Dura-Shine Clean Blog

Friday, December 6, 2013

Guard Your Office This Flu Season

The cold weather has arrived and tagging along is the dreaded flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 5 to 20 percent of U.S. Residents contract the flu each year. What’s worse is more than 200,000 people are hospitalized with flu-related complications.

Dura-Shine Clean is here to help protect your office. Our cleaning experts are specially trained in the TouchPoint system of cleaning, which can help stop the spread of this harmful disease. Call our experts today for a free consultation. And be sure to follow these tips to stay safe this flu season.

Wash your hands often. Washing your hands throughout the day can help prevent the transfer of harmful bacteria. Use anti-microbial soap and hand sanitizers or wipes to keep hands clean.

Disinfect high-touch surfaces frequently. Germs are often spread when a person comes in contact with a contaminated surface and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Door handles, desks, keyboards, light switches, and phones should be cleaned repeatedly to help prevent the spread of germs.

Practice good health habits. Getting plenty of sleep, being physically active, managing your stress, drinking plenty of fluids, and eating healthy foods all help prevent the flu

Dura-Shine Clean, LLC is a full-service cleaning company celebrating 20 years in the cleaning industry. Founded in 1993 and based out of Pasco, Washington, Dura-Shine Clean offers superior commercial and residential cleaning to Eastern Washington. Dura-Shine Clean provides commercial janitorial services, floor care, window cleaning, residential, carpet cleaning, and event and construction cleanup. In addition, Dura-Shine Clean provides janitorial services for specialized businesses such as healthcare and industrial facilities. For more information visit www.dura-shineclean.com or contact us at 866.625.7647.

Solving the Chore Dilemma

Do the laundry, wash the dishes, run errands – your list of chores at home can seem unending. Especially if you feel like you’re the one who ends up doing most of them! Here are three tactics for developing a more equal division of labor.

Reassess responsibilities regularly. Careers change, families get larger, spouses get promotions, and so forth. Life changes, so don’t expect the schedule that worked last year to keep working this year. Evaluate your goals and your home situation together and come up with a plan that works for everyone.

Don’t underestimate the other’s capabilities. So you always thought your partner would never be good at scheduling the kids’ doctors’ appointments? You think your spouse doesn’t clean dishes correctly? Stop thinking like a perfectionist. Let go of some control and give your partner a chance to prove what he or she can do.

Treat jobs equally. You may be a vice president and your spouse may be a sales clerk, but that doesn’t mean his or her career goals aren’t just as valid as yours. Both of you likely want to grow in your careers while taking an active role in raising your family. That means you’ll both have to examine your schedules, be willing to compromise, and determine the best way to take care of your family priorities as a team.

Guard Against the Dangers of Electrical Fires

As the days get shorter and colder, employees need to remain vigilant about the dangers of electrical fires as they turn up the heat. Keep your workplace warm and safe by following these guidelines.

Maintain your equipment. Check out every piece of electric equipment you have, looking for frayed cords, burned outlets, and other potential hazards. Repair or replace anything that’s not in good condition.

Place heaters appropriately. If you rely on space heaters, don’t locate them under desks or in enclosed areas where the heat they provide might start a fire or melt the insulation around electrical appliances.

Don’t overload your circuits. Use power strips, not extension cords, to avoid damage to your wiring. And be sure that your cords aren’t lying anywhere they could trip and injure a co-worker.

Watch your combustibles. Don’t store cardboard boxes or paper goods near electric equipment or outlets. The heat they produce could start a fire.

Dura-Shine Clean, LLC is a full-service cleaning company celebrating 20 years in the cleaning industry. Founded in 1993 and based out of Pasco, Washington, Dura-Shine Clean offers superior commercial and residential cleaning to Eastern Washington. Dura-Shine Clean provides commercial janitorial services, floor care, window cleaning, residential, carpet cleaning, and event and construction cleanup. In addition, Dura-Shine Clean provides janitorial services for specialized businesses such as health care and industrial facilities. For more information visit www.dura-shineclean.com or contact us at 866.625.7647.

December Featured Recipe: White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

There’s nothing better than a delicious cookie during the holiday season. We’ve picked this winter cookie combination sure to make sweet memories this holiday season.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Directions: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together until smooth. Add the vanilla and egg, mixing well. Sift together the flour and baking soda. Spoon the flour mixture gradually into the creamed sugar mixture. Stir in the cranberries, white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Drop by heaping spoonfuls, about 2 tablespoons, onto the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time until lightly golden on top and the edges are set, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on the sheet about 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe courtesy of Foodnetwork.com

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Dura-Shine Clean Website Wins Gold Award

Dura-Shine Clean is proud to announce its website, www.dura-shineclean.com, has received a Gold Award at the 2013 MarCom International Awards. The MarCom Awards are held annually by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals and evaluate entries by individuals and companies that enter concepts, writing and design of print, visual, audio, and web marketing materials. Winners are chosen from about 6,500 entries each year.

Dura-Shine Clean’s newly designed website offers many features for its visitors. Standing out is a first-of-its-kind rotating carousel featuring the staff of Dura-Shine Clean, which can be found on the About Us page. In addition to services and specialty information, visitors can find fun facts and helpful tips on these pages. On the Community page visitors can locate information on the community organizations Dura-Shine Clean partners with, as well view a calendar with upcoming community events. The Media page offers viewers quick links to social media pages, videos, news releases, and access to the official Dura-Shine Clean blog which hosts informative articles and fun recipes.

The interactive, award-winning website was designed and created by AMI Advertising Agency in Walla Walla, Washington. AMI Advertising Agency is a full-service advertising agency in Washington and Oregon. It creates successful brand strategies, creative advertising campaigns, marketing-related services, media buying and public relations services. With headquarters in Walla Walla, Wash., it provides services for numerous clients throughout the Pacific Northwest.

If you haven’t visited dura-shineclean.com, be sure to check it out and let us know what you think!