Summer is near... and so are fruit flies. ALCO works with restaurants, schools, healthcare facilities, and commercial kitchens throughout Ohio to help prevent fruit fly infestations through proper drain maintenance and sanitation practices. Unfortunately, when prevention is overlooked and fruit flies become a problem, many people make the mistake of treating the symptom rather than the source. While traps may catch adult flies, they do nothing to eliminate the breeding grounds hidden inside drains, floor sinks, and other areas where organic buildup accumulates. To truly solve a fruit fly problem, you must address where they're coming from.

Why Do Fruit Flies Keep Coming Back?
Fruit flies can complete their life cycle in as little as a week under ideal conditions. While traps can reduce the number of adult flies you see, they do nothing to eliminate eggs and larvae hidden in organic buildup inside drains, floor sinks, and plumbing systems. Unless breeding sites are addressed, new flies will continue to emerge.

Did You Know?
The same organic buildup that attracts fruit flies can also attract drain flies, foul odors, and bacteria. Routine drain maintenance helps create a cleaner, healthier environment while reducing pest activity.

D.F.E. - Drain Fly Eliminator
Ultra-Strength Bio-Enzymatic Gel

• Thick gel clings to pipes and traps, digesting organic material fast
• Safe, non-toxic formula: no poisons, acids, or harsh chemicals
• Bacteria double every 20 minutes until the food source is gone
• Won’t harm plastic, metal, or glass plumbing

Fact Sheet | Shop Now!

Need Help Controlling Fruit Flies?
ALCO's team can help identify problem areas and recommend a drain maintenance program that fits your facility. Contact us to learn more about D.F.E. and Nature's Plus Drain Treatment and how they can help keep drains clean and pest-free.

Call 330-253-3535 or email customerservice@alco-chem.com to get in touch with an expert!

Entryways Set the Tone
Your entrance is your first impression and your first line of defense.

• Deep clean, rotate or replace worn-out matting
• Utilizing 10’-15’ of entrance matting can capture up to 85%-95% of contaminants from entering the building
• Rotate mat locations to extend life
• Add scraper mats outside + absorbent mats inside
• Clean glass doors and handles daily
• Don’t ignore metal trim and kick plates

💡 See: Window cleaners, window cleaning tools & equipment

Fresh Start to Floors
Winter leaves behind salt, grit, and buildup that dulls and damages finishes.

• Deep scrub hard floors to remove embedded soil
• ALCO Freedom #8250 neutralizes ice melt residue
• Recoat or refinish high-traffic areas
• Refresh entry matting to prevent re-soiling and protect floors

💡 See: Floor cleaners, finishes, restorers, sealers, strippers, pads, floor equipment

Dust Areas Frequently Forgotten
Out of sight = often out of mind. Not just for appearances but even more importantly for air quality.

• Vents, baseboards, light fixtures, and ceiling corners
• Behind and under equipment
• Tops of cabinets and shelving

💡 See: Microfiber cleaning tools, extendable dusters

Upholstery & Soft Surfaces
Salt, moisture, and traffic take a toll on fabrics too.

• Extract carpets and spot clean stains
• Clean upholstered furniture in lobbies and offices
• Deodorize to eliminate trapped odors

💡 See: Carpet care products, carpet extractors, deodorizers

Restroom Reset
Go beyond daily cleaning. Spring is a great time to do a deep clean in restrooms.

• Descale toilets, urinals, and sinks
• Scrub grout and tile
• Disinfect surfaces once they've been cleaned
• Eliminate odors at the source by cleaning drains

💡 See: Bowl Cleaners, Multi-Surface Cleaners, Restroom Disinfectants, Tile / Mildew / Stains Products

Equipment Assessment
Your results are only as good as your tools.

• Inspect autoscrubbers, vacuums, and burnishers
• Replace worn pads, brushes, and filters
• Schedule preventative maintenance

💡 See: Floor equipment, ALCO’s Machine Repair Department

Clean Out Your Janitorial Closet
A clean, organized closet improves efficiency, safety, and inventory control across your entire facility.​

• Remove everything and safely discard expired, unused, or worn-out products (chemicals according to SDS guidelines)
• Deep clean the entire space- floors, walls, shelves, and corners
• Restock essential products
• Organize by frequency of use so daily items are easy to access
• Store bulk inventory separately to avoid clutter
• Ensure proper labeling of all chemicals
• Separate incompatible or hazardous chemicals to reduce risk

From daily maintenance to full restoration, the right products make all the difference. ALCO offers everything from floor cleaners, strippers and finishes to equipment, pads, mops, and buckets... everything you need to keep your floors looking their best while extending their lifespan.

Whether you're maintaining high-traffic areas or preparing for a full refinish, we help simplify the process with solutions designed for your budget, floor maintenance plan, and desired level of shine.

​Not sure what you need? Our team is here to help you build a floor care program tailored to your facility. Reach out to your Personal Account Representative or ALCO's Customer Service at 330-253-3535 or via email to get started!

​Simplify your routine, cut down on product clutter, and get the job done faster with this all-purpose solution. Try Formula 54 today and experience the difference of a degreaser that works as hard as you do.

​Keep fruit flies out by tackling the problem at the source. Whether you need a heavy-duty gel or an eco-friendly all-around solution, ALCO has the drain maintainer to match your needs. Reach out today to keep your drains, and your facility, clean and pest-free!

Independence Day Schedule
Both the Akron & Canton ALCO locations will be closed on Friday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. Our normal business hours (8:00 to 4:30, Monday-Friday) will resume Monday, 7/7.

Be sure to get your orders in on time to prepare for our holiday schedule as some delivery days may be different than normal. If you are unaware what day at noon to have your order in for delivery, contact our Customer Service at 1-800-589-2526 (Akron) or 1-800-437-5248 (Canton) and they will be glad to help!​

As a reminder, if you need assistance on a day we are closed, please call 330.253.3535 and leave a detailed message.

Further reduce cross contamination by introducing a color coding system to your facility or home! Microfibers do not come in a variety of colors just to look pretty. These color options can be a great a tool to differentiate cleaning tasks.

• Easy way to prevent cross contamination
  • Example: Specifying that red microfibers are to be used only in restrooms means you should never see them being used elsewhere
• Variety of tools all with the the color coding system in mind
• Simplify employee training
  
  • Simple wall charts can be a helpful reminder of which color belongs where

Using the whole microfiber cloth all at once or wadding it together is an inefficient way to clean and often results in cross contamination. 

Instead, fold the microfiber cloth in half and then half again to create 4 sections on each side. Clean using one section at a time. When a section becomes soiled, change to the next section.

9. Focus on Your Floors
We'll let you in on a dirty secret - floors are one of the "germiest" things in a commercial building. So above all else, health reasons are a great reason to properly clean your hard floors. Additionally, your customers look at them more than you realize! High traffic areas should be cleaned daily. Start with vacuuming or dust mopping to pick up debris that could scratch your floors and afterwards mop with a neutral cleaner or neutral disinfectant. Don't skimp on the corners and edges that are easily forgotten but quickly buildup gross-looking dirt and grime.
In winter time, choose a cleaner like Freedom that neutralizes ice melt residue in one use.

When burnishing, add a floor rejuvenator such as Beyond to condition your floor to a high shine. ​

Here's to a Clean & Healthy 2020!
Contact Us or leave a comment with your cleaning questions. We're happy to help!

Summer brings more foot traffic; people are getting out more due to the nice weather. This means more customers at your businesses and friends to your home! Where people gather, wear and tear on your carpet and even permanent discoloring from spills can become an issue. Here are the best practices to prevent and remove tough carpet stains, protecting your investment.

When it comes to wear and tear of your carpet, dirt will do more damage to carpet fibers than vacuuming regularly. Overworking your carpet by vacuuming is definitely possible, specifically when you’re doing it wrong.
​
The floor settings on your machine are important – most vacuums have a bare floor setting versus carpet, and many distinguish between low, medium and high carpet. These definitely matter as vacuum height settings can affect how well it cleans or the wears on your carpet. Too high and the vacuum can’t pick up the dirt, but too low and you could hurt your carpet. Additionally, it could damage your roller brush or drive belt if you frequently use the wrong setting. If your vacuum doesn’t have automatic height adjustment, and you’re not sure how high or low the setting should be, turn it on the highest setting and then gradually lower it until you can feel the vacuum tugging the carpet.

To protect your carpet, we recommend vacuuming your residential entranceways and busy areas a minimum of twice a week and the rest of the carpeting at least once a week. For businesses it obviously varies on what type of carpet you have, the traffic patterns of each area and how many people visit your facility. Did you know that up to 24 pounds of dirt can be tracked in by 1,000 people coming through an entrance in just a 20-day work period? That’s a lot of dirt! The longer between vacuums the more soils will build upon themselves whereas consistent vacuuming gets rid of soil collections that will eventually damage your carpet. Your business’s frequency of vacuuming should be determined by your foot traffic.

The most important thing to remember is to clean spills and address soils immediately. Never rub a stain as this just pushes the substance further into the carpet. To lift the stain, dab/blot it with a towel in order to absorb it.

​Juice & Wine:
A cold glass of juice or sangria is a great way to cool down on a hot day, but definitely the type of beverages that you don’t want to see spill on your carpet. If this happens, blot the stain with a towel as soon as possible and use a spotting agent specifically designed to remove wine and juice stains. We recommend Rescue 911 Spot, Stain & Odor Remover or Juice Out Dye Remover. 

Iced Coffee:
Who doesn’t love to run to the coffee shop on a warm morning and grab an iced coffee to start the day? For coffee spills (cold or hot, black or milky) we recommend again to blot the stain with a towel right away and using Rescue 911 or Tann-X Coffee & Tannin Stain Remover.

Gum:
Children are great but sometimes fail to keep their gum in their mouth, and well let’s face it some adults do too! Should gum get stuck on/in your carpet, we recommend using a T-Bone Spatula with Deep Freeze Gum Remover that instantly freezes and embrittles chewing gum and wax from carpet and hardwood flooring making it easier to remove. Check out the video below to see Deep Freeze in action!

Food: Ketchup/Mustard & Greasy Goodies:
Burgers and fries, anyone? What about triple brownie fudge ice cream? There’s an array of summer foods that consist of grease and oil or even dyes. To remove food stains, blot the area and use a spotter designed for grease and dyes such as Rescue 911 or Plus II Enzyme Odor & Spot Dissolver.
​
Grass:
Grass stains are bound to happen! There’s a pigment in grass that gives it a green color called chlorophyll. Grass stains soak into carpet fibers and stick around until you clean them. Address them as soon as possible. Again, blot the area and use a spotting agent that can handle tough-to-remove pigments such as Rescue 911.

Mud:
f you start to notice a large, frequently walked on area looking dirtier than the rest of your carpet, we recommend using a pre-spray such as Freeway Concentrated Traffic Lane Cleaner and extracting with Lift Off Extraction Cleaner. If that’s not possible, you can also try to thoroughly vacuum the area and spot clean left over stains. If the mud is still wet, absorb the dirt and moisture by blotting the area with towel and applying a spotting agent like Rescue 911. Agitate the stain until it is fully removed. To prevent this from happening again, consider implementing a matting program to catch dirt and mud at the door.

Organic:
Organic stains such as blood, vomit and urine can be more prevalent in the summer because of increased numbers in foodborne illness cases, pet visits and trip and fall accidents. Always wear gloves when dealing with such stains, and if you’re a business make sure your Bloodborne Pathogen Kit does not need restocking. For organic stains we recommend using an enzyme spotter such as Rescue 911.

Paint:
Some facilities re-paint interiors during the summer months resulting in drips and spills on carpet. Obviously the best way to prevent this is by covering up the carpet, but should an accident occur then we recommend using Unbelievable!® Goo D-solv-r™ for wet oil-based paint. Rescue 911 again also works in this situation.

Tar, Grease, Oil:
Orange cone season (aka construction season) and hot parking lots can result in tar, grease and oil being tracked into your building. Unbelievable!® Citrus Gel Grease, Adhesive & Tar Remover was made for this job!

​Did we address all the stains you deal with in the summer months? Drop us a comment, email us or give us a call at 1.800.589.ALCO to address a specific carpet stain question. We’d love to help!