Kickstart the School Year with Buckeye's Cleaning Programs

Kickstart the School Year with Buckeye's Cleaning Programs

It is that time again. Students and faculty are gearing up for another school year. Is your school custodial staff prepared? If not, we can help prepare you with our back-to-school programs. An effective cleaning and maintenance program will keep your school or university looking its best. Buckeye offers full facility solutions. We have everything a school needs to stay clean throughout the year.

The Buckeye Hard Floor Care Program

Floors are one of the first things people see when they walk into your school or university. It is essential to keep your floor looking its best and durable throughout the year.

From muddy shoes to spills, the best way to maintain your floors is to implement a good floor care program that utilizes superior products requiring less labor.

Buckeye’s Hard Floor Care Program is built on standardized procedures and the highest quality products to save you money.

Buckeye has floor finishes formulated with proprietary technology that never yellows or powders, floor strippers formulated with patented liquescent technology to help remove floor finishes in one application without harsh odor, and floor cleaners that make maintaining your floors efficient without attacking floor finishes.

We make maintaining your floor easier. No matter what floor type, equipment, or maintenance needs you have, we will help you customize your school or university's most successful floor care program.

The Symmetry® Hand Hygiene Program

With another school year starting comes flu season—what better way to be prepared than by utilizing Symmetry's Hand Hygiene Program for your school.

Symmetry's Hand Hygiene Program offers customizable education, awareness, and behavioral modification tools to help you maximize hand hygiene practices in your school or university. Symmetry’s complete line of hand hygiene products includes hand washes and hand sanitizers.

Implement tools such as wall charts, posters, placards, and signs that highlight the importance of healthy hygiene.

Also, Symmetry offers customizable dispensers for any school or university setting. showcase your school mascot and colors on each dispenser to rally school spirit!

Buckeye's Eco® Proportioing Program

A school can only stay clean with the proper custodial tools. Buckeye’s Eco Proportioning Program offers every product you need to keep your school looking its best and fully equip your staff for the school year.

Each Eco product is powerful and ecologically safer, cleaning faster without compromising worker safety.

Buckeye Eco Proportioning offers three different systems to fit any custodial closet, including our Eco Pro, which can dilute up to 6 applications; Eco Element, which can dilute up to 3 applications; and Eco Edge, which allows for 2 mop bucket applications and 1 spray bottle application.

Each of our Eco Proportioning systems is compact, self-contained, and features a cohesive user interface to automatically dilute product correctly every time.

Gateway® Liners

As school lunches arrive, so does the need for strong liners that are durable and dense. Gateway liners are not only manufactured stronger than other leading brands but are lighter and fit your specific needs.

Our liners bring value to a commodity market, combining the highest quality resins, superior processing and innovative testing methods to achieve industry leading strength, quality and consistency.

Gateway Liners can provide you with the lightest, strongest liners that work 100% of the time. On average, Gateway customers reduce the amount of plastic reaching landfills by 39%.

Using Gateway Liners provides your school with not only lighter but durable liners, and a sustainable product that helps your school stay green by reducing the overall usage of plastic.

Buckeye's Reflections® Wood Floor Program 

Every student looks forward to seeing a shiny floor in the gym and with the Basketball season approaching , a high performing floor program is essential.

With our Buckeye Reflections Wood Floor Program, you can get a brilliant shine, excellent durability, and extended life for your floors. With easy-to-follow instructions, cost-effective products, and years of beauty provided, our program will exceed all expectations.

Our water-based wood floor coatings have some of the country's lowest VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Because of these low VOCs, you may even choose to prep the gym floor during school hours.

Our program also includes:

Coliseum® Low VOC Sanding Seal

Gym Bond

Screen Clean™

Tenacity®

Floortonic®

Buckeye Green Light™

When you are ready to coat your wood floor, the Buckeye Reflections Wood Floor Program covers the proper techniques for applying oil and water-based wood floor coatings, including recommended product coverage, dry times, cure times, recoat windows, and more.

Buckeye's Honors Custodial Training Program

Buckeye's Honors Custodial Training Program is a complete custodial program for schools and universities that presents the products, procedures, and training needed to meet a school or university's highest standards.

This training program incorporates multi-purpose products that reduce labor with easy-to-follow procedures and the resources you need to clean and maintain a school or university.

Buckeye's Honors Website features the complete program and materials available 24 hours a day for your convenience. Log in and view Honors training video segments for everything from routine cleaning to product safety. Corresponding with each video, you may also download customizable PowerPoint presentations, training manuals, Safety Data Sheets (SDS), product literature, and wall charts.

Want to keep track of your employee's learning?

The Honors Program also offers a reporting dashboard, online testing, and facility assessment surveys.

Make this school year great with Buckeye’s programs, tools, and resources for your custodial staff. Click here to learn more about our school programs.

Contact your nearest representative to get started today.

What is Microban Technology?

What is Microban Technology?

Microban antimicrobial technology is a built-in ingredient that helps products resist the growth of bacteria, mold, mildew, and other microbes. It is not a substitute for regular cleaning practices, but does continuously fight the growth of microbes and can keep products you purchase cleaner, longer.

What is Microban Used For?

Many companies infuse products with Microban to keep their products cleaner over time. Buckeye uses Microban in Clarion® 25 Floor Finish and Arena® 300 Water-Based Wood Floor Coating. Because they utilize Microban technology, Clarion 25 and Arena 300 have lifetime antimicrobial product protection and live-on floor protection for the products’ usable life.

How Does Microban Antimicrobial Technology Work? 

Microban Antimicrobial Technology is built into Clarion 25 and Arena 300 during the manufacturing process. Once the floor finish or wood floor coating is applied to floors, the built-in Microban technology prevents microbes from growing and reproducing. When bacteria, mold, and mildew come in contact with floors, Microban will penetrate the cell wall of the microbe, disrupting the cell and preventing its ability to make food, grow, and reproduce.*

How is Microban Tested? 

Clarion 25 with Microban technology has been tested using the JIS Z 2801 standard laboratory method and test protocol for antimicrobial activity. the JIS Z 2801 method tests the ability of hard surfaces to inhibit the growth of microorganisms over a 24-hour period of contact.

Why Microban Matters

Floors and soles of shoes are major sources of contamination in healthcare, retail, and educational facilities. In schools, students play on gym floors quickly transferring microbes between their hands and the floor. According to the American Journal of Infection Control, contact with objects on floors frequently results in the transfer of pathogens to hands.

Microban technology in Clarion 25 and Arena 300 can proactively fight microbes 24 hours a day at no additional cost. Find out more when you contact your Buckeye representative.

*Microban technology does not protect users against disease-causing microorganisms. Microban Products Company makes neither direct nor implied public health claims. Normal cleaning practices should be maintained.

How Are You Improving Your Gym Floor This Summer?

How Are You Improving Your Gym Floor This Summer?

School is out for summer and now is the time to reevaluate your floor care routines. While students are playing outdoor sports like baseball and softball, summer time is the perfect chance to revolutionize your wood floor care program.

During the school year, students and athletes come into contact with the gym floor every day. Give your gym floors an added layer of proactive antimicrobial protection with Arena® 300 with Microban® Technology.

Microban protection is built-in to Arena 300 during the manufacturing process, and provides continual 24/7 antimicrobial protection for the life of the coating while it is on your floor. When microbes come in contact with the product surface, Microban protection penetrates the cell wall of the microorganism and disrupts the cell, making the microorganism unable to grow and reproduce. Microban protection continuously fights the growth of microbes. Microban protection makes floors easier to clean and keeps them cleaner, longer.*

*Images shown are simulations representative of typical bioburden counts on treated and untreated surfaces.

Now is the Time

Many schools hire contractors to recoat their gym floors. The Buckeye Reflections Wood Floor Program allows your in-house staff to do the work easily and efficiently with equipment you already have. Reflections products are safer for your employees to use with no hazardous crosslinkers and Reflections water-based wood floor coatings have some of the lowest VOCs on the market.

The complete Reflections program includes hands-on training with support from online resources and wall charts that can be posted in janitorial closets. Our expert representatives know the routine, interim, and restorative procedures to keep your gym looking its best for the upcoming school year.

Contact a Buckeye representative to schedule a Buckeye Reflections product demonstration or host a wood floor seminar to see how the program can transform your facility.

*Microban technology does not protect users against disease-causing microorganisms. Microban Products Company makes neither direct nor implied public health claims. Normal cleaning practices should be maintained.

Earth Day and Our Sustainability Commitment

Earth Day and Our Sustainability Commitment

April 22nd is Earth Day and this year’s theme is “Invest in Our Planet.” As an environmentally conscious company, we’re proud to share the ways Buckeye has put sustainability first. Our commitment to sustainability has been foundational to our company and that commitment will continue in 2023 and beyond. 

Safer, Greener Products

Our products promote worker and environmental safety. We proactively eliminated hazardous ingredients like butyl, solvents, and alcohol bases and replaced them with our patented Liquescent® technology. This water-based technology strengthens the cleaning power of our products while making them safer for workers and the environment.

We also began manufacturing wood floor coatings for the Buckeye Reflections® Wood Floor Program. Both our oil and water-based wood floor coatings contain the lowest VOCs (volatile organic compounds) on the market.

Several Buckeye Eco®  and Symmetry Hand Hygiene products are Green Seal™ certified. Green Seal is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment and transforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and services. Our Green Seal certified products not only outperform other green products, they also outperform non-green, conventional chemistries.

Plastic Reduction

We package our products in environmentally friendly ways, ensuring plastic reduction where possible. Eco and Symmetry 1.25 L bags are manufactured with 83% less plastic than rigid containers.

More than 99% of trash can liners end up in landfills. That’s why Gateway® has focused on plastic reduction during the manufacturing process. In the trash liner industry, the best way to be green is to reduce the overall plastic sent to the landfill, also referred to as Source Reduction. Gateway Liners are stronger and thinner to reduce plastic usage while maintaining industry leading strength.

Sustainable Packaging 

Eco packaging is recyclable and made from recycled materials. The Eco outer box packaging is made from 41% recycled material and the Eco inner carton packaging is made from 35% post-consumer material. Because of this, over the past year, Buckeye has:

  • Saved enough energy to power an average American home for 19 years
  • Saved 125.4 cubic yards of landfill space
  • Saved 266,000 gallons of water
  • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 38 tons of carbon equivalent

Buckeye continues to look forward, always searching for new ways to reduce our environmental impact and improve the lives of those who work with our products. Find out more about our sustainability initiatives by contacting your local sales representative.

Sustainability: Promoting Worker and Environmental Safety

Sustainability: Promoting Worker and Environmental Safety

With a commitment to developing products that are safer for workers and the environment, Buckeye established itself as “green” long before it became a marketing strategy. For Buckeye, sustainability means providing the most innovative, high performance and cost effective products, packaging, and programs that promote human health and safety.

Products

Green Seal™ Certified Products

Many Buckeye products are Green Seal certified. These products are safer for the worker and environment without compromising product performance. Our Green Seal certified products not only outperform other green products, they also outperform non-green conventional chemistries.

“Green Seal is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment and transforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and services.”

Liquescent Technology

To eliminate hazardous ingredients like butyl, solvents, and alcohol bases, Buckeye developed Liquescent technology. This water-based technology has allowed Buckeye to manufacture high-performance products while adhering to our principle of human health and safety.

R-Fit Liners

Gateway’s R-Fit liners are made with the highest quality resins to create lighter, stronger liners with less plastic. They are designed to fit specific trash can sizes, further reducing plastic waste. On average, Gateway customers reduced the amount of plastic reaching landfills by 39%.

Wood Floor Coatings

Reflections Wood Floor Coatings do not require crosslinkers, which contain polyfunctional aziridene. This crosslinker is used by other manufacturers to increase durability, but it has respiratory and nervous system health implications. In fact, many manufacturers that use polyfunctional aziridine warn consumers that it should be treated as a potential carcinogen.

Packaging

Eco and Symmetry 1.25 L bags are manufactured with 83% less plastic than rigid containers. Because our products work more efficiently and our packaging is recyclable and biodegradable, you use less product, and therefore less waste ends up in landfills.

Eco outer box packaging is also made with 41% recycled material, recyclable, and double wall corrugated. Eco inner carton packaging is made from 100% recycled paperboard and 35% post-consumer material.

Dilution Control Programs

Our dilution control systems eliminate direct contact with product and ensure our concentrated products are being used according to manufacturer specifications. Our products, packaging, and dilution control systems are also color and number coded to make them easier and safer for employees to use.

Training

Buckeye programs come with specialized training that focuses on worker and environmental safety. With standardized procedures that reduce product usage, labor, and overall cost, Buckeye is committed to enhancing product performance and safety.

Contact your representative to see how Buckeye programs can improve worker and environmental safety in your facility.

Omicron and Buckeye’s 4 Levels of Protection

Omicron and Buckeye’s 4 Levels of Protection

COVID-19 continues to evolve, causing new variants to occur, many of which are being tracked as the pandemic continues. Because these variants are each unique, they can spread at different speeds and can be more resistant to treatments or vaccines. The COVID-19 variant, Omicron, has been detected in most states and is rapidly increasing the proportion of COVID-19 cases in the US. In addition to getting vaccinated, wearing masks, and maintaining social distance, keeping your environment clean can go a long way in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Facilities hoping to navigate the pandemic should develop a step-by-step cleaning and disinfecting program that will protect people who visit. Buckeye’s Door to Floor: 4 Levels of Protection program can help provide those who enter your facility with peace of mind during the pandemic.

Level 1: Protect Yourself with the Symmetry® Hand Hygiene Program

CDC Recommendation: Hand washing is one of the best ways you can help reduce the spread of germs.

Symmetry can help your facility implement a hand hygiene program, providing tools that promote education, awareness, and motivation to practice hand hygiene.

Level 2: Intermittently protect your facility with the Eco® Proportioning Program

CDC Recommendations: Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces following product label directions and proper dwell times. 

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved several Buckeye products for use against SARS-Related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [cause of COVID-19], including Buckeye Eco One-Step Disinfectant-Deodorizer-Cleaner E22. The Eco Proportioning Program comes with training materials and tools to help staff with proper disinfecting procedures. 

Level 3: Use Clarion® 25 Microban® Antimicrobial Floor Finish and Arena® Microban Antimicrobial Wood Floor Coating

Microban technology is built-in to these products during the manufacturing process. When microbes come in contact with the product surface, Microban technology penetrates the cell wall of the microorganism and disrupts the cell, making the microorganism unable to grow and reproduce. * 

*Microban technology does not protect users against disease-causing microorganisms. Microban Products Company makes neither direct nor implied public health claims. Normal cleaning practices should be maintained.

Level 4: Protect your facility with Gateway Liners and recommendations

Use stronger, better fitting liners to minimize contaminant exposure. Gateway Liners performs rigorous strength, weight, puncture and tear tests.

Properly dispose trash into lined containers and frequently replace liners. Frequently clean and disinfect inside and outside of trash containers. 

Buckeye takes COVID-19 seriously and continues to take a proactive approach in our effort to help minimize exposure to illness. Buckeye programs strive to educate the public on the importance of best cleaning, disinfecting, and hand hygiene practices. Contact your local representative to find out more about Buckeye’s Door to Floor: 4 Levels of Protection program.

Arena 300 Microban Antimicrobial Wood Floor Coating

Arena 300 Microban Antimicrobial Wood Floor Coating

Get the most out of your wood floors with Arena® 300 Microban® Antimicrobial Wood Floor Coating. Arena 300 is a water-based wood floor coating that utilizes Microban antimicrobial product protection to help inhibit the growth of bacteria. Its exceptional durability and quick dry time make it the best option for schools looking to recoat their gym floors any time of year.

Antimicrobial Protection 

Built into Arena 300 during the manufacturing process, Microban protection continuously fights the growth of microbes on the product surface. Microban protection penetrates the cell wall of the microorganism and disrupts the cell, making the microorganism unable to grow and reproduce. For schools that are looking for an added level of proactive antimicrobial protection, Arena 300 is the perfect fit. Microban protection continuously fights the growth of microbes, and makes wood floors easier to clean – keeping them cleaner, longer at no additional cost. This added protection empowers schools, creating a cleaner learning environment for students.*

Water-Based Wood Floor Coating

Water-based wood floor coatings like Arena 300 have very low VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Reflections’ water-based wood floor coatings have some of the lowest VOCs of any wood floor coating on the market. With such low VOCs, gym floors can be recoated during the school year and even prepped during school hours. Arena 300 provides exceptional durability and shine, scuff and scratch resistance, and superior film hardness. It’s quick dry time and extremely mild scent make it ideal for schools that need to schedule gym floor recoating around sporting events and other school functions.

Reflections Wood Floor Program

Arena 300 is part of the Reflections Wood Floor Program, an easy to follow, cost effective wood floor care program that provides years of beauty, safety, and durability for your wood floors. Alongside exceptional products like Arena 300, Reflections provides professional training for your staff, catered to the needs of your gym floor. Learn more about Arena 300 and wood floor care by contacting a local representative today*Microban technology does not protect users against disease-causing microorganisms. Microban Products Company makes neither direct nor implied public health claims. Normal cleaning practices should be maintained.

Recoating Wood Floors in House

Recoating Wood Floors in House

Oftentimes, facility maintenance managers will hire contractors to recoat their gyms floors. Because wood floors can be one of the most expensive floors in a facility, staff members don’t want to risk damaging them with improper equipment and inexperience. While recoating a wood floor does require a specific skillset, Reflections has experienced representatives who can train facility maintenance staff to recoat wood floors without compromising their quality, durability, and beauty.

Wood floor contractors can be a costly expense. By training staff members to recoat wood floors in house, facilities can cut down on costs. In person and online training are available through the Reflections Wood Floor Program to train staff members on proper technique, equipment, and products.

The Reflections® Wood Floor Program can help facilities get the most out of their wood floors. With products and procedures that can extend the life and beauty of your wood floors, Reflections creates a custom program for each facility’s unique needs. Reflections representatives assess the floor, noting things like the age of the floor, damaged areas, and previous maintenance procedures in order to create the best program for that facility.

Because the Reflections program uses equipment most facilities already have, there are no added equipment costs. Training, both in person and online, can make recoating your wood floors easier, and in some cases, faster. Reflections water-based wood floor coatings allow for light sports play on gym floors only 48 hours after recoating.

For added protection, Arena® 300 Microban® Antimicrobial Wood Floor Coating utilizes Microban antimicrobial product protection to help inhibit the growth of bacteria. Microban protection is built into Arena 300 during the manufacturing process. When microbes come in contact with the product surface, Microban protection penetrates the cell wall of the microorganism and disrupts the cell, making the microorganism unable to grow and reproduce.

Once a floor has been recoated, Reflections will help facilities maintain their floors between recoats. In addition to in-person training, staff members have access to wall charts, literature, and videos that can guide them through each maintenance process. The Honors® Custodial Training Program for Schools and Universities can also help guide staff members through each process with videos, PowerPoints, and literature. Honors is available 24/7 online, and comes with additional features like tests and reporting.

Make wood floor maintenance a priority this summer. Contact your local representative to schedule a Buckeye Reflections product demonstration or host a wood floor seminar at your facility.

COVID-19 Relief Package for K-12 Schools

COVID-19 Relief Package for K-12 Schools

On Dec 27, 2020, the COVID-19 Relief Package was signed into law, providing additional financial assistance to K-12 schools. This funding can be used towards cleaning supplies and programs, staff training, and other resources needed to address coronavirus in schools.

The new relief package allows for a broad range of uses and specifically mentions:

  • Providing resources for principles to address coronavirus in their schools
  • Training staff on the best ways to sanitize and schools and proper use of personal protective equipment
  • Purchasing PPE and the supplies needed to clean and disinfect schools

Find more information on the COVID-19 relief package here.

How Can Buckeye Help? 

Buckeye’s maintenance programs provide door to floor protection for schools. Buckeye’s 4 levels of protection include hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting, antimicrobial floor protection, and custodial training that follows CDC recommendations.

Level 1: Symmetry® Hand Hygiene Program

The CDC states that hand washing is one of the best ways to help reduce the spread of germs. The Symmetry Hand Hygiene Program provides tools that promote education, awareness, and motivation to practice hand hygiene.

Level 2: Eco® Proportioning Program

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved several Buckeye products for use against SARS-Related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [cause of COVID-19], including Buckeye Eco One-Step Disinfectant-Deodorizer-Cleaner E22.

Following CDC guidelines and label directions, clean and disinfect frequently touched objects with the help of the Eco Proportioning Program. Buckeye’s Eco Proportioning Program is fully integrated with effective, hermetically sealed products for any applications.

Level 3: Clarion® 25 Microban® Antimicrobial Floor Finish

Continually protect your facility with Clarion 25 Microban Antimicrobial Floor Finish and Arena® 300 Microban Antimicrobial Wood Floor Coating. While not a substitute for normal cleaning practices, Microban protection continuously fights the growth of microbes, and makes floors easier to clean - keeping them cleaner, longer at no additional cost to you.

Level 4: Honors® Custodial Training Program

The Buckeye Honors Program is a complete custodial program for schools and universities that presents the products, procedures, and training needed to meet a school or university’s highest standards. Honors features videos and tests on enhanced disinfecting and proper hand hygiene procedures during COVID-19.

For more information about all of Buckeye’s cleaning programs and how Buckeye can help your school combat COVID-19, contact your local Buckeye representative.

What Makes the Reflections Wood Floor Program Different?

What Makes the Reflections Wood Floor Program Different?

The Reflections® Wood Floor Program is built around meeting and exceeding tough environmental regulations, and manufacturing products that are easier and safer for employees to use, while also meeting the stringent expectations of Facility Administrators.

Health Safety Features

Reflections wood floor coatings do not require crosslinkers, which contain polyfunctional aziridene. Other manufacturers use this raw material to crosslink their products for durability. Unfortunately, this crosslinker can have a negative impact on the health of employees and visitors, including respiratory and nervous system health implications.

All Reflections wood floor coatings meet the strict VOC regulations of each state and are single component, 100% urethane products. Using 100% urethane products significantly improves indoor air quality, worker and visitor health safety, and reduces mixing mistakes and overall costs. 

Urethane Wood Floor Coatings

Reflections offers both water-based and oil-based wood floor coatings. When a wood floor is first installed, it’s important to keep water away while the floor boards expand, contract and stretch. For the first few years of a wood floor’s life, oil-based wood floor coatings can help fill the grooves of the new wood floor and move with the floor as it settles. Reflections’ Coliseum® Oil-Based Wood Floor Coatings are easy to apply and meet VOC compliancy in every state. They offer superior gloss, exceptional durability, and are scratch and scuff resistant.

For older wood floors, Reflections’ Arena® Water-Based Wood Floor Coatings offer the lowest VOCs, allowing for wood floors to be recoated during normal business hours. Unlike oil-based wood floor coatings, Arena Water-Based Wood Floor Coatings allow for light sports play just 48 hours after the last coat is applied and fully cure 1 week after the last coat is applied.

In addition to mild scents, high gloss, and exceptional durability, Arena® 300 with Microban® Technology provides facilities with an extra level of protection. Microban protection is built-in to Arena 300 during the manufacturing process, and provides continual 24/7 antimicrobial protection for the life of the coating while it is on your floor. Microban protection continuously fights the growth of microbes, making floors easier to clean and keeping them cleaner, longer.

Training

Our experts can help you become an expert. When you begin using the Reflections Wood Floor Program, you receive hands-on, personalized training from our expert Reflections representatives. We also provide MFMA (Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association) approved web-based and DVD training, to help guide you as you learn about recoating and maintaining your floors in-house.

Reflections is focused on providing a program that offers the best combination of appearance, application, durability, safety, VOC compliancy, and cost on the market. To learn more about wood floor care and Reflections, contact your local Buckeye representative.