Category: Misc. Info

Well, once again I look at the calendar and it says April. However, when I step outside I still have a haunting memory of winter. I don’t mind winter but come on, enough already! Anyway I’m staying positive knowing that good weather is right around the corner.

No matter what the weather is Green Bay Floor Restore is always committed to 100% customer satisfaction. Many companies make this statement and many stand behind it. Unfortunately many do not. That is just one of many items that separate Green Bay Floor Restore from other’s in my industry.

Green Bay Floor Restore has taken it’s commitment to customer service to even a higher level than it’s competition. Green Bay Floor Restore through service and examination has become a Certified Clean Trust Firm by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration Certification organization. Also know as the IICRC.

As a certified firm we agree to maintain professionalism when conducting business and to uphold honesty and integrity and competency in all dealings with consumers. We will always have an IICRC certified technician present on all job sites certified in the category the work is being performed in.

Although Green Bay Floor Restore is already committed to continuing education, the commitment to the customer is that we will continue to educate staff and technicians as well as seek, promote and provide training to better serve the customer with “best practices” and products.

Green Bay Floor Restore will always carry adequate insurance to protect consumers from any possible mishap. Any and all required licenses, permits and bonds will always be maintained.

As a consumer myself I treat my customer’s the same way I expect to be treated. I would never want anyone to give me false or deceptive advertising or marketing including the use of misleading pricing. You can be sure that when you work with Green Bay Floor Restore, you, the customer, will ALWAYS receive accurate information regarding prices, services and products.

You know all in all I really did not need to join an organization to prove these best practices. My customer’s and people who already know me would tell you that is simply who I am. I conduct business with honesty and integrity. I decided to take it to this level of certification to prove my consumer commitment to those of you who don’t know me and Green Bay Floor Restore. I hope this will help persuade you to give Green Bay Floor Restore a try.

If you have not already please check us out on Facebook and give us a “LIKE”.

Thanks for reading, I appreciate it!

Jamie Strohmeyer
Owner/ Operator Green Bay Floor Restore
IICRC Certified

By no means is this a “dig” on cleaning services or janitorial services. Quite honestly, some of my best referral’s come from professionals in this industry. Not all cleaning companies and or janitorial companies think about or know about the implications some products or processes have on the longevity of a hard surface floor covering and it’s finish.

If you are a business owner, facility maintenance manager or other that is responsible for the care of a facility or simply and employee who takes pride in the appearance of

their workplace, I have a few tips and suggestions for you.

Many times, the floors in your place of work or business will be the first impression your customer’s or employees will have of you.

As a floor care professional, my #1 goal is to satisfy my costumer’s even after my services have been rendered. In order for this customer service to continue long after I leave, I need to educate the customer on the care and maintenance of their hard surface floors.

In commercial settings I come across ceramic tile, mosaic tile and grout floors usually found in the bathrooms of these facilities that have been coated with an acrylic coating other wise known as floor wax. How can you tell? Grout is not shiny. Another good indication is when the person applying the improper wax / sealer, got sloppy and got the mop to close to the rubber, ceramic or porcelain, kick plate and got wax on it.

Acrylic floor wax is intended for Vinyl Composite Tile, (VCT) not ceramic tile or grout. In most cases the tile and grout was simply mopped clean prior to the wax being applied. When the grout is not properly cleaned prior to the wax being applied you are simply sealing in the dirt. Any chance of those grout lines coming clean with daily mopping are slim to none and slim just left the building.

In order to have any chance of cleaning these waxed surfaces you will need to strip the wax off with special strippers and equipment. Only then will you have a chance at getting the grout lines clean.

VCT (vinyl composite tile) floor coverings that are intended to accept an acrylic wax can shine like a diamond when first applied and for months after. In order to get the “shine like a diamond” months after ; the janitorial company or cleaning company must maintain it and maintain it properly.

First off, the floor should be dust mopped daily or more depending on the amount of foot traffic. Dirt, grim and sand can act as a sandpaper on the finish. Wet mopping daily using a neutral cleaner and cold water, is recommended for longevity of the shine and durability of the wax. Any cleaner that is high in Alkaline will prematurely take some of the finish off the floor and create a “dull” appearance. DO NOT use a disinfectant cleaner unless the cleaner is a neutral disinfectant cleaner, 7.0 on the pH scale. Some disinfectant cleaners contain a chemical property that can actually stick to the floor and attract dirt making it very difficult to remove the dirt. I recommend to my customers using Snap All Purpose Natural Concentrate . 1 cap to 1 gallon of water will provide a 7.0 – 7.5 pH level which is safe for cleaning and protecting almost all acrylic finishes.

 

Green Bay Floor Restore can work with you, your business and your maintenance personnel on the specific issues or concerns you may have to assure your floor coverings are maintained at a level that gives your customers a great first impression and from having to prematurely strip and wax those resilient floor coverings. Be sure to check out some of the photos on my web site Gallery to see the before and after photos of some resilient floors.

Jamie Strohmeyer / Green Bay Floor Restore

IICRC Certified / Clean Trust Firm

 

It’s the 1st day of Spring in NE WI! There is still 9 inches of snow on the ground, the temperature outside is 11 degrees and with the wind chill, it feels like 5 degrees…..Calgon take me away!

When you do start your Spring cleaning and after you get some facts on dust mites, you won’t want to overlook cleaning your mattress’s. Just thinking of dust mites living in your pillows and mattress’s by the millions eating your dead skin and hair is enough to make you sick (literally and figuratively).

Dust mites are microscopic bugs that live primarily on dead skin cells that regularly shed from humans and pets. They don’t carry disease so don’t freak out….but they do cause allergic reactions in asthmatics and others that are allergic to their feces. Dust mites are not Bed Bugs, that my friends is another topic.

A typical mattress contains tens of thousands of dust mites and nearly 100,000 mites can live in one square yard of carpet. A single dust mite produces about 20 droppings each day, each containing a protein that many people are allergic to, including me!

Your bed is a primary habitat for dust mites (where 1/3 of your life is spent). 10% of the weight of a 2 year old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their droppings. Right about now is when I was checking the Kohls add for a sale on pillows! Mites prefer warm, moist surroundings such as the inside of a mattress when someone is on it.

The Mayo Clinic, Web MD and HIH collectively provide a list of typical symptoms of an allergy to dust mites. Runny nose, sneezing, itchy red or watery eyes, facial pressure and pain, post nasal drip are just a few of the symptoms. These are all the same symptoms that I have experienced with my allergic reactions to dust mites.

There are control measures you can take. The most effective way is to enclose the mattress top and sides with a plastic cover. Before you do you may want to have your mattress steam cleaned, unless of course you have a washing machine that it will fit in so it can be cleaned at 130 degrees. Using pure steam dissolves dirt and grime, while removing germs and bacteria from the surfaces that your cleaning. Steam is also and environmentally friendly thing to do. There is no longer a need to use harsh and toxic chemicals.

A few other tips to rid dust mites are to replace feather and down pillows with those having synthetic fillings. Replace woolen blankets with nylon or cotton cellulose ones. Mom’s and Dad’s don’t forget the children’s stuffed animals: be sure to get washable stuffed animals in the future!

For fabrics that may not be washed, pop the fabrics in the freezer for 24 -48 hours to kill dust mites. Freezing and sunlight kills the dust mites but does not remove the residue.

Green Bay Floor Restore offers mattress cleaning services. First we use a special vacuum to remove all the residue the dust mites leave behind. We then use heated steam. No harmful or toxic chemicals are used. Pure 130 + degree steam will kill off the dust mites. For our customers that have allergies, we can apply a post spray to keep dust mites from repopulating for a period of up to 6 months. Think about it, up 6 months without having to share our bed. For those allergic to dust mites, 6 months of feeling better after a night of sleep. Call us today, you will be pleasantly surprised at the cost of this healthy service we offer.

Jamie Strohmeyer / Green Bay Floor Restore

IICRC Certified / Clean Trust Firm

  

 It is very difficult to give an exact definition of pH. A couple of simple descriptions offered are, “power of Hydrogen” and ‘potential Hydrogen” ion concentration. Neither are perfect descriptions. Both present a way of remembering the significance of “p” and “H”. Simply stated, pH tells us whether a solution is acid, alkaline or neutral. pH is a critical measurement. Life depends on it. For instance human blood is basic with a pH between 7.3 and 7.5. If the pH of blood drops below 7.3 acidosis occurs. If the blood pH rises above 7.5, alkalosis occurs. Death will occur if blood pH goes below 7.0 of above 7.8. Our human existence depends upon a balanced and buffered blood pH. The entire metabolic process of your body depends on balanced pH. As more acid wastes back up, and the body slowly stews in its poisonous wastes, a chronically over acidic body pH corrodes body tissue slowly eating into the 60,000 miles of our veins and arteries like acid eating into marble or any other porous material. If you have ever wondered why you can’t lose weight even after countless efforts of eating right and committing to a weight loss plan and whatever else you did, it’s is most likely because your pH levels inside your body are acidic. How about that afternoon wall you may hit, even though you eat smart, take vitamins and supplements you still feel “groggy”…..yep you guessed it…..probably acidic pH levels in your body. Your are most likely taking the wrong vitamins or supplements. If you have questions about your bodies Ph levels you need to call an expert. I would suggest speaking with Maggie Schuld Naturopath doctor and owner of the Spa Loft http://thespaloftdepere.com/. If you want to know about pH levels in floor cleaning, look no further. I have the answers and the products to assure great results and no damage to the floor. It is important that your floor care professional understands pH levels in cleaning products for the type of floors that are to be cleaned. In the cleaning products world neutral pH is 7.0. Each number going up with 14.0 being the cap is 10 xs stronger than the lower number. A floor care professional knows the importance of pH. For example, you use neutral pH (7) floor cleaners for daily maintenance and alkaline pH (12-13) for finish removal. In carpet cleaning pH levels between 7 and 10 are used to avoid potential damage to carpet.  Some carpet manufacturers will null and void carpet fiber warranties if a pH level of greater than 10 is used. Have you ever heard someone who has had their carpet cleaned and they complained how the carpet felt “crunchy” or it looked dull? How about the complaint that the carpet seemed to get dirty quicker after being cleaned?  These complaints are most likely due to the carpet cleaning technician using a very high alkaline cleaning product.  You need alkaline to suspend soil so it can be extracted in carpet but in some cases you will need to neutralize that alkaline with what we call “tannin” product or acidic on the pH scale. Green Bay Floor Restore neutralizes all carpets to assure 100% customer satisfaction. It is very important for every cleaning professional to have a basic understanding of pH.  Ignoring pH of a solution or not knowing exactly what type of floor you’re cleaning (ceramic or stone) can be an expensive mistake. Floor coverings and surfaces can be damaged by an inappropriate pH value. Be careful. Make sure you hire a professional!  Jamie Strohmeyer / Owner Operator Green Bay Floor Restore IICRC Certified Carpet Technician / Certified Clean Trust Firm

 

You may or may not have heard the old saying that, when you’re passionate about something and that passion becomes a means to earn an income, the tasks of the job no longer seem like a job. The tasks become fun and for that it makes for a very happy person.
I am very happy to be the owner operator of Green Bay Floor Restore. My passion lies in the details of how the customer is treated from beginning to end. I like to say that the model is based on how I expect to be treated when I am the customer and what I expect when someone enters my home and treats my possessions when services that I pay for are rendered. Each and every customer has a specific expectation and a need for one or more of the many services I offer. I meet with each customer personally and listen to exactly what their needs are. When it comes time for the work to be done, I am there to fulfill those needs and meet or exceed that expectation. There are no middle persons to deal with….my company, my name, my word.
I want to thank my existing customer’s who have been with me for the last 2 years. It has been a pleasure servicing you. I look forward to servicing you again. For those of you who are just getting to know me and Green Bay Floor Restore, my customers will always come first and they will tell you that there are NEVER ANY HIDDEN CHARGES in any service Green Bay Floor Restore offers.
In closing, I invite you to look around my new web site. There are a few minor details to be worked out at the time of this blog, but overall it is complete. Be sure to check out the videos by simply clicking on the You Tube logo. You can also check out some Before & After photos in the Gallery.
Thanks for taking the time to learn about Green Bay Floor Restore. I look forward to being your residential and commercial floor care provider.
Jamie Strohmeyer / Owner Operator – Green Bay Floor Restore
IICRC Certified Carpet Cleaning Technician / Clean Trust Certified Firm