Green Fox Cleaning protective film door handle covers utilise the latest technology and is specifically designed with an antimicrobial coating, to keep staff and visitors alike safe at all premises. Once applied, they will last a whole year before they need to be replaced, offering ongoing daily protection.
The Green Fox Protective Film door handle covers anti-microbial covering can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces as long as they are clean, dry, smooth, non-porous and free from oil, grease, wax or other contaminant.
In terms of handles, the Green Fox Protective film door handle covers are compatible with traditional door handles, as well as push plates and handrails.
Example images of Green Fox Protective film door handle covers.
Our protective films are available in the following pack options:
The Green Fox Protective film door handle covers can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces as long as they are clean, dry, smooth, non-porous and free from oil, grease, wax or other contaminant.
Always assume that every surface is dirty and needs to be cleaned before application. It is recommended to wear nitrile or vinyl gloves whilst applying the Green Fox Protective film door handle covers.
For standard door handles with a diameter of up to 22mm then use the 70mm x 160mm size.
You may want to reduce the length depending on the design of the handle. This is best done with a pair of scissors before removing the backing. Once it has been cut to size remove the backing completely and carefully apply the film along the length of the handle starting on the underside.
Continue to apply the film working round the handle and moving your hand from left to right to ensuring adhesion along the whole length. Finish the application with a small overlap onto the other end of the film. You may also want to remove any excess overlap with a sharp craft knife.
For larger handles, balustrading and handrails you can calculate the approximate circumference of the tube (and the width of the film you will need) by multiplying the diameter or width of the tube by 3.2.
E.g. if you have a handrail that is 50mm diameter then 50 x 3.2 = 160 so our 160mm x 1370 size would probably be a good option.
For small flat surfaces like push plates or ipads or coffee machine touch screens then you need to again make sure the surface is clean and dry. Start at one end and peel back around 7 - 10cm of the backing and work down, gradually removing the backing as you go.
You may find it useful to invest in a small felt-covered squeegee. For a touch screen it is best to cut the film slightly over-sized and trim it to size with a sharp craft knife after it has been applied.
• Under normal usage conditions, harmless when in contact with human skin (skin compatibility study carried out under dermatological control). It has no allergenic or irritant potential.
• Active compound: silver ions,< 0.3 % w/w of the entire product.
• Antimicrobial activity maintained after 365 cleanings with water, alcohol, chlorine bleach and Aniosurf® (respect the dilution recommended by the manufacturer).
• The film can be cleaned/disinfected by all conventional cleaning methods, using non-abrasive accessories, cleaning products, detergents or products currently used in healthcare environments.
• Only apply the film to areas that will not be in direct contact with unpackaged food.
• Suitable for application to regular or irregular surfaces.
• Recommended minimum application temperature: +10 °C (+50 °F).
• Operating temperature range: from -40 °C to +90 °C (-40 °F to +194 °F).
• In the case of an already painted substrate, self-adhesive media must only be applied to undamaged original paintwork. If the paintwork is not original and/or damaged, the application and the removal are at the judgement and risk of the installer.
The below table gives guidance of the price of the units. Please note that this is on a supply-only basis, and you would need to apply them following the simple application process as detailed above.
To find out more about our protective film handles, don't hesitate to get in touch with us at this link, or by calling 0333 050 1130.
Learn about the origin of door handles here.
Why is cleaning important in hotels? We are all more wary than ever about cleaning standards wherever we go since the discovery of Covid-19, and hotels are clearly no exceptions.
Regular guest changes, different people using showers and beds every day and paying a premium to stay all add to the guest experience.
Here are some truths about housekeepers in hotels which you may, or may not be aware of.
Hotels have different housekeeping policies, but most maids are allotted 20 to 35 minutes to clean each standard room and up to an hour for a suite. Depending on the hotel, housekeepers may be assigned a list of rooms to clean or choose rooms to meet their daily quota, which typically ranges from 10 to 16 rooms dependant on the size of the hotel. Cleaning important in hotels? Let the staff have the time to clean properly then!
Although most hotels forbid housekeepers from sleeping or using the toilet in guest hotel rooms, some people inevitably break the rules. Exhausted staff who have more time than usual to clean a large suite may secretly catch a few minutes of shut-eye in a guest’s bed. “Something else we do sometimes is that we use the toilets in the guest’s bathroom, but only if we are super busy and don’t have enough time to go to the staff toilets,” a former housekeeper in Hampshire who didn't wish to be identified says. “It is something we are not supposed to do, but many do it anyway.”
Horror stories abound among housekeepers are inevitable. Most have seen (or have coworkers who have seen) drugs, blood, vomit, sexually explicit materials, fecal matter, and even sadly found dead bodies. Despite there being strict regulations around the removal of hazardous waste, many hotels still make their staff clean up the bodily fluids and excrement that remain in a room without extra protective equipment. Although housekeepers are usually given extra time to deal with this type of extreme mess, it's never a pleasant part of the job.
Besides feeling pressure from their supervisors to clean rooms quickly and keep on a tight schedule, some hotel housekeeping staff also vie with their coworkers. “The more senior [housekeeping] staff can sometimes make it stressful. They fight for the more expensive rooms or suites because better items are left behind for the taking if nobody claims them, as many hotels allow us to keep items found if not collected within 90 days” one housekeeper reveals. “They also fight to take the better trolleys, leaving myself and others with old ones that don’t have the right products or supplies, meaning a lot more running around.”
Although you’ve probably heard warnings about cups not being thoroughly cleaned and bacteria teeming on your hotel room remote control, hotel staff reveal that there’s another item in your room that's rarely cleaned as well as it should be. “Not using the cups is my number one rule that I tell everyone,” one anonymous housekeeper reveals. “I’ve definitely seen [other housekeeping staff] polishing glasses with the same cloth they just used to dust the room. I’ve never seen the toilet brush used but knowing some of the people I work with, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest.”
Don't let us put you off though - most hotels have extremely high levels of cleanliness. Did we mention that Green Fox Cleaning also offer support to hotels? Learn more at this link.
Why is cleaning important in hotels? Hopefully now you have a slightly better understanding of this subject.
Microfibre or disposable cloths?Which is best in a commercial cleaning setting? Microfibre cloths and disposable cloths each have their own pros and cons.
The cloths are available in two forms — reusable or disposable / semi-disposable, and each has its own set of pros and cons.
Most commonly used certain pre covid were reusable cloths, which must be laundered after every use or so dependant on the task at hand. When handled and looked after correctly, these cloths can last 100 to 1,000 washes before needing to be disposed of and replaced.
Disposable cloths, on the other hand, are normally discarded after a single use, with only some slightly stronger being semi-disposable, meaning they may last for a handful of washes before the need to dispose of them.
Improper laundering of reusable microfibre cloths can cause shrinkage and damage to the cloths. Even more worryingly from a client's perspective, it can result in dirty cloths being returned to service or cross-contamination problems when cloths used for different areas (such as washrooms and kitchens) are washed together. You can learn more about cross-contamination at this link.
Microfibre or disposable cloths? Here are the benefits of microfibre.
Microfibre is a material that is made of synthetic fibres that attract dirt, bacteria, and other pathogens like a magnet. Microfibre tools are made to attract and capture up to 99% of dirt, bacteria and other pathogens, while cotton fibre tools are made to attract 33%- basically moving bacteria from surface to surface. Therefore, the use of microfibre cloths, mops, and other microfibre tools allow for the removal of bacteria, dirt and allergens, because microfibre is designed to attract and hold these elements.
In the two images below, the top image on the right shows the microfibre structure under a microscope.. The bottom image is a regular cotton structure which ultimately pushes dirt & bacteria around, rather than collecting it.
Why would you use disposable cloths then?
microfibre or disposable cloths? Surely you would only want microfibre clothes? Many premises require the use of disposable cloths to prevent cross contamination, with hospitals, doctors surgeries, dentists and veterinary practices being the obvious choices. It would simply not be possible to clean all area thoroughly and have a large enough stock of microfibres, as well as being able to wash them after every use.
Disposable clothes are very cheap comparatively and remove any risk of cross-contamination, being safely disposed of after each clean.
Although the selection does not appear to fit well with green cleaning and it may well feel alien to throw away cloths after they are used each day, but the balance between opting for a washable cloth that will be need to be stored safely to prevent cross contamination until it is laundered versus the option of throwing a cloth away straight after use and therefore binning the germs immediately is not always as straightforward as it may first appear.
Post covid discovery, disposable cloths are often considered a more safe option in a number of settings where professional daily laundry is simply not possible. Microfibre or disposable cloths? Laundry setup is also an important consideration.
At Green Fox Cleaning our knowledge allows us to select and place the most appropriate cloths at each and every site. Find our more about our service by clicking here.
Learn more about the general history of microfibre here.
So should you choose microfibre or disposable cloths? Hopefully you now feel confident in making a more informed selection. What is clear is that the decision and selection is not always as clear as it may first appear. A good commercial cleaning company should be able to make the best selection and give the best advice for you the first time, every time.
Commercial cleaning charges will vary considerably from company to company.
The cost quoted by any company will be dependant on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the following:
There are of course many more factors that will influence the price that a company charges per hour. Another consideration is the time taken - a company with highly trained staff and the best products could be one and a half to two times more expensive, but may do the job in half the time, and far better. It isn't always as simple as picking the cheapest hourly rate.
It is not possible to emphasise enough that when selecting a commercial cleaning company, that you should consider the value of the service being offered, and not the price alone.
To find out more about the services offered by Green Fox Cleaning and the value offered, get in touch today by clicking here to find out more.
TUPE and cleaning contracts is a very important piece of legislation that everyone should be aware of that employs cleaners directly, or those that engage a contract cleaning company to provide their services.
TUPE is the abbreviated name for a piece of legislation called Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment regulations. (2006). It is designed to protect the roles of workers when there is either a business transfer, or a transfer of services. It is the latter that is relevant to contract cleaning services. TUPE and cleaning contracts therefore often go hand in hand, with ignorance being no defence for breaches of this law.
In simple terms, if you have a cleaner cleaning your premises, they may have a legal right to stay in that role, even if you change cleaning company. This is if the cleaner is employed mainly or wholly on the contract at your premises. Whether you employ the cleaner directly or they are employed by a company that provide your services, TUPE will still apply.
This is something that we hear more often that you could imagine. Companies even think it isn't worth changing company if they are stuck with the same cleaner, but just in a new uniform. The reality is that this couldn't be further from the truth. There are very few people that are simply unable to clean well, if they are given full training, support and are motivated in their role.
Think about if you were the cleaner at a site with no support from your company, who then lose the contract to a new cleaning company. Would it be right for you to lose your job and not be able to pay your mortgage or rent, without being given the chance to prove yourself with support?
At Green Fox Cleaning, here are two examples of when TUPE has applied with cleaning contracts we have been awarded with staff in situ, and has worked well.
"Hi guys. I cannot believe the transformation with our cleaners since you have started - I would never have believed they were the same cleaners!"
GENERAL MANAGER - Brasserie Blanc, West Sussex
2. Dental surgery group, Hampshire - We took this contract on in 2020. There were two cleaners in place who were very good at their job, but demotivated by their previous employer due to again being on minimum wage, and never getting cleaning products they needed to complete their role properly. Below is feedback from the practice group manager:
"Can I just say a big thank you, it is such a relief to have an efficient company looking after our cleaning needs and I know Tracy and Charlie are much happier working for you now. The proof is how little we have to communicate with you!"
PRACTICE MANAGER - Doctors surgery Group, Hampshire
It would be naive to say that every cleaner will transfer and improve with training, as some people simply don't like work and may be completely resistant to change. If this happens, we have strict disciplinary process in place to manage such individuals and they will ultimately be dismissed if they cannot deliver the highest standards that we expect for all clients after we have fully supported them and worked with them to improve them.
The average fine for non-compliance with TUPE legislation at tribunal is £10,000 per employee - this is for both you as the client, and also for the cleaning company. This is not a piece of legislation to take lightly!
TUPE is a piece of law and must therefore be adhered to. There are however occasions where a transfer will not be necessary. Our experienced HR team ensure that we work to comply with TUPE in the most efficient and satisfactory way for all clients. TUPE and cleaning contracts can appear a daunting subject to deal with, but a good commercial cleaning company should be able to fully manage this process smoothly.
To find out more about how Green Fox Cleaning can assist with your cleaning contract where you may, or may not already have cleaners present - click here to learn more.
You can learn more about TUPE from this link at the Government website.
More general information about the history of TUPE and cleaning contracts can be found here.
Do commercial cleaning companies in England charge by the hour or square footage of premises?
This will vary from company to company, however generally a cleaning company should give you an idea of how long a clean is expected to take each visit, and you should be able to work out an approximate hourly rate from this.
Remember that how long it takes a commercial cleaning company to complete a clean at your premises each visit will be dependant on a number of factors, including:
It is therefore important that you should consider the value of the service, rather than simply the price. Commercial cleaning charges England is not a simple answer, with many factors influencing pricing.
Consider that a cleaner with a powerful cordless vacuum cleaner is likely to complete the cleaning of floors far quicker than a cleaner provided an old one with a short cable, in probably less than half the time. So it is probably worth paying a higher hourly rate for less hours, for a better result in this scenario.
Whilst some services such as carpet cleaning are generally based on the square footage of a premises, commercial cleaning of premises has far more variables and will normally be based on an hourly rate or "visit" price unless the premises is extremely large, where an average cost per square foot may be charged.
Always be cautious of quotes that are based on a "job price" and aren't open and transparent about what you are getting. It is good to know what time you are paying for in terms of hours, and to know these hours are being fulfilled.
Whilst you just want the job done well, it is nice to know what you are paying for a service equates to as a rough hourly rate to ensure you are getting good value.
At Green Fox Cleaning, our advanced GPS system ensures that our clients get the time they pay for, every visit. Click here to find out more.
What is included in commercial cleaning?We are asked this more often than you could imagine when providing quotes to clients. They are unsure if their requirements are "normal" or will be acceptable to us.
The answer to this question?
"Whatever you want" (within reason of course!)
Green fox cleaning
Cleaning services offered will vary but most commercial cleaners will have the equipment and staff available to carry out everything from dusting desks and emptying bins to industrial carpet cleaning and window cleaning.
The scope of commercial cleaning will include routine and general cleaning – Including tiles, floors, internal walls, partition walls, furniture, lighting, suspended ceilings, window cleaning, dining and kitchen areas, washing facilities and more.
The benefit of engaging Green Fox Cleaning for your commercial cleaning requirements is that every single quote and service is bespoke and tailored to the client to meet their requirements and fit within their budget.
If you consider the number of different sectors that we operate in, it would simply be impossible to have a standardised cleaning schedule.
For example, the needs for standard office cleaning are very different to those of a gym or leisure centre, to those of a pub or restaurant.
All sectors require different skills, different chemicals and equipment, different risk assessments and method statements, and often different levels of cleaner security clearance.
Standard cleaning duties will often include the following:
Less common but perfectly normal cleaning duties may include the following:
You get the idea, that the possibilities of commercial cleaning schedules are almost endless.
INTERESTING FACT:
Believe it or not, the first commercial cleaning company began its existence over forty years ago. In 1968 in Norman, Oklahoma a student at the University of Oklahoma decided that he needed to supplement his income. He began to market a service to local businesses that he would do cleaning at night after his classes.
Any good commercial cleaning company should make your wish their command and meet your requirements, as long as the requests are reasonable and not dangerous - for example expecting a cleaner to balance over a hot grill to clean a cooker hood (yes, we have been asked to do this before!)
Taking your workplace cleaning seriously helps shows your employees you care about them.
To find out more about commercial cleaning services provided by Green Fox Cleaning, click here to find out more.
What is included in commercial cleaning? Hopefully you now have a better understanding of just how wide the scope can be.
Learn more about the history of commercial cleaning by clicking here.
Do you know whether cleaning teams in England need to be licenced?
In a nutshell, no. Cleaning teams in England have no legal licensing process.
However, the standard of training, level of knowledge and level of service will vary considerably. There are some basics that a cleaning company must have to be able to operate legally, which will protect you as the client also.
As a minimum, any cleaning company should have:
At Green Fox Cleaning, we go far beyond this. Full training by our in-house British Institute of Cleaning Science team ( around the correct processes of cleaning, safe handling of chemicals and risk assessment are just the start.
We invest in our staff and their training. This investment doesn't go unnoticed, with great staff retention rates and staff taking real pride in their work as professional trained workers.
Every site we work at will have the following as a minimum:
To find out more about how we can help improve the appearance of your business with ours, click here to get in touch for a no obligation quote today!
Chemicals that kill Covid used by contract cleaners use to tackle viral outbreaks can be the difference between an effective and ineffective treatment at a clients premises.
In the era of Covid-19 and other highly infectious diseases and viruses, careful product selection is key, and chemicals that kill Covid used by contract cleaners must be high on the list of products for the job.
A number of chemicals that kill Covid used by contract cleaners have been tested against envelope viruses similar to coronavirus, and will make claims to kill Murine Norovirus, Influenza and MRSA. They will have passed tests against EN 14476 & EN 1276.
It is important to remember that coronavirus is a virus and not a bacteria, and as such a suitably tested anti-viral product should be selected to provide efficient treatment.
Most natural cleaners, that freshen and scent your home with natural antibacterials such as tea tree oil, will not be effective in killing the virus.
Contacting a professional contract such as Green Fox Cleaning will ensure that any outbreak or suspected outbreak at your premises can be tackled quickly, efficiently and effectively. They have the expertise to select the best chemicals that kill Covid used by contract cleaners.
We have tackled such outbreaks using electrostatic technology and careful chemical selection, with treatments successfully completed in schools, retirement living premises, medical settings and much more.
| Interesting fact 1 | Many people who become infected (18% or one in five people) do not even have a cough - considered a key indicator. |
| Interesting fact 2 | Covid-19 is also treated in the same way as regular flu - at home, symptomatically. |
| Interesting fact 3 | One of the most unusual symptoms of coronavirus is the loss of a sense of taste and/or smell. |
| Interesting fact 4 | On average, each carrier of a new coronavirus manages to infect 2 to 4 healthy people. This number is higher than seasonal flu (1.3) |
| Interesting fact 5 | Over 10 days, the number of infected in South Korea increased from 30 to 5,000. |
| Interesting fact 6 | The mortality rate from Covid-19 is still difficult to calculate with accuracy, but most studies estimate it at 1-3%. |
| Interesting fact 7 | In the age group of 70+, mortality exceeds 5%; 80+, every tenth dies of the virus. |
| Interesting fact 8 | Every day, the number of people infected with the virus increases by about a third. |
| Interesting fact 9 | In the air, the coronavirus remains viable (that is, it can infect healthy people) for three hours. |
| Interesting fact 10 | Antibiotics against coronavirus are useless. |
You can learn more about our specialist services to tackle Covid and other viral outbreaks at this link.
The most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of all coronaviruses is estimated to have existed as recently as 8000 BCE, although some other suggestive models place the common ancestor as far back as 55 million years or even more, implying long term coevolution with bat and avian species.
Retrospective investigations by Chinese authorities have identified human cases with onset of symptoms in early December 2019. While some of the earliest known cases had a link to a wholesale food market in Wuhan, some did not.
The first case of the coronavirus (COVID-19) was reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in December 2019 and was subsequently declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
The World Health Organisation is clear that the likelihood of coronavirus being transmitted via sewerage systems is extremely low or negligible.
There is some evidence provided that COVID-19 infection may lead to intestinal infection and be present in faeces. However, to date only one study has cultured the COVID-19 virus from a single stool specimen. There have however been no reports of faecal−oral transmission of the COVID-19 virus to date (November 2020).
COVID is a word made from facts about the virus, as detailed below:
Chemicals that kill Covid used by contract cleaners doesn't have to be your concern if you engage the right commercial cleaning company for your cleaning requirements.
To find out how Green Fox Cleaning can keep your business safe, click here to learn more.
Showroom car cleans and car showroom cleaning is more important than ever since COVID, where numerous safeguards put in place to ensure a safe visit to your local car dealership, and also a safe test drive. Showroom car cleans must be completed on a regular basis to a high standard, to ensure consumer confidence.
Car showroom cleaning should be completed daily and thorough to keep staff and visitors alike safe at all times. Potential customers want to see the venue is clean, and that the cleanliness of a dealership is high on their list of priorities.
Research by ebay motor group found the following five points to be those most important to people looking to purchase a new vehicle.
| ORDER OF IMPORTANCE | FACTOR CITED IN NEW PURCHASE DECISON |
| 1 | Free return period offered by the dealership (e.g. 30 days) |
| 2 | Ability to have ‘safe’ test drive |
| 3 | Home delivery of vehicle |
| 4 | Comprehensive car cleaning to ensure it is completely disinfected |
| 5 | More attractive financing options (e.g. 0% interest for the first 12 months) |
It is clear that safety is very much in the forefront of consumers minds. With this in mind, there are a number of straightforward processes that dealers can undertake to make test drives as safe as possible:
At Green Fox Cleaning, we are experienced at car showroom cleaning. Our highly trained and dedicated cleaning operatives work round the clock, both during opening hours, and early morning / late at night to provide "invisible" cleaning for our clients.
You can learn more about our showroom cleaning by clicking this link.
Learn more about the history of car dealerships and showrooms here.
Showroom car cleans and car showroom cleaning should be invisible for clients, allowing them to focus on selling their lovely cards.
