The War on Dirt

I work in a very old building, narrow, tall and long. The walls are made of brick and the joists and support beams are wood. Over the years things have softened, the hard straight lines have adopted a romantic curve, a slow decline into rounded, gentle drifts. When the wind blows with enough vigor the bricks and mortar grind together and the dust settles gently on the floors, shelves and counters. The lines soften a bit further. Many of the windows are still original and not much protection against the elements, dirt, debris and an occasional bird or bat has no little problem finding a way in.

John, our facility manager, has purchased a Karcher S4 Twin Push Sweeper. With twin side brushes and a 26.8 wide sweeping area this monster is ready to tackle the inexplicable amount of dust that seems to multiply and organize into roving bands of filth overnight. It doesn’t use electricity, it is powered by a person steering it through the warehouse. Completely emission free. And the best part; you never have to come in contact with the dirt.

Which is a good thing considering where that dirt might have come from, what it might contain. Dust is mostly “dead skin cells, dust mites, dead insect particles, soil, pollen, tiny plastic particles, bacteria, hair, and clothing fibers” according to Natalie Barrett of Nifty Cleaning Services. Any way you look at it that’s pretty disgusting so not having to deal with it is the best way deal with it.

While it is not appropriate for anything burning, explosive, combustible, undiluted acids, solvents, this includes gas, paint thinner, Acetone, and heating oils John feels you could use it to sweep up a fairly large spider if push came to shove.

“Nothing bigger than a Chaco Golden Knee (6 inch leg span), and I would feel much more comfortable sweeping up something the size of California Ebony Tarantula. (2 inch leg span).” John said.

At this point you would have an angry, slightly disoriented, fairly large spider in the generous 5.25-gallon waste container. We would be left with little choice but to set the Karcher S4 Twin on fire and burn it to sterile, safe ash. John felt we could just release the spider outside, but it was widely agreed he would be on his own.