Chicago O’Hare International Airport is one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. The airport is situated on more than 7,000 acres, has nearly 150 gates for its two hub carriers, has the capacity to move 2,400 people per hour and has more than 200 food, concessions, beverage and retail locations.
And O’Hare is certainly not alone in such capacities. Numerous very large airports can be found in the United States and around the world. What these stats tell me, as someone who has been in the professional cleaning industry for more than 20 years, is that there is a heck of a lot of cleaning necessary to maintain airports of this size.
I’m sure airport administrators are well aware of this, but what they may not realize is how important it is that the cleaning professionals in their facilities are equipped with the best-suited rolling offices to perform their cleaning duties. What is a rolling office for cleaning workers? It is none other than the janitorial cart designed to store all of the tools, chemicals and equipment the cleaning worker needs.
While the airport C-suite is likely not very focused on janitorial carts, for custodial workers, these carts are so important that they become part of the family. Just think about it: the cart is used every day from the start of work until the shift ends; it’s needed for just about every cleaning task performed; and very often custodial workers personalize them, customizing and organizing their cart so that it holds the supplies, tools and equipment they need most frequently.
Since carts are a key member of your cleaning family, administrators should know a few more things about them. For instance, a well-organized and properly designed cart can make the custodian’s job easier, safer, more effective and more productive. And for administrators specifically, improving worker productivity often means “money in the bank.” It means more work gets done per shift and opens the door for janitorial workers to do more cleaning tasks, including those that may get put aside due to their heavy cleaning schedule.
These benefits are accomplished by selecting more ergonomically designed janitorial carts. This means the equipment adjusts to the worker instead of the worker adjusting to the equipment.
Ergonomically designed equipment also helps reduce physical stress and prevent work-related injuries. What is also significant is that an ergonomically designed cart works with the cleaning worker, rather than requiring the cleaning worker to work with the cart.
Ergonomically designed carts are also quieter, more sanitary, sleeker and more professional looking. And they are often better looking too. Aesthetically pleasing janitorial carts are morale boosters and make the cleaning worker feel more important and professional, all of which leads to a happier, more productive worker.
Introducing the Mobile Workstation
Just so we are clear about a janitorial cart’s importance, let’s list some of the tools and 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 inefficient, 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 janitorial 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 custodial 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 custodial workers look for when selecting a janitorial cart? The task is not easy. Many manufacturers 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 causing 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 newcomer, a zippered refuse bag has two advantages. 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 clearly 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 warning 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: Interestingly, 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 manufacturers, the traditional color used for janitorial 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.
Vicky Adams is Category Manager for Safety, Gloves, and Foodservice products for Impact Products, a manufacturer of the supplies and accessories category of the cleaning and maintenance industry.
