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.

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

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!

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.

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.
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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.