Answering Important Hand Tool Questions The Right Way

Key Takeaways:
• Prioritize total cost of ownership by balancing product durability and maintenance.
• Optimize labor productivity and operational efficiency with ergonomic, task-specific cleaning tools.
• Leverage jan/san distributor expertise for sustainable, high-performance facility solutions.

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End users care about the total cost of ownership. The durability component to this question is important because tools will be used over and over again. Proper maintenance is also important to customers, not only because it contributes to the useful life of the tool, it also helps prevent the tool from becoming a source of contamination and preserves the product warranty. This is especially important in healthcare, foodservice, and other high-sensitivity environments.

Proper care, laundering, and storage are part of the product conversation, particularly with microfiber, mops, and other reusable tools.

“We provide customers with manufacturer instructions and training. When appropriate, we also bring the manufacturer into the facility with us,” says Heller. “We want the frontline employees to understand not only how to use a product, but how to maintain it and why those procedures matter. A great product that is improperly used or maintained isn’t going to deliver the result the customer was promised.”

Most jan/san distributors agree that not every application requires the most expensive tool available.

“Part of our responsibility is determining the level of product the customer needs,” Heller explains. “We want to balance durability, performance, and price based on how the product will really be used."

A lower-priced tool that wears out and needs to be replaced frequently may ultimately cost more than a higher-quality product with a longer service life.

“Replacement costs are only part of the equation,” Franke says. “Ordering, inventory, downtime, labor, and productivity also carry financial implications.”

When answering customers' questions, efficiency and productivity go hand in hand. Efficiency is heavily dependent on the facility and application.

For example, how much area can an employee clean? How many trips are required to refill or change something? How physically demanding is the process? How much setup and cleanup time is involved? Is the tool intuitive enough that employees will actually use it correctly?

“If a better-designed tool enables an employee to clean more square footage per hour, eliminates unnecessary steps, or reduces fatigue, a relatively small increase in product cost can generate a much larger operational return,” Franke explains. “A tool that dramatically improves productivity in a large, open hallway may offer little advantage in a small, congested restroom. That's why distributors should help customers evaluate tools in the environment where they will be used.”

Is This Safe?

Finding a balance between safety and sustainability provides an opportunity to discuss cleaning results that protect surfaces and environments. Sustainability isn't necessarily just about recycled content, it is also about facility and user safety, and longer tool life.

Jan/san distributors need to understand both the surfaces being cleaned and the desired cleaning outcome. From there, they should rely on product specifications, manufacturer recommendations, experience, and, when necessary, consultation with the manufacturer. When there is uncertainty, testing in an inconspicuous area is always recommended.

Sustainability circles back to the useful life of the tool, as well as its composition.

“Sustainability can mean recycled content, but it can also mean a durable tool that doesn’t need to be replaced as frequently,” Heller says. “For example, a reusable microfiber system instead of disposable products, less water or chemical consumption, or a process that allows an employee to clean more effectively with fewer resources.”

Of course, the best sustainability recommendations look beyond certifications/sustainability claims on the package and instead take the entire operation into consideration.

“A product must perform, last, and help the cleaning staff achieve the expected result,” Heller notes.

Ultimately, Franke says, the opportunity behind all these questions is bigger than hand tools.

“Customers can search online and find thousands of cleaning products in seconds. What they cannot always determine is which product will work best in their specific facility,” he explains. “That is where a knowledgeable jan/san distributor can differentiate itself.”

Shannon O'Connor is a freelance writer from Mason, Ohio.

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