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MAINTENANCE MATTERS April 2017 airportbusiness 13 equipment a custodial worker might include in their rolling office when cleaning an airport or other large facility. The cart would likely include such items as: • A trash collection container • Plastic bags for trash • Vacuum cleaner • Warning signs (e.g., "Wet Floor") • Chemical containers and/or a variety of spray bottles • Dispenser refill items such as paper products and soap • Feather duster • Broom, dust mop and dustpan • Brushes and towels • Gloves and goggles Now imagine if a cleaning worker had to visit the janitorial closet of an airport every time he or she needed one of these items. That could result in a lot of walking and when workers are walking, they are not cleaning. Or, what if workers just stored these supplies along gates and corridors and moved them from place to place as they need them? Besides being ineffi- cient, this arrangement would result in a variety of problems, starting with a number of safety concerns for the public. As you can easily see, a well-designed jan- itorial cart that can store all of these items, making them readily available when and where the worker needs them, is vital for workers to perform their jobs efficiently and effectively. This is why some administrators and cus- todial workers no longer even refer to their rolling office as "janitorial carts." Now in the professional cleaning industry, the term "mobile workstation" is often used and when you think about it, that is exactly what they are. FINDING THE PERFECT FIT What should airport administrators and custo- dial workers look for when selecting a janitorial cart? The task is not easy. Many manufactur- ers make janitorial carts and they can vary considerably. However, the following are some of the key features to look for: • Quiet: Look for a cart with rubber wheels; rubber wheels are durable and quiet, so they can be used in carrier lounges without caus- ing a disturbance. • Textured, rounded front end: The front of the cart should be rounded so that it can securely hold a trash can or mop bucket. A rounded edge also helps protect walls. • Zippered vinyl refuse bag: A relative new- comer, a zippered refuse bag has two advan- tages. One, it allows the worker to remove the trash from the side of the bag rather than lifting it up and over the cart. This reduces stress on the worker's back and arms. And two, it hides trash, minimizing odors while also looking much more appealing. • Moisture block: Look for a cart that clear- ly separates wet and dry areas of the cart; this protects cleaning chemicals and other moisture from coming into contact with electrical items such as vacuum cleaners. • Utility hooks: These are for carrying warn- ing signs, as referenced earlier. • Molded-in, deep pockets: It's best to select a cart in which the pockets are actually molded into the cart. This more securely stores such items as chemicals, brooms, and other supplies. • Handles away from trash: It's much more sanitary for the cleaning worker to have the handles be at a distance from the collected trash. • Molded-in area for a vacuum cleaner: Many carts do not have provisions for carrying an upright vacuum cleaner. The cleaning worker should have every tool needed or possibly needed on the cart. Because the vacuum cleaner is the second most important tool a cleaning worker needs — right after the janitorial cart — this is a critical feature of a mobile workstation. We should also note that for some manu- facturers, the traditional color used for jani- torial carts — yellow is slowly disappearing. Apparently the change is part of the goal of making janitorial carts more aesthetically pleasing. Darker colors, specifically deep blue, appear to be the preferred choice for today's nifty cleaning worker. Keeping cleaning products with staff allows them to clean areas quicker than going back to a supply closet repeatedly. Impact Products LLC. Vicky Adams is Category Manager for Safety, Gloves, and Foodservice products for Impact Products, a manufacturer of the supplies and accessories category of the clean- ing and maintenance industry. Vicky Adams, Impact Products ABOUT THE AUTHOR