Just because something smells nice does that make it safe to breath? DEFINITELY NOT!

Most people don’t realise it but many washrooms in Australia are using automatic air freshener refills that contain chemicals you would never want to inhale. Damage has already been done to thousands of people and you may not even know yet if you have been one of them. Well meaning facility managers trying to save a few bucks have just not been aware of the potential hazards of these imported aerosol refills. We think it’s only a matter of time before serious health and respiratory issues are linked to imported automatic air freshener refills.

So which imported refills are good and which one’s are bad? Should we check the material safety data sheet? Can we trust that a Chinese factory thousands of miles away cares about the accuracy of the MSDS? Or are they just interested in selling more? Would they be prepared to say and do whatever it takes to achieve more sales? I wonder???

Inhaling toxic chemicals and not even knowing is a scary thought but there is a solution. And you don’t have to be a genius chemist to work it out! The answer is…

Buy Australian Made!

Support Aussie jobs and workers.

Here, we have to manufacture to very high standards and then support the products we make. There’s no hiding for manufacturer’s who make products in Australia.

And if you go Aussie made why not choose Australia’s best system, it’s called Magnifi-Scent.

Yes, it sanitises the air, destroys bad odours, it’ss automatic and the list goes on, but here’s the amazing part….

There are 10 Aroma-Marketing fragrances to choose from. “What’s that?” I hear you ask.

Not only can you improve the health and air quality in your establishment you can also influence the mood your clients, guests or workers are feeling.

For example, the Pink Musk automatic air freshener refill helps you to revisit the happiest times in your life with the sweetness and richness of a magnificent musk that subtly lingers and lasts. You can’t help but smile as this musk fills the room with a deep joy and peacefulness bringing back pleasant memories you may have forgotten. This particular fragrance is one that tends to relax, calm, make peaceful and promote happiness.

All the Magnifi-Scent refills are made in Australia to the highest standards and they do an incredible job. To learn more click here or give us a call today on 1300 822 626.

All over the world workplaces where cleaning chemicals are used are going portable with their dispensing systems. What you are about to see is the only portable dispensing system that incorporates ‘Closed Loop’ technology into the design.

This is a huge step forward in the safe use of hygiene cleaning chemicals.
The KISS-Mix Chemical Dilution Gun is a revolutionary device that safety, accurately and economically delivers cleaning chemical solutions that are ready use for a variety of areas including kitchens, floors, washrooms and housekeeping.

What are the advantages to you?
1. Accurate Dilution & Dosage Super Concentrates: Accurate dilution control can be built right into the portable unit, preventing any tampering with water to chemical ratios and ensuring the right dilution is used every time.

2. Versatility & Flexibility: Use it anywhere there is a water source. No more travelling back to a central mixing station.

3. Durability & Reliability: State-of-the-art materials and durable design withstand harsh chemicals.

4. Water control: Turn water on and off right at the unit.

5. Easy, Safe & Simple: The ergonomic, one-handed easy operation is suitable for inexperienced staff and requires little training.

6. Closed Loop System (Big Winner!): The ‘No Spill Closed Loop’ feature ensures users do not come into contact with the concentrated product, improving safety, eliminating waste and stopping theft.

7. Affordability: Low cost compared to expensive plumbed in wall-mounted dispensers.

8. Rapid deployment: Minimal training is required.  Installation is instant – no mounting or wall repairing needed.

9. Reduced maintenance costs: No need to stock replacement dispenser parts or pay for expensive service calls.

KISS-Mix stands for KEEP IT SIMPLE AND SAFE. It’s only available at Total Supply Supply Solutions so give us a call to discuss this brilliant innovation today on 1300 822 626.

Dry carpet cleaning is now a huge industry in Australia. It has been made famous by companies like Electrodry and Chemdry. Like most methods of carpet cleaning it has its critics but we must always remember these 5 things before passing judgement…

1. there are good and bad operators in every market.
2. dry carpet cleaning is better used for regular carpet maintenance cleans.
3. this method has some brilliant strengths and a few weaknesses.
4. it is highly profitable for operators due lower start up costs and faster cleaning productivity. Hourly rates of $100+ are very common.
5. there are some jobs where dry carpet cleaning is not the ideal method of cleaning.

Dry carpet cleaning can be a great business on it’s own or it can be added to your existing business as an extra service. So what do you need to get started for under $4500? Here’s the checklist…

1. 1 x Carpet Cleaning Floor Scrubber – Like the Dizzy Disc Floor Scrubber (You can clean and buff hard floors with this machine too)
2. 5 x Carpet Bonnets & 1 x Carpet Brush
3. 1 x Upright Vacuum Cleaner – Check out latest, most popular and most powerful upright vacuum cleaner by clicking here.
4. Dry Carpet Cleaning Chemicals
5. 1 x Carpet Stain Removal Kit
6. 1 x Upholstery Cleaning Machine
7. Buckets
8. 1 x Bag of Rags
9. 1 x A cheap 5 litre garden sprayer from Bunnings or Masters
10. 1 x Grande Carpet Rake 

As you can see, you can be up and going in your new dry carpet cleaning business very quickly for a very small investment of under $4500. There are not many opportunities to earn $100+ per hour with an initial investment of less than $4500. It’s low risk, low cost and the market is huge. Many people start off part time, cleaning after hours and on weekends before taking the big leap of faith and leaving their job. However you choose to do it, we wish you all the very best if you decide to join this growing industry.

For more free information about carpet cleaning visit our carpet cleaning blog today. Here’s the link… http://www.totalsupplysolutions.com.au/blog/category/carpet-cleaning/

Carpet blowers and air movers are most commonly used for drying flood damaged carpet and hard floor areas. To ensure that a safe and effective job is achieved there some rules you must observe when using this type of electrical equipment.

1. Never leave carpet blowers or dryers unattended or running overnight. Move the fan every hour or two for even drying.

2. Ensure the fan is blowing the air horizontally across the floor not up into the air to maximise drying.

3. Ensure your blower has a current test and tag fitted by a qualified electrician. This is your responsibility and just must be done.

4. Have your air mover serviced every 3-6 months by a qualified electrician. Proper maintenance prevents problems before they happen. It avoids breakdowns and reduces safety risks.

5. If the blower is not working fast enough use a dehumidifier as well. If a dehumidifier is not available you can turn the air conditioner on for improved drying conditions. Moist air must have a way of escape from the flooded space so think about ventilation too. A closed space with no ventilation and a blower turned on just won’t ever dry out in a reasonable time frame.

6. Do not use extension leads and check your leads regularly for damage.

7. Position your blower correctly so air can flow into the machine without obstruction. Position the blower away from curtains and ensure no fluff or other obstruction is sucked against the intake areas which can cause over heating.

8. Clean the intake area (where air flows into the machine) regularly.

9. If you are buying a second hand carpet blower be sure that it complies with the Australian Standards. Remember that the Australian Standards can change regularly so a machine that was purchased and compliant in 2009 is not necessarily compliant in 2012. Something to be aware of!

10. If you use your blower a lot it probably makes you a lot of money. Many contractors charge $50 a day to hire one blower out. Depending on the quality of the blower you buy, the effective working life of the blower may be from 1 up to 5 years. There comes a time to buy a new one and it’s best not to wait until a problem occurs so don’t push your luck too far. When you need to use a blower you usually can’t afford a problem because a flood restoration job is most often an urgent or emergency situation.

A carpet blower or air mover can be a brilliant piece of equipment. When used properly it can be your friend but when the rules above are not followed there can be problems.

For more information on our carpet blowers, air movers or other flood restoration products please give the team a call today on 1300 822 626.

Have a great day.

I saw this and thought you all might appreciate it. I didn’t write it and I don’t know who to give the credit to. Feel free to use it in your business, perhaps it will help to reduce toilet paper, paper hand towel and other washroom costs

_________________________________________________

To: ALL STAFF

From: Management

Subject: Use of toilets

The entrance to all toilets will soon be equipped with personal identification stations and computer linked voice and hand print recognition. Ingress to all toilets will be impossible unless the employee’s voice and hand prints match those stored in the access computer.

Each employee must provide 2 copies of voice prints (one normal and one under stress) and one copy of hand print from the hand normally used to ingress the toilet. Employees who are ambidextrous or anticipate having their normal hand incapacitated at some point in the future should submit two hand prints, one for each hand.

On the first working day of each month, each employee will have a Toilet Trip Bank Balance of 20. If an employee’s toilet trip bank balance zeros in any month, the door to the toilet will not unlock for that employee until the first working day of the following month. Toilet Trip Bank balances are personal to each employee and may not be assigned or transferred. Use of employee’s Toilet Trip Bank balance to accommodate another employee is strictly prohibited and will result in disciplinary action.

In addition, all toilet stalls are being equipped with timed toilet paper roll retractors. If the stall is occupied for more than 3 minutes, an alarm will sound. 30 seconds after the alarm sounds, the roll of toilet paper in the stall will retract, the toilet will flush and the stall door will open automatically.

If the stall is not vacated within 30 seconds, a suitable explanation must be given through the speaker attachment on the stall side opposite the toilet paper roll retractor. If the explanation is not deemed suitable by the computer, the explosive bolts on the toilet seat will be activated and the occupant will be forcibly removed from the stall.

Management is certain that we are all aware of the need to make the most efficient use of our time and of the role the modifications discussed above can play in attaining that goal.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Management

When using water based floor sealers on resilient or natural stone floors like vinyl, timber, marble or concrete, on rare occasions you may have experienced the sealer peeling or blistering several days or weeks later. It’s always difficult to know the exact cause or combination of causes that may be present. In almost all cases it comes down to the application method or the lack of initial suitability testing. On floors there are lots and lots of variables and you just can’t afford to assume anything. Here’s some possible causes and solutions that might help you out.

Possible Causes• The surface was not thoroughly cleaned, rinsed, neutralised, dried and prepared prior to floor sealing.
• Chemical residues may have been present when floor sealing occurred.
• Surface was too hot or cold when floor sealing occurred.
• Incorrect cleaning products used. Eg. High alkaline detergents
• High humidity when sealing was performed.
• Coats put down too quickly after one another.
• Coats put down to thick or with incorrect application method.
• Contaminated floor sealer used. Eg. Unused sealer poured back into drum can cause this.
• The sealer used may be the wrong one for the job and/or the surface may not be able to be coated at all. Refer to Section 2: What floor surfaces should I not seal with water based floor sealers.
• The use of blowers for speeding up drying time.

Solutions
• Check to ensure floor type and indoor air conditions are suitable for water based floor sealer use.
• Check to ensure the type of floor sealer used is appropriate for the surface being sealed.
• Floor will need to be stripped, cleaned and re-sealed.

As always we are here to help so give the team a call 0n 1300 822 626 if you would like to discuss anything floor care.

Many of you are loving our KISS-Mix portable cleaning chemical dispensers. To improve safety even more we have produced a how to use wall chart for the KISS-Mix cleaning chemical dispensers. There’s a picture of it below. If you would like one just ask and we will email it to you. If you would like a free laminated copy just add it to your next order of 3 or more KISS-Mix 5Lt chemical refills. Online ordering is not yet available for the KISS-Mix chemical dispensing system, please contact our team on 1300 822 626 to place your order.

We all know that you pay more for premium quality, highly concentrated cleaning chemicals. But by the power of effective concentration and advanced chemical formulation you can expect to save a lot of money by using these high quality products.

Here’s some interesting facts about concentrated cleaning chemicals…

• Recommended dilution rates in reality mean nothing… what matters is how the product works when diluted.
• True cost is “end use cost” (which includes the cost of staff time) NOT just per litre cost… Is it really worth buying a cheaper chemical if the job will take twice as long or cause safety problems?
• Cheaper cleaning chemicals have more water and less active ingredients.
• Cheaper cleaning chemicals make you work harder for longer to get results.
• More or stronger colour does not mean a product is better or more concentrated (it’s basically just food colour)
• More thickness does not mean a product is better or more concentrated (in many cases this can be created by adding table salt)
• More smell or fragrance does not mean a product will clean or disinfect better.
• Cheap chemicals in nearly all cases do not save you money.

Smart companies buy premium cleaning chemicals and use dilution control to reduce costs. But let’s look at an example…

Option A: Buy the cheap stuff
Product: Spray & Wipe Cleaner 5Lt
Dilution: Let’s say to get this to work a little bit closer to the good stuff you dilute it at 50:50
Cost per Drum: $15 per 5 litre
Cost per 500ml RTU Atomiser Bottle:  75 cents per Bottle

Option B: Buy the good stuff
Product: Bobby Dazzler Super Cleaner 5Lt
Dilution: While this product is far superior let’s dilute it at 10:1
Cost per Drum: $43.95 per 5 litre
Cost per 500ml RTU Atomiser Bottle:  40 cents per Bottle

That means the good stuff will save you 46% and when you add in the labour savings and safety improvements you have a clear winner. In fact the total savings may well pay for the whole product. There are thousands of possible examples and comparisons you could do and this is just one of them. Sure, you might say that it doesn’t matter what I give to the staff they will just waste it. Here’s an idea… dilute the good stuff before you give it to them or introduce a dilution control system like KISS-Mix.

The 3 Solutions
1. Buy high quality super concentrates: They cost more per litre but cost you less at the end of the day and do a better, safer job.
2. Pre dilute super concentrates: Eg. Buy a 15Lt of Bonza heavy duty and make 3 drums. It will still works better than the cheap stuff.
3. Buy from our economy range of cleaning chemicals: Buy at a lower per litre price and forget about everything in this article.

The Difference
While most chemical manufacturers and suppliers are trying to find ways of making their products cheaper (by adding water, colour and fragrance) in order to meet particular markets, at Total Supply Solutions we are making our chemicals better and stronger. That means your total cost of cleaning and chemicals is less and you save labour which is by far your biggest cost. There are also significant benefits for the environment in reducing the packaging and transportation required.

If you are interested in learning more talk to our team today about a solution that is tailored to your needs.

Now you can buy Australian Made Plastic Bins and Buckets to create Aussie Jobs and help rebuild the Aussie Economy. They are clearly better, last longer and they cost you less!

Total Supply Solutions has partnered with Starmaid to offer you unbeatable buying deals on all of your bins and buckets.

Here are the facts…

1) Aussie’s make the best plastic products!  Total’s all new bins & buckets range is proudly made by Starmaid in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.  Products are designed and made from premium food grade, Lead & BPA Free and 100% recyclable materials to exceed Australian standards. All Starmaid products include a 5 year unconditional guarantee against manufacturing faults. The product is so good it is getting exported overseas. Wow!

2) Total Supply Solutions & Starmaid are fair dinkum 100% Aussie owned companies. Both companies create Aussie jobs and are committed to building an even better Australia.

3) For years now, bin & bucket supply companies, including us, have been promoting and supplying imported products. The perception was that ‘Made In China’ bins and buckets would cost less? Fair enough assumption but the fact is that it’s cost us all a lot more! Importers make more from buying for less but you have still being paying the same. But… you have to keep buying more because they break and wear out due to low quality and bad manufacturing standards! Aussie jobs and profits sent overseas too!

4) To stick it up the importers and to make your buying decision a ‘no brainer’, Starmaid & Total have aggressively priced the buckets & bins to compete with the imported stuff and save you money!

5) The all new modern Swing Top & Pedal bin range, designed and Made in Australia, as well as our new colour options, gives you choices to make your places look great!

Check it out online, the products will be uploaded soon.

www.totalsupplysolutions.com.au 

Congratulations, welcome to the cleaning industry. Cleaning is a great business because the cost to get started is very low, the potential is huge and the market is massive.

Getting started is not difficult. A good idea is to set yourself a budget for the cleaning products you will need. For a basic cleaning package most of our clients will spend between $700-$1500. You might have to adjust your budget figure down the track, but it’s a starting point to get you thinking. Of course if you are setting up a big cleaning contract your investment may well be significantly higher.

An easy way to design a cleaning products package is to look at these 5 different areas…

1. Chemicals (Allow approx $200-$300)

a. Bottle Sizes:
If you are starting out perhaps just buy 5 litre sizes to try the chemicals first before you reorder in larger sizes.

b. Chemical Types:
What’s important to you? Do you only want environmentally friendly products? fast working products? products that are highly effective at sanitising and disinfecting? products with certain fragrances? This information will help us make recommendations for you. You can be fussy, we understand that everyone’s tastes, opinions and priorities are different.

c. Chemical Economy:
Buying high quality concentrates saves you lots of money because the water you add is free. Ready to use formulas are also available.

d. Work Health & Safety System:
This is very important and your compliance with the WHS regulations is mandatory. But don’t worry, we can supply you with the Material Safety Data Sheets, Safety Wall Charts, Labels and everything else you will need to get you covered.

2. Cleaning Machines

a. Back Pack Vacuum Cleaners (Allow approximately $400-$500)
This is a big decision because the speed and productivity of your vacuuming will directly affect your earnings. Yes there are cheaper machines and more expensive one’s, but for $400-$500 you should get something really good. If you are a woman we recommend that you don’t buy any back pack vacuum cleaner weighing over 4.5Kg. Some people do prefer upright vacuum cleaners or cannister vacuum cleaners for a variety of reasons and that’s why we also stock a great selection of these types of vacuum cleaners too.

b. Other Cleaning Machines
Perhaps you have won a contract where you will also need a floor scrubber or floor polisher or carpet cleaning machine or pressure washer. This single factor will probably affect your budget more than any other. These other cleaning machines would add an addition cost to the basic cleaning products package of $700-$1500.

3. Trolleys
If you are a mobile operation a cleaning trolley is probably un-necessary because you will tend to carry everything in buckets, but on certain jobs they can save a lot of time. That’s what janitor trolleys are all about… saving time and making life easier! On some smaller jobs and in particular circumstances they are not worth having.

4. Window Cleaning Equipment (Allow approximately $55-$300)
The final cost of your cleaning business package will also be impacted by the window cleaning equipment you choose. Glass and windows can take a very long time to clean properly so anything to speed this task up most cleaners will grasp with both hands. Also, you may want an extension pole of some type, so think about the maximum height you would like to reach for window cleaning and high dusting.

5. Accessories & Everything Else (Allow approximately $100-$200)
This might include… mops, cloths, wipes, bottles, spray triggers, buckets, scourers, dusters, cobweb brushes, gloves, safety signs, goggles, brooms, brushes, floor squeegees and more. A word of advice… don’t waste too much time on this area worrying about the fine detail. The first 4 areas have a much bigger impact on the total cost of your package. Most of this gear you can pick up as you need it or can be selected based on your budget.

For a good basic set up of a general cleaning business allow $1000-$1500… You can do it on the cheap for less than $600 if you want but you would need to make some compromises.

No cleaning products package is ever the same. Everyone has their likes and dislikes, a budget in mind, special requirements and the list goes on.

A great place to get started is online at www.totalsupplysolutions.com.au. Create an account and then add items to your favourites list. Then you can add, delete, upgrade, downgrade and edit that memorised list until you are happy with the combination of products and your budget.

Our team is always here to help so give us a call if you need a hand.

Have a great day.