ProTeam Vacuums

Case study: Arizona’s largest school district makes the switch

Mesa Public Schools, the largest unified school district in Arizona, spans over 100 buildings and nine million square feet. Several years ago, a skilled team of district custodians decided to evaluate the effectiveness of the old-school regime of dust mops and uprights. After testing and research, they pinpointed a more productive, efficient and green option—ProTeam backpack vacuums.

The results have been dramatic. ProTeam backpacks have reduced floor cleaning time by 20 to 35 percent, decreased indoor air quality complaints, and led to a remarkable end to repair requests. The district hasn’t had to replace or repair a single ProTeam vacuum—even after six years and over 200 in use.

“I think ProTeam vacuums are one of the best investments we’ve ever made,” says Chuck Simonette, director of custodial services for Mesa Public Schools. “They’re efficient, virtually maintenance free, and save us time.” 

Have a ProTeam story to share contact webmaster@pro-team.com.    

Quick fact: Get schooled on carpets

Carpet covers 31% of space in new K-12 facilities and 40% in new colleges (see American School & University’s 31^st Annual Office Education Construction Report, May 2005). Carpet is a well-known sink for dirt, animal dander, pollen, dust mites and other asthma triggers. High-level suction and filtration removes asthma triggers that cause health problems.

Grease pit? Get the vacuum made for foodservice

Balled up napkins. Food scraps. Different seating and floor types in one space. A restaurant is a tough environment for any vacuum, and customers demand a consistently high level of clean. Navigate the foodservice world better with our ProVac BP and ProVac CN—suction-only backpack and canister vacuums designed to take on the many challenges of a restaurant in one highly-efficient sweep. Pick up everything from chicken bones to straws without worrying about clogged beater bars, and get around faster with a swiveling head and easily-accessible tool kit.

Case Study: When a tornado hits, grab a ProTeam

When a tornado tore through a six-mile stretch of Atlanta, Georgia, last spring, it struck Bob Hudson’s house with dead-on precision. His office, filled with electronics and computers, was the only room hit. Two-by-four beams from his neighbor’s roof drove deep into the wall and blew out the window frames—embedding glass into every inch of the room.

Fortunately, Hudson had a ProTeam backpack vacuum, and he used its powerful suction and advanced filtration to save thousands of dollars in sensitive equipment and furniture.

“This was no job for a typical handheld. I needed power,” he says. “ProTeam was a miracle.”

Have a ProTeam story to share contact webmaster@pro-team.com

Why Ergonomics is So Important

Have you ever lugged a suitcase around an airport for 20 minutes? Even worse, hauled that thing up a flight of stairs? That is a good example of what it's like pushing an upright vacuum around. Backpains and pulled muscles are not part of the job description—but they seem to be the result with most uprights. This unfortunate reality of many contract cleaners is because ergonomics is hardly a consideration for most commercial upright manufacturers. At ProTeam, we make ergonomics a key component in the development process of all our vacuums. Several independent studies have proven our efforts as worthy endeavors with real results. All our backpack models use a mountaineering-style back plate and harness that positions the weight of the vacuum on the strongest part of the human body—the waist. The corresponding side-to-side motion of our wands minimizes the stress placed on the worker's torso. Our easy-to-reach accessory tools placement eliminate bending over and make detail work and reaching tall areas a breeze. So, why is ergonomics so important? Because the result is a happier, healthier cleaning professional with minimal impact on their bodies—and a healthier, cleaner environment for all building occupants. I think we just took some weight off the shoulders of OSHA!

We Recycle, Do You?

At ProTeam, we try our darnedest to make sure most everything we send out to the trash goes in the recycle bin. Our shipping containers are recyclable corrugated cardboard, our molded vacuum bodies are made from recyclable plastic resins, and everyone in our offices has a recycle bin next to their desk to make the bigger job of sorting and recycling easier. We have recycle bins for plastic, aluminum and paper products in all our breakrooms, lunch facilities and warehouse walkways. 

Our vacuums are made to last, and they do—for years—which helps cut down on our growing landfills. Our Four Level Filtration and HEPA Level Filtration systems help clean the air as you vacuum, so there is less potential for allergies and associated medical costs. With superior ergonomics built into every one of our machines, body strain is eliminated, and so is sick leave. ProTeam vacuums help you vacuum better, faster, and the time and money you save by incorporating our vacuums into your cleaning program can be allocated to other important areas of work. Plus, we have vacuums that are ideal for day cleaning, further helping you to cut down on utility use and utility bills. With fewer moveable parts on our vacuums, and with vacuum body parts and filters easily washable, it means fewer replacement materials and less to throw away. Put simply, ProTeam is committed to helping the environment through sustainable business practices and minimizing our impact on the environment. As Kermit so succinctly put it, "It ain't easy being green." But it's worth it!

Dust Mopping for the New Millennium

The "old school" way of pushing a broom across the floor in your school gymnasium or down the locker hallways is so, well, old school! Today's facilities require—no, they demand—better performing cleaning methods. The days of pushing dirt from one end of a hallway to the other, all the while stirring up microscopic dust particles into the breathing zone of building occupants, are over. There is a better mousetrap for pesky dust. ProTeam vacuums not only filter tiny particles smaller than the eye can see, they keep those particles locked inside the vacuum without rereleasing them into the air like other vacuums sometimes do. They also make the job less stressful on the cleaning worker. Using ProTeam backpack vacuums is proven to be more than 70% more productive and 40% more effective at capturing dirt than using a single-motor upright. An independent study done by the Quest Environmental laboratory in Colorado has determined that workers are far less encumbered using ProTeam vacuums than they are using traditional uprights when cleaning floor surfaces. If you would like to see the results of this study, by all means ask us. Send an email to customerservice@pro-team.com <mailto:customerservice@pro-team.com> and find out how you can make your facility a better place to work, study, play—and breathe.

Improve Cleaning Practices

Poor cleaning procedures, equipment and habits can inhibit the effective cleaning of buildings.

Workers thinking big need to think small when it comes to health and cleaning. Cleaning for appearance removes "big" visible soil rather than cleaning for health that removes "small" invisible bacteria, dust and airborne particulates and other micro, bio and chemical contaminates - largely the contributor to unhealthy indoor environments.

ProTeam vacuums capture soil and safely contain harmful particles, as well as prevent them from being reintroduced back into the environment. The improved air quality is the result of ProTeam vacuums' unique Four Level Filtration system. This system captures tiny dust mites, bacteria, and other particles - which can cause unhealthy air.

What is Team Cleaning?

Team Cleaning® is a flexible, efficient and cost-effective cleaning system for custodial operations. Team Cleaning applies the power of systems to reduce costs and maximize productivity. It offers solutions to the many challenges that managers face-through better deployment of labor, effective cleaning methods, improved appearance levels, and simplified training programs.

TEAM CLEANING TASKS ARE GROUPED INTO 4 DISTINCT FUNCTIONS

1) Light-Duty Specialist™ - Dusting, emptying trash, spot cleaning, etc.

2) Vacuum Specialist™ - Vacuuming carpets and hard floors

3) Restroom Specialist™ - Cleaning, sanitizing and restocking restrooms

4) Utility Specialist™ - Cleaning lobbies, spot cleaning, glass, mopping and scrubbing floors, etc.

Team Cleaning results in increased productivity, less equipment, clear-cut responsibilities, and easier supervision.

This system allows flexibility in staffing levels and in the size and complexity of the facility to which it is applied. The number of workers does not affect the Team Cleaning concept. In smaller buildings a worker may perform two or more specialists’ duties.

What to Look for in a Quality Vacuum Cleaner

Using the right vacuum is a positive step towards removing contaminants from more than just floors. Look for these features when considering a new machine:

• A powerful motor with enough air flow and static lift to unseat dirt from carpeting and upholstery
• Multiple levels of filtration for high capture rates of tiny particles to prevent dirt from leaving the vacuum
• Ergonomic designs are comfortable for the operators – backpack vacuums have been proven to work faster than uprights and cut down on repetitive motion injuries and muscle strains

Airflow:

Volume of air moving through the vacuum (usually described by manufacturers in cubic feet per minute). Airflow affects the amount of soil that can be carried along and contained in the vacuum’s filtration.

Lift:

The ability of the vacuum’s airflow to lift dirt (typically measured in “inches of lift”).

Filtration:

Capturing of soils, mainly responsible for reducing “particles out.” Filtration must be designed to work with airflow and lift so that the particles are stopped, but not the airflow.

Design:

Mechanical elements that can reduce airflow or allow dust to pass by a filter without being caught (for example, gaps in the vacuum body that allow dust to leak out).