Academic Custodial Services (ACS)

Mission Statement
Academic Custodial Services provides quality cleaning services using environmentally sustainable high performance products and processes to support Facilities Management’s stewardship of the campus community.

May 2011 FM Group Photo

Cleaning Approach: ACS uses "team cleaning" to maximize results with a focus on "Cleaning for Health."  Team cleaning provides the needed efficiency gains to help offset reductions in cleanliness resulting from operating budget support not keeping pace with campus building growth.  See ACS Metrics and Benchmarking below for details.

ACS "Green Cleaning" presentation: "The Journey to Green Cleaning"

Using Ionized Water - Open the below link to learn more about our use of ionized water to clean and sanitize starting August 1, 2011.

Activeion Cleaning

Facilities Cleaned: Academic Custodial Services (ACS) provides cleaning services for Western's academic and state-supported facilities.

Services Provided:

Landfill and Recycle Locations:

As of September 1, 2009, Academic Custodial Services has reduced state funded custodial services within academic buildings on campus as a result of budget reductions. These reductions in labor and operating costs reduce annual custodial expenses by $165,000 or 8%. These reductions target tasks low in cleaning priority and revisions to improve alignment with institutional sustainability goals.

These reductions include:

  • Office trash removal for typical faculty/staff offices will be eliminated.  This service was previously provided twice per week on average.
    • Offices occupants will be asked to use centralized trash containers which will be strategically placed throughout campus.  While these locations may change over time the intent is to move towards a zero-waste program that will maximize recycling and composting while minimizing landfill materials.  On average, only 15% of the waste that leaves campus is non-recyclable or non-compostable.  For more information on maximizing your current recycling options at WWU, please see the Associated Students Recycling Guidelines for more information.  See the floor plans showing the centralized trash container locations with notes on where integration with recycling will begin.
    • Food and wet trash should be taken to centralized trash containers.
    • Trash Liners will no longer be supplied to individual offices.  This supports institutional sustainability goals.
  • Main departmental office, main administrative offices, and reception areas will have trash removal and vacuuming twice a week.  This was previously provided up to 4 times per week on average.
  • In restrooms where there are available hand blowers, paper towels will no longer be supplied.  This supports institutional sustainability goals.

Floor Plans showing Landfill and Recycle Locations are below:

ACS Team Cleaning Assignments

ACS Metrics and Benchmarks:

See Metrics on State Funded Facilities Cleanliness

ACS Performance:

With the purchase of Breeze Software and the start of Positive Time Reporting on campus we are working towards connecting cleaning inspections, employee annual performance reviews and department annual goals.  The goal is to provide inspection based levels of cleanliness to consistently measure ACS against the APPA standards.

 

ACS Training:

ACS has four training tracks for our staff:

  • Cleaning Management Institute Certification Classes.  (Once per custodian)
  • Core Skills and Skill Maintenance (Rotational presentations)  All subjects every two years.
  • Leadership (Rotational Presentations)  All subjects every two years.
  • IICRC Specialist Training—Selected leaders and specialists.

ACS Training Plan August 2008

ACS & Sustainability:

Academic Custodial Services at WWU has used internationally certified Green Seal products for industrial/institutional cleaners for approx. 5 years.  All general  products used by ACS are Green Seal 37 certified including SE 64 (neutral general purpose cleaner), SE 61 (Glass/Surface cleaner), and SE 80 (multiuse non-heavy metal containing floor finish).  ACS has reduced chemical product inventories from sixty plus products in 2000 to twenty in 2006 with three main cleaning products used as the back bone of the daily operation.

Benchmarks used when selecting a sustainable product line.

  • Green Seal or other "green" certified products (eco-Label, Green Leaf)
  • Non toxic ingredients
  • No petro chemical distillates
  • No endocrine disrupters
  • No butyls or ethers
  • No RTU (ready to use)
  • Mixable concentrates only
  • Minimal packaging
  • Recyclable packaging
  • Packaging incorporating recycled material
  • Container reusability
  • Low VOC’s (volatile organic compounds)
  • Effective cleaning performance
  • Color coding to prevent mixing or cross contamination
  • Easy to read MSDS
  • Portion control systems – Portioners
  • Customer support and training materials available
  • Good online accessibility to product/ingredient

A primary component of a green cleaning operation besides the guidelines and products in use above is the introduction of micro fiber cleaning technology in the form of micro wipes (cleaning/dusting cloths), micro fiber wet/damp flat mop pads, micro fiber dust mops, micro fiber dusting sleeves, and micro fiber floor finish applicator pads.

Many cleaning tasks can be preformed using water as the cleaning agent (97% reduction in hard surface bacteria, fungi and viruses).  Reduced chemical product use is another component of greening your program.

  • Recent additions to the green cleaning tool box (2008 - 2009) are floor scrubbers using only H2O and no chemical products , trials  using baking soda and vinegar for general cleaning, and use of low moisture scrubbers and carpet cleaners.

Contact us:

To inquire about regular and routine cleaning services:

  • Don Bakkensen, Academic Custodial Services Manager
    • Email:
    • Phone: 650-3932
  • Michael Smith, Academic Custodial Services Departmental Supervisor
    • Email:
    • Phone: 650-3934

To request additional custodial services, call the Work Control Center at 650-3420 and submit a "Self-Service Request" to the Work Control Center. To request services for a special event or conference, contact us as soon as it's scheduled. The more advanced notice we have, the better we can serve you.

To request emergency repairs during evenings and weekends, call University Police Dispatch at 650-3555.

Related Links:

 

Spiral 2

Page Updated 01.29.2013