Ceramics Studio Floor - cleaning party on Sun Feb 2?

The Ceramics Studio floor could really use a good cleaning/mopping, especially under the wheel-throwing area.

How about a studio cleaning party on Sun Feb 2? (Right now, there are no classes scheduled.) Would anyone be willing to help out?

Lisa

P.S.
Also, does DMS have a shop vac with a HEPA filter? (This could be used as a first step in the floor cleaning process.)

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What DMS does have is a walk-behind floor washing machine.

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Awesome! Who has experience with that machine and can teach me how to use it?

In addition to the basics:

  • Assuming weā€™d need to soak some of the areas first to soften up the dried clay (and also limit clay dust) - what liquid should we use? (and we may need to scrape some of this up by hand)
  • Which of the machineā€™s brushes/scrub pads are best for clay?
  • What sort of debris collection does the machine have and can it handle wet clay?
  • How do we clean the machine afterwards?

@Hellzlynx Is the cleaning service that comes to the building suppose to clean the floors in our area? I know the old company use to.

Iā€™m not sure that the new bunch knows what the floor Zamboni thing is, and itā€™s a necessity to be sure that the Ceramics floor is clean.

I was looking into that with the logistics team. The cleaners are supposed to be cleaning the floors, but they havenā€™t been consistent with it the way the previous crew was.

We suggested that we try ask for a new quote that excluded the ceramics floor, and based on that price we would look into alternatives, like using the big cleaner from Auto, and/or look into a smaller machine that can be used more regularly to maintain in between deep cleanings.

I spoke with Sam about it Wednesday night, we would need to take the machine across the parking lot anytime we needed to use it, and gave me a quick rundown of the intricacies of the machine.

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Whatā€™s the best path forward ,

Do we conduct a deep cleaning with the big machine ā€“ and get volunteers to help with moving tables and pottery wheels to make that cleaning effort easy/efficient?

And for the weeks in between deep cleanings, is there a mop & bucket we can use? (Iā€™ve only seen a broom/dustpan.) If we need a mop, Iā€™m happy to donate one - just say the word.

Lisa

Attempting to clean with a mop and bucket is pretty futile. Thatā€™s why we no longer have those. The previous cleaning person was using the big machine regularly. Once a week should probably be plenty.

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The previous gal used a mop and bucket, at least that what I witnessed in the mornings.

As long as it is done regularly, and dirty water replaced with clean, it looks pretty good.

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Yeah, Mop and bucket works just fine in the mean time.
Weā€™re just trying to find a long term solution. We didnt think it was reasonable to expect volunteers to mop that large space ā€˜by handā€™

I agree that itā€™s not reasonable to expect volunteers to mop the entire space, but maybe some of us would be willing to mop around an individual wheel or underneath our seat at a table after weā€™ve used it.

I have a brand new microfiber ā€œspinā€ mop to donate. It comes with a dual compartment bucket so the dirty water gets spun out of the mop into its own compartment.

I was hoping to bring it by today but due to a car issue, I likely wonā€™t be able to make it to the space today as originally intended.

I will post again to this thread once I do deliver it to the space.

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Mopping up after wheel usage should be part of the clean up process for each potter, especially if they have splashed or spilled on the floor. Just like sweeping up clay bits when you trim a piece.

If we all clean up our messes then we all have a clean and healthier space to utilize.

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And, the Ceramics Committee meeting is tomorrow, Tuesday 2/4 at 6:30 pm. Thatā€™s where we usually talk about stuff like this. Everyone is welcome.

Which brand of mop/bucket is this by the way? We talked about getting more mops during the committee meeting, and id like to make them all match if possible