the toilet while flushing. A simple solution: Close the lid first before reaching for the handle. After flushing, wash your hands thoroughly with soap.

Try to wear a face mask.

Yes, it looks silly. But airborne germs are one of the top two sources of cold virus infection. If someone near you is coughing or sneezing and you’re unable to change seats, a mask is the only effective barrier between you and the airborne virus.

Demand to change seats if someone’s coughing or sneezing on you.

This one can be tough for the shy or well mannered. If you’re one of those who stay glued in your seat, terrified, for the entire flight, see our suggestions on how to change seats gracefully to avoid sick passengers. Of course, it’s not always possible to move if the flight is fully booked and no one’s willing to swap places. But it’s always worth alerting the flight attendant that you wish to be moved. Sometimes a seat becomes available when another passenger upgrades to business class or vacates a bulkhead seat because of emergency requirements.

Complain if you’re held on the runway with the vent system shut off.

There are documented outbreaks of flu on airlines in which passengers were held on the plane with the ventilation system turned off. In one case, researchers studied 54 people who were delayed on the ground for three hours because of engine failure before takeoff. Within two days, 72 per cent of the passengers became ill — and the researchers traced the flu strain back to one sick passenger.

Current recommendations require that “passengers be removed from an aircraft within 30 minutes of shutting off the ventilation system,” but the rule isn’t always followed. If you’re on a delayed flight and you notice the air go off, check your watch. After half an hour, approach a flight attendant and remind him or her that regulations require that the ventilation be turned on. If much more time passes, talk to your fellow passengers and see if you can garner some support, then approach the attendant again. In several such cases, irate passengers were able to get the ventilation system turned back on.

For more information on how to stay healthy by enjoying a clean airline and airport experience or on how we can help your airport or airlines keep up with today’s high industry standards in cleanliness, call CFM today for a FREE consultation!

631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your cleaning service and facility maintenance team can be trusted.

Have a question or certain topic you’d like to see addressed in our next blog post? Just leave a comment, or email us at info@cfmservicecorp.com.

So you own or run a business and you’re thinking it may be a good idea to outsource your janitorial needs instead of adding another person to your payroll. So do you know how to find a good janitorial service? What to look for when choosing one? There are steps to take to find that service. First, investigate different office cleaning services. Check their credibility and reliability. They must have a license to operate their business.

Janitorial services are now readily available anytime you want to have the different kinds of services they offer. Having many of these companies around these days is a big advantage to consumers. This gives them a lot of choices for housekeeping or business cleaning services.

Before you actually make that call to get these janitorial services, you should know what to expect from a good one. You need to figure out what you want from a janitorial company before deciding, which among them you should hire either for your home or office.

One of the things you need to ensure is how this service will get your cleaning requirements done. Do they have the kind of janitorial supplies that you expect them to have? How are they going to clean your floor coverings? These are only a few of the many questions you need to get a concrete answer on, before you can actually decide which of the many cleaning companies you should hire.

Another factor is to check the janitor’s service for pleasing their customers. It is worth every penny if these companies do a good job and keep everything clean. You will even be willing to pay little more if their cleaning crew will do the job real good and do not steal.

It is important to check if a janitorial company has the proper training for their workers. They should provide you with competent cleaners, who can do the job well and in a systematic manner.

The next thing you need to be looking for is whether the janitorial service treats its workers fairly and pays them well enough. You cannot expect high quality of work from janitors who are underpaid and are treated unfairly.

Commercial cleaning companies should also provide ample security and safety for its cleaning crew. You certainly do not want to be liable should anything untoward happen to any of the cleaning crew while doing their job in your home or office.

Therefore, you need to do your own background checking of the cleaning company. You need to know the kind of reputation it has in the industry. For your protection, you have to check if the company is duly registered with all the needed licenses and permits.

Another thing you should expect from a real good commercial janitorial company is its ability to complete the job not only on time but according to the specifications you have set.

For more information about our exceptional janitorial services and cleaning practices that are best for your specific business, call CFM today for a free consultation.

631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your  info@cfmservicecorp.com.

One way to make your floors look amazing is by stripping them. But what’s the best way to go about this if you want to do it yourself? Here are some professional tips to follow when stripping your floors.

First, always follow recommended manufacturers dilution of the stripping solution you buy; it’s important to remember that stronger is not always better. The stripping solution must contain some water to be effective and emulsify the old floor finish properly.

Allow the floor stripping solution to penetrate the old floor wax and finish for several minutes (5 -10 preferably) before scrubbing. For heavy buildup and extremely aged finishes, you may have to apply more floor stripper to the floor as the stripping solution becomes saturated with old loosened wax and finish.

To check if the floor is ready for scrubbing, scrape the finish film with the center section of an agressive floor pad or scrapper/putty knife. Black floor scrubbing pads are ideal for use when top scrubbing or stripping floors. (Be sure you are wearing rubber gloves.) If you easily scrape the loosened old floor wax / finish down to the bare floor, it is has emulsified and is now ready to scrub. If the pad scrapes only a slippery layer of finish, then you need more dwell time or more stripper solution.

One very important tip to remember is that you should generously apply plenty of mixed stripping solution to the floor. Many beginners commonly make the mistake of not doing so, thus the floor not getting the room or area it needs to suspend the dirty old floor wax / finish to be removed from the floor. In addition, not enough stripping solution will also cause the floor to dry faster which is not good.  You will need time to work, scrub and then remove the dirty water off the floor by wet mopping or vacuuming the dirty solution. Next would be to give the floor a final rinse. If the floor begins to dry before this cleanup and rinse, you’ll have to repeat the procedure and reactivate your stripping solution.

Routine floor stripping is no longer necessary when you’re using a good floor finish and wax when following good maintenance procedures. Excessive floor stripping can damage floors as well as increase product and labor costs. It is necessary to use floor strippers only when you want to:

-Removing heavy floor polish and wax buildups.

-Removing polish and wax with burnished in dirt that cannot be removed by deep scrubbing.

-Removing factory coatings from new tile flooring.

However the best advice for stripping floors will always stay the same: hire a professional. They will always do it right the first time, and they will always do it fastest since they’ve got the procedure down-pat. Between the cost of the chemicals and tools and the time it will take away from your life, especially if you need to re-do a step, it usually tends to cost less to have a professional do it.

For more information on professional floor stripping, call CFM today for a FREE consultation!

631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your cleaning service and facility maintenance team can be trusted.

Have a question or certain topic you’d like to see addressed in our next blog post? Just leave a comment, or email us at info@cfmservicecorp.com.

When it comes to outsourcing your restroom cleaning services, there’s no room for cutting corners in job performance. Naturally, you want the best for your facility or office. And why shouldn’t you? Dirty restrooms cast a profoundly negative image on your business. So when you’re exploring your options in outsourcing your restroom sanitation service it’s in your best interest to enlist competent professionals.

Expert restroom cleaning and hygiene is crucial because in any given building, no other area experiences as much daily traffic as the restroom. It’s a known fact that an overwhelming percentage of building complaints are related to restroom cleanliness. This is why obtaining the best restroom sanitation service is so important.

Well trained commercial restroom cleaning professionals have time tested systems in place and vast amount of experience and on the job knowledge to make sure nothing gets overlooked. Foul odors, dirty grout, and empty dispensers will never be an issue when you work alongside the best restroom cleaning service the industry has to offer. You’ll know you’re getting the best service if your facility exhibits these signs of ideal restroom cleanliness:

• Clean, fresh scent
• Well stocked supplies
• Sparkling floors
• Clean mirrors
• Absence of graffiti
• Working stall doors, sink fixtures, etc
• Immaculate sinks, toilets, and urinals

Some cleaning companies will come in and only wipe down surfaces giving a false impression of clean and putting anyone who visits your restroom at risk for disease. An experienced company with a reputation for offering the best in restroom sanitation services understands that cleaning isn’t just for looks. They clean first and foremost for health. That is, the health of your guests, employees, and yourself. Proper restroom hygiene keeps diseases at bay and the payoff of this includes several key benefits:

• Reduces absenteeism
• Higher employee moral
• Increased efficiency and work output
• An increase in your overall bottom line

When you outsource with a restroom sanitation service that knows its stuff, you are then free to focus on your own work with the confidence that the messy job is in good hands. You won’t be dealing with the flood of employee or customer complaints that result from dirty restrooms. Furthermore, you get to enjoy the benefits of a clean restroom yourself! The best kind of restroom sanitation service is the one that you never hear about. That is, the one that does it job so well that you’re time is never taken up dealing with complaints a dirty restroom.

Don’t take your restroom sanitation services for granted. It’s a big job and a dirty job that plays a crucial role in the image your business or facility presents. Make that image a positive one by outsourcing this important–and all too often overlooked–task to seasoned professionals who won’t play games or cut corners with your restrooms hygiene.

For more information on Restroom Cleaning Services offered by CFM, please call us for a FREE consultation at: 631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your  info@cfmservicecorp.com.

Sometimes there’s nothing better than having nice clean windows that let you see the beauty of the outside world. Whether it’s the sun shining through in the morning, seeing a beautiful city skyline or just looking at your lawn on a beautiful spring day, having nice clean windows can make anyone’s experience much more crystal clear.

To get good clean windows that are streak free and stay clean, having the right equipment is integral. To get off to a good start with cleaning your windows, it’s important to have good quality equipment. The equipment listed below can be found at your local hardware store or specialized cleaning supplies shop.

• Bucket – Preferably wide enough to fit the squeegee and mop in.
• Squeegee – There are huge differences in quality available, and this is probably the most crucial tool of all. So purchase a good one, not like the ones you find at gas stations. Good quality squeegees will usually come assembled from three pieces. The handle, the channel and the piece of rubber supported by the channel. The rubber can be turned over when it gets old, and then replaced when both sides have worn out. Sizes vary from 4 inches to 24 inches and which size works best for you depends on the size of the majority of windows in your home or workplace.
• Mop (Also called ‘Washer’ and ‘Wand’.) – This comes in two pieces: the plastic t-bar and the sleeve. When the sleeve gets dirty, you can detach it from the t-bar and put it in the washing machine. It’s usually attached by Velcro or buttons. 14 inches is a good length. The sleeves come in different versions: Porcupine – with little plastic bits throughout it to help scrub off tough marks, Regular, Scourer – with a scouring strip on one side. The handles can either be fixed, or swivel. The swivel one is easier on the wrist and far better when using the pole.
• Scraper – This item comes with replaceable metal blades and is useful to get tough marks off, such as paint, varnish or stubborn insect marks. A little one inch, pocket scrapper is usually enough for most jobs, but larger 3 and 6 inch ones that fit onto the end of the pole are good for scraping larger areas.
• Rags – This could just be an old towel (old is best as the lint and fluff would have worn away and a micro-fiber cloth. It is nearly impossible to do a window without having to wipe the edges as even the pros have to do this that’s where the micro-fiber cloth comes in. This is great for getting rid of those water marks anywhere on the glass. Use it dry. You can just put it in the washing machine when it’s too wet or dirty. The old towels will come in handy for any water that gets on the floor.

Having this general equipment for washing windows will help to ensure you have the type of windows that your guest will be envious of.

For more information on Window Washing and the Window Washing Services offered by CFM, please call us for a FREE consultation at: 631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your  info@cfmservicecorp.com.

It can be quite difficult for a building owner to perform maintenance, tasks and repairs on his or her own company and doing so may could potentially have a negative impact on how well the company operates. When an owner has to focus more on something outside their expertise, such as repairs and maintenance, it can consume large amounts of labor and time away from where they are needed more. So this type of maintenance work tends to be best completed by a professional in the field.

Here are 5 reasons why it may be best for your business to outsource facility maintenance:

1. Routine Emergency Repairs
To address routine emergency repairs can be expensive, time consuming, labor intensive, and disrupts the organization’s day-to-day operations. Therefore sending out maintenance work to a facility management company takes this weight off the property manager’s shoulders. Facility management providers complete emergency repairs, such as unexpected electrical breakdowns, plumbing leaks, broken tiles, and fixing faulty equipment to work until it can be replaced.

2. Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance must be done to correct any equipment issues that might become a greater problem down the road. Only experts can pinpoint potential system issues that might occur and repair them in advance. When you put a facility management professional in charge of your facility maintenance, they are responsible for tasks that prevent problems, for example:
• performing routine inspections
• partial or total equipment overhauls
• replacing lubricants
• wrapping plumbing pipes
• bleeding the HVAC equipment
• painting interiors and exterior
• monitoring HVAC equipment
• mechanical equipment maintenance
• gutter cleaning

3. Routinely Replace Non-working Equipment
It is essential to remove non-working equipment and purchase new equipment immediately so the organization is constantly productive. The equipment is inspected and replaced as necessary on a regular basis by facility management service providers. They will assist you in getting the best price for new equipment due to their knowledge of the field and business relationships.
Some items that may need to be replaced are:
• ballasts
• glass
• HVAC equipment
• furniture
• flooring or rugs
• lighting

4. Lower Operating Costs
Facility and equipment maintenance are time consuming tasks and can be costly. Your organization can reduce operational expenses associated with the facility when building maintenance professionals are hired to maintain it. Highly skilled managers help avoid ongoing equipment failures. Additionally, effective maintenance helps ensure longer lasting, more efficient equipment is in operation at all times.

5. Safe and Functional Facility
When your facility is well maintained, the value increases and it is functional, and provides a safe environment for its occupants. Appropriate maintenance contributes to the long term overall look of the property. When you allow an experienced facility management company to handle your maintenance, a team of professionals will complete all facility maintenance such as:
• evaluate all mechanical systems
• identify sources of systems failures
• develop plans to make systems more efficient
• add to the overall efficiency of the facility

Consider hiring an experienced facility management crew to be responsible for several different maintenance tasks in your building including floor and rug cleaning, flood clean ups, glass cleaning, updating fire extinguishers, custodial work, maintaining locks and entrances, floor maintenance, and pest control and all repainting work.

For more information on Facility Maintenance practices offered by CFM, please call us for a FREE consultation at: 631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your  info@cfmservicecorp.com.

It’s a fact that the flu causes more doctor visits and missed school days than any other illness. And every parent knows how easily the flu is passed on to other family members once one child gets it.

So what can parents do to help stop the spread of the flu on their end?

Here are 10 ways to help protect your child from germs and illness at school.

1. Get Immunized

Make sure your children are up to date on scheduled immunizations and that everyone in the family has gotten a seasonal flu vaccine. If you or your children miss the vaccine in fall or winter, then springtime is still not too late. Peak flu season is usually not until February and you can get vaccinated as late as May.

2. Know How and When to Wash Hands

One of the most common ways children get colds or the flu is by rubbing their nose or eyes after the virus germs have gotten onto their hands. And since children often don’t wash their hands often enough or well enough at school, you should make sure that your children know to use soap and warm water. They should scrub all over — including the back of hands, between fingers, and around nails — for about 20 seconds; about the time it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song twice. Then rinse well in warm water, dry with a paper towel, and use the towel to turn off the water.

3. Provide Hand Sanitizer

Hand washing is the best defense against germs, but on field trips or at games or other events, it’s not always possible. Depending on the age of your children and the school policy, sending your children to school with a sanitizing gel or sanitizing wipes is a good alternative. To make it effective, your children should rub the product all over their hands and fingers until they are dry; about 30 seconds. Children under the age of 7 should not carry gel or use it without supervision.

4. Teach Your Child Germ Etiquette

Teach your healthy children to stay away from sick children as much as possible and to cover coughs and sneezes to prevent spreading infection if they are sick. When possible they should sneeze into a tissue, throw it in the trash right after and then wash their hands. Otherwise, your children should cough or sneeze into crook of their elbow, not their hands.

5. Bring a Pencil Box

Supply your children with their own pencils, crayons, erasers, rulers, and other classroom supplies. They’ll have less risk of picking up an illness from sharing these objects. Consider mechanical pencils for children also so that they can avoid the class pencil sharpener which is a known germ hotspot.

6. Don’t Share at School

Children should try to avoid sharing items such as lip balm, make-up, razors, creams and lotions to avoid not only cold & flu viruses but also skin infections such as MRSA and Herpes. Items such as ear buds, locker-room towels, sports jerseys and helmets, and baseball gloves should also be off-limits for sharing. With younger children, it may be difficult to avoid sharing books and toys in the classroom so you should perpetually remind them to wash their hands afterward.

7. Beware of Top Germ Spots

A recent study of germs in schools found that water fountains and plastic cafeteria trays were the germiest spots in school. You should teach you children not to put their mouths on spigots when they get a drink of water. Another strategy is to send your child to school with his own water, if school policy permits it. For avoiding germs on cafeteria trays, your child should not eat something that drops on the tray. And if they carry hand sanitizer, they should use it after carrying the tray to the table but before eating.

8. Keep Backpacks Clean

Have your children clean out their backpack regularly. Then clean the inside of the backpack periodically yourself using a wet cloth or sanitary wipe to remove dripped milk and stuck-on food or crumbs. Always make sure to pack lunches in a bag or lunchbox, not loose in a backpack, to keep backpacks cleaner.

9. Build Immunity

Make sure that your children get enough sleep and exercise, avoid stress, and eat a well-balanced diet. Pack healthy lunches and snacks for them and encourage them to drink lots of water.

10. Provide Classrooms Germ Supplies

Many schools are stretched financially and may not have enough items to help teachers maintain a healthy classroom. If there isn’t enough soap, hand sanitizer, or tissues to go around, ask if you can donate some or encourage each parent to supply a box of tissues and bacterial wipes to build up your classroom’s supply. Teachers may also appreciate small paper cups for water, colorful posters reminding kids to wash their hands, or, for younger kids, soaps with a fun smell or color to encourage lathering up.

Besides teaching your children the importance of staying healthy and preventing the flu, it is the responsibility of the school district to make sure that schools are cleaned and maintained to ensure the health of all the students. If you notice that your child’s school is not doing enough to keep the school clean, contact your local school board.

For more information on the cleaning services in schools, call CFM today for a free consultation.

631-281-5346

CFM is a veteran-owned business that supports our troops and the civilian employment of veterans. With CFM, you can rest assured that your cleaning service and facility maintenance team can be trusted.

Have a question or certain topic you’d like to see addressed in our next blog post? Just leave a comment, or email us at info@cfmservicecorp.com.