Take Off Your Shoes

Posted by Ben Thompson on 03.24.11

Since the last time we connected I have attended the National Remodeling Show in Indianapolis and have become a Certified Renovator through the EPA’s Lead Safety program.  In response to these two experiences I have one mental picture that I’d like to share and one action that I am asking you to take.

Please take off your shoes at the door. Do you have an attached garage?  Can you imagine leading a child you care about into your garage & sitting them down right into the middle of the floor and letting them play for a few hours?  We do this daily when we walk through our garage and then into our homes wearing the same pair of shoes.  A clear look into my own garage shows me that we track: mold, dirt, salt, sewer particles, exhaust particles, and cleaning chemicals into our home.

5 Other Tips:

1. Have walk off mats at entrances

2. Vacuum often (2x/week)

3. On wood floors we recommend Bona Floor Cleaner (we do sell it if you’re in a pinch) with their microfiber pads

4. Swiffer Dry is also very useful – its electro-static charge

5. Have indoor shoes/slippers

Beginning April 22nd, 2010 there is a new protocol that must be followed when paint is disturbed in homes that contain lead-based paint.  Thompson Remodeling is compliant and ready for the compulsory deadline.   The training heightened my awareness on clean work habits and I left with a few tips & tricks that will have universal appeal to our clients.

At the Remodeling Show I was in a session on Sustainable Remodeling by Michael Anschel and I had this thought, “My ethical commitment to the safety of my staff, trade contractors, and clients is incredibly important and an ongoing area of focused action.”  What does it actually mean to have a culture of safety & health?  Where is there more work to be done?  And this conversation happens through the lens that we have had a safety program in place for decades.

This month is all about keeping your eyes open and your floors clean.  Take extra care.

Topics: Love Where You Live, Thompson Times, cleaning, lead-based paint, sustainability, work habits