Keep you and your staff healthy, productive, and on the job

We’ll help keep your office sanitary and air allergen free, using:

Microfiber dust-wipes (not feather dusters)

Microfiber damp mops (not string mops)

Allergies and asthma symptoms may be exacerbated by indoor particulates (a mixture of dander, dust mite feces, various forms of microbial life, and simple mineral dust).  These allergens can cause symptoms ranging from stuffy noses and watery, itchy eyes through major respiratory distress, and they are all easily controllable through proper building maintenance procedures.

Studies have shown a marked reduction in absenteeism when Indoor Air Quality procedures such as those used by CBN are observed.  Texas Air Filters states, “Measures to improve IAQ don't cost - they pay!”  The cost of proper cleaning is more than offset by the increased costs attributable to “sick time”.

CBN Building Maintenance uses the latest technological innovations to keep our clients breathing easy.  Let us introduce you to a healthier, safer, and more productive workplace.

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The industry is starting to notice – here’s an article by CBN’s Bob Croft, in September’s Cleaning and Maintenance Management magazine, on the details of our IAQ measuring program.

HEPA vacuums capture and retain 99.97% of the particles in the critical size range (appx 0.3 micron) which has been found to most cause allergic reactions and trigger asthma.  0.3 micron HEPA vacuums capture spores, pollen, airborne bacteria and dust mite feces.  Traditional paper bags only filter particles down to about ten microns; many janitorial firms still use old-technology dumpable cloth vacuum bags, which pump a visible cloud of even larger particles into the air.

Particles remain airborne up to eight hours after passing through the vacuum - waiting for you to remove them from the air by inhaling them yourself (ten microns is about the smallest particle visible to the eye; one micron is approximately the size of large cigarette smoke particles.  Many allergens are between 1 and 10 microns in diameter)

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Particles in the one to ten micron range include airborne bacteria, some spores and pollen, and dust mite droppings - in essence, lots of allergens.  This size seems particularly dangerous to the lungs, based on studies of cancer, birth defects, etc.

We use the Diversey “Healthy High Performance Cleaning” program, the only cleaning system currently certified under Greenguard Environmental Institute’s Product Emissions Standard for Children & Schools.

Our program combines certified cleaning chemicals, microfiber technology and advanced procedures to promote more healthful Indoor Air Quality.

Numerous studies show that, compared to the traditional string wet mop, microfiber flat mops pick up more soil, use less solution (and less chemical in that solution), and avoid dirty water slopped onto furniture legs and baseboards. 

A study conducted by the University of California at Davis Medical Center (as reviewed by the US EPA) also demonstrates superior pathogen removal - bacterial culture shows a 30% removal using string mops, versus a 99% removal using microfiber.

Have you ever noticed the cloud of dust when you shake the stuff out of the can? 

Scouring powders are a combination of high pH detergents and finely ground pumice.  Many also contain bleach.  Inhaling this corrosive mixture is not at all helpful to your lungs.

Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in many cleaning and disinfecting products.  These products can release organic compounds while you are using them and, to some degree, when they are stored.   Eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, nausea, and damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system are among the noted health effects of VOC exposure.  Many organic compounds are known to cause cancer in animals; some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in humans.

The ability of organic chemicals to cause adverse health effects varies greatly — from those that are highly toxic to those with no known health effect.  As with other pollutants, the extent and nature of the health effects will depend on many factors, including the level of exposure and length of time exposed.

The floor-care and office-cleaning products offered by Diversey are specifically formulated to be environmentally friendly and consumer health-positive.  They contain few or no harmful VOCs. This is one of the primary reasons we have chosen their product line.

Included with our full-service janitorial program is application of a state-of-the-art carpet protectant to repel oil and grease and to keep dust and dirt from adhering to the carpet's surface.

Once sprayed, periodic spot cleaning becomes more effective.  The next full cleaning becomes more thorough.  Every night, as we vacuum, we remove more dry pollutants from your carpeting.  This extends the life of your carpeting, better maintains the appearance of your office, and keeps the air you breathe cleaner.

In restrooms and break rooms, we use Diversey’s hospital-grade disinfectant, Virex II for the final step on all hard surfaces. Virex provides broad spectrum disinfection (pseudomonacidal, staphylocidal, salmonellacidal, fungicidal, virucidal).

Virex also assists in the elimination of biological-based odors.

Those common areas we all handle, such as flush handles, faucets, towel dispensers, light switches, doorknobs and jambs; these are the touchpoints that you – and everyone else in your office – touch every day

Alpha HP, Diversey’s new hydrogen peroxide based sanitizer, with a 60-second kill time, is highly effective against such pathogens as MRSA (staph), E. coli, TB, HIV, herpes, listeria, salmonella, cold and flu — and leaves no residue.  Applied with a moistened microfiber cloth, Alpha HP acts as an effective sanitizer of touchpoints throughout your building.

•  DuPont Hysurf 1.0 micron vacuum bags (we use 0.3 micron HEPA vacuums for even finer filtration)

•  Dust wiping rather than feather dusting

•  Entryway walk-off mats

•  Appropriate chemical selection

•  use filtered floor burnishers to minimize dust release

•  apply carpet protectant to help release dust, providing for more effective vacuuming.

•  HEPA vacuum (rather than sweeping or dust mopping) hard floors to more effectively remove dust and debris

... to the extent technologically and economically feasible, reduce the environmental impacts associated with the manufacture, use and disposal of products.

The Ashkin Group is an internationally recognized consulting firm working to green the cleaning industry. Their expertise is utilized by governments, legislators and policy makers, advocates, building owners and property management companies, labor unions, trade and professional associations, manufactures, service providers, and janitorial product distributors to develop more sustainable cleaning practices around the world.

The Ashkin Group is dedicated to creating healthier, more productive indoor environments with lower burdens on natural systems, while creating sustainable value for its clients. The company's commitment to Green Cleaning is more than business, it is a passion, a calling, a mission in life – to transform the cleaning industry.

The Healthy Schools Campaign envisions a society in which:

  •  Every student, faculty and staff member, regardless of race or socioeconomic background, has equal access to a healthy school environment.

  •  Schools serve as leaders making the critical connection between learning and health.

  •  Students have fewer risks of disease, lead healthier adult lives, act as stewards of the environment and achieve their highest potential

Would you believe that some common houseplants remove specific airborne pollutants common to our indoor environment? Research sponsored by NASA shows that philodendron, spider plants and dieffenbachia remove formaldehyde (found in new carpeting, insulation, particle board and furniture), English Ivy and chrysanthemums remove benzene (from oils, plastics, synthetic fibers) and so forth. Experiments also show that plants help remove airborne particulate matter (dust). Neat stuff (the information - not the dust).

The Carpet and Rug Institute (a national trade association of carpet manufacturers) has developed a "Green Label" testing program, focusing on indoor air quality, to aid both consumers and office designers in the selection of carpet, padding, and carpet adhesive. Of particular interest to us, their study also addresses the efficiency of various makes and designs of vacuum cleaners. Here they look at soil removal capability, carpet appearance retention and, most significantly, dust containment - not blowing the dust back into the room.