Author: On Time Supplies

A Buyer’s Guide to Reopening Classrooms Amid COVID-19: 15 CDC Guidelines

Posted on by On Time Supplies

The transition to online teaching was difficult — but you did it! Now that many communities are getting the spread of COVID-19 under control by following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), school systems across the country are getting ready to reopen their classrooms to in-person learning.

OnTimeSupplies.com wants you to know you’re not alone in this next phase of adaptation. Our mission is to support educators with a large inventory of high-quality supplies and the best customer service experience in the world.

To help you reopen your classroom safely, we break down the 15 guidelines put out by the CDC for modifying your space to promote healthy behaviors and minimize the risk of cross-contamination. Read on for tips on social distancing, hand sanitizing stations, physical barriers and including best practices in your curriculum to reduce student anxiety while increasing compliance.

15 Guidelines from the CDC for Modifying Your Classroom

1. Create social distance. Measure to make sure desks or workstations are at least six feet apart. Have students sit in the same assigned seat every day and suggest standardized seating charts across all classrooms to make this simpler.

2. Face everyone the same direction. Rather than having desks face each other, turn all desks or tables to face the front of the room. Have students sit on only one side of worktables, adding more to your room if necessary.

3. Modify group stations and activities. If working in groups is necessary, put fewer students in each group so they can maintain proper social distancing. If there isn’t enough room to leave six feet between group members, use physical barriers like partitions and panels to keep everyone safer.

4. X marks the spot. Use colorful masking tape on tables and other work areas to let students know where they cannot sit to maintaining six feet of distance from others. These X marks mean “no sitting here!”

5. Make one-way paths. Create clear, one-way paths for entering, exiting and moving around your classroom while maintaining social distance. Keep emergency exit procedures in mind when marking the floor with colorful tape, and remind students to keep the length of a bicycle between themselves and others when they need to sharpen a pencil or go to the restroom.

6. Set up multiple hand sanitizing stations. Unless your classroom includes a sink with running water, create hand sanitizing stations at the door and near your desk. Keep a steady supply of alcohol-based hand sanitizer available and remind students to rub it into their hands for at least 20 seconds.

7. Model healthy hygiene. Sanitize your own hands every time you enter the classroom, after touching furniture or other objects and as you exit the room. Use disinfecting wipes and other cleaning products as necessary, always explaining how and why to the young people learning from you.

8. Store disinfecting supplies safely. Make sure all your cleaning and disinfecting supplies are stored safely. As is appropriate to their age, you might want students to disinfect their own work areas at the beginning and end of each school day.

9. Maintain a “teacher zone.” Mark off an area around your desk that allows you to maintain six feet of distance when interacting with your students. Discuss with your class why this “teacher zone” is needed and what your expectations are for respecting and maintaining it.

10. Create kid-friendly barriers. If the size or configuration of your classroom prohibits a safe zone around your desk, consider installing an acrylic barrier on your desk. These clear panels allow visual interactions while inhibiting the spread of droplets.

11. Let the air in. Good ventilation is key to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Whenever possible, open a classroom window to bring in fresh air and leave interior doors open. However, if opening windows exacerbates safety risks, as from falling or triggering asthmatics, keep the windows closed.

12. Keep the air moving. Place box fans either in an open window or strategically around the room to increase ventilation.

13. Separate shared supplies. Separate each student’s belongings into labeled containers, desks or cubbies. Discourage or prohibit sharing books, calculators and other items by making sure there are enough for each student to have one. High-touch school supplies — like pens, markers, highlighters, paints, sports equipment and musical instruments — should be limited and thoroughly disinfected after each use.

14. Post reminders. Set your students up for success by displaying posters and signs that remind them how to stop the spread of germs. The CDC offers several free printable posters on topics like wearing a mask, proper hand washing, social distancing and more.

15. Include COVID-19 lessons in your curriculum. Reduce anxiety while reducing the spread of the coronavirus with informational videos from the CDC and other educational elements about the pandemic. Adding age-appropriate discussions, art projects or writing assignments on the topic can help get everyone on board with mitigation procedures and alleviate some of the stress of returning to the classroom.

And to help you find some qualified cleaning products right here at OnTime Supplies, here are 4 great choices for sanitizing wipes that are listed on the EPA List N Products with Emerging Viral Pathogens AND Human Coronavirus claims for use against SARS-CoV-2:

Home Office Set-Up Essentials for Remote Workers

Posted on by On Time Supplies

This year has been an adjustment period for many workers across all industries, with employees all over the world adapting to a work-from-home lifestyle due to COVID-19. If you’ve been adjusting to working remotely, you may notice quite a few changes to your daily routine. Luckily, some smart additions to your home office setup could make all the difference in your productivity.

Here are just a few office supply essentials from OnTimeSupplies.com to help improve your home office setup and get you back on track with this new normal.

A Comfortable, Supportive Computer Chair

While your company may provide you with a supportive desk chair, at home, your tired desk chair will start to feel quite uncomfortable after a long day of working. Upgrade your computer chair with something smart and supportive to improve your posture and cut down on back pain.

An ergonomic computer chair with an adjustable tilt and a contoured seat cushion is a much more comfortable alternative to your traditional chair. Many of these modern desk chairs offer height and width adjustments for people of all sizes, and optimal lumbar support will keep you sitting at just the right position for all-day comfort and productivity.

A Modern Home Office Desk

If you’re adjusting to working from home for the long haul, you may even want to invest in a new desk for your home office setup. Many modern desks offer smart organizational solutions, improved ergonomics and other features that will greatly improve the way you work remotely. This may even be a great time to invest in an adjustable sit-standing desk if you prefer to get out of your desk chair for part of your day.

A Stylish Daily Planner

Having trouble staying focused at home? If you find it difficult to meet deadlines or keep track of video calls and virtual meetings, a daily planner may help you plan your days and set goals for your remote work. While many remote workers use smartphone calendar apps or digital reminders, there’s just something about jotting down notes and penciling in items on a calendar that makes it really stick.

Name Brand Printer Toner and Ink

Since you won’t have access to your company’s printer or copier, you’ll need to improve your printing capabilities in your home office setup. Stock up on name brand toner and ink for your printer. Whichever brand you prefer, you’ll find a very wide selection at OnTimeSupplies.com with bulk discounts to help you stick to your budget.

An Over-the-Head Telephone Headset

Finding yourself on phone calls and virtual meetings for most of your day at home? Working remotely means that your in-person meetings are now phone calls, so you might want to invest in a convenient telephone headset that allows you to take notes and navigate your computer while you talk on the phone.

We carry a great selection of over-the-head telephone headsets that are compatible with most phones. Many of these feature noise-cancelling microphones, so if your home office setup is also a busy, noisy family home, you can be certain that you won’t miss a beat — even if your afternoon meeting coincides with your kids’ playtime.

Guide to Properly Disinfecting Your Office

Posted on by On Time Supplies

Whether you’re working from home or heading back to your office after a few months of safer-at-home measures, you’re likely quite concerned with keeping your workspace clean and disinfected. These are stressful times for all people, but with some foresight and proper disinfecting techniques, you can make sure that you and your co-workers are cutting down on the spread of COVID-19.

Here is a helpful guide on how to disinfect the office, from cleaning your desk to moving freely throughout the larger office without spreading germs. We’ll include smart disinfecting techniques as well as recommended products to use to keep your office safe.

Keep Yourself Safe with Masks and Disposable Gloves

Before tackling your office, you’ll want to properly protect yourself from the spread of germs. This means wearing a mask before entering your office, even if no other people are present. You’ll also want to invest in a supply of disposable gloves to wear while cleaning so that you can safely touch surfaces in common areas. Choose gloves in the proper size for your hands to avoid slippage, and make sure to wear disposable latex, vinyl or nitrile gloves that you can safely dispose of after cleaning. If you’re uncertain about choosing the right disposable gloves, check out our Disposable Gloves Size Chart & Buying Guide.

Disinfect Your Hands Throughout the Day

In addition to cleaning your office and wearing masks and gloves, you’ll also want to clean your own hands to cut down on the spread of germs. Each time you come into your office from outside, use the restroom, interact with a co-worker or touch a shared item or surface, simply wash your hands or clean them with a waterless hand sanitizer. Similar to disinfectant wipes, you’ll want to store a few bottles of hand sanitizer around the office in large containers to ensure that everyone is able to sanitize their hands as much as possible.

Cleaning Office Areas with Soap and Water

Before using heavy disinfectants, you’ll want to wash all surfaces (such as your desk, doors, walls and common areas, such as the kitchen) with soap and water. This removes dirt and impurities on the surfaces within your office, as well as reducing the number of germs that may exist there currently. Use a general, all-purpose cleaner in a bucket of warm water, then gently but thoroughly wipe surfaces with a clean rag.

Disinfect Surfaces with a Heavy-Duty Disinfectant

Next, once your office is clean and free of dirt and dust, go back through and disinfect all surfaces with a multi-purpose disinfectant, such as Clorox or Seventh Generation. This will kill all remaining germs now that the surface is clean.

Routinely Clean Frequently Touched Surfaces

Surfaces like your laptop keyboard, computer mouse and cell phone, plus common use items like doorknobs and bathroom faucets, should be routinely cleaned to ensure that you don’t pick up any germs or pass any to your co-workers. For this type of routine disinfecting, we recommend using multipurpose disinfectant wipes, which are easy to carry with you and use on a wide variety of surfaces. Simply display a few containers of disinfectant wipes throughout the office so that you can easily grab one each time you touch a doorknob or use the restroom. With these tips for how to disinfect office spaces in mind and posted around your workspace, you’ll help keep you and your team safe.

A Guide to U.S.-Made Office Supplies

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The reasons to buy office supplies and office furniture made in the U.S. for your stateside company are numerous. Supporting homegrown businesses and industries while giving back to the community is only one example. Helping create more jobs for Americans is another that means a lot to several clients and colleagues alike. U.S.-made office products tend to be well-made and durable, not to mention it’s easier to find replacement parts for them as well.

And if practical reasons or a sense of patriotism are only the beginning for you, then the ability to rely on local supply chains is the finishing touch of having made-in-the-U.S. products. The power to keep a business open in this post-COVID world of ours will often be tied to the ability to get the indispensable materials an office needs in a timely fashion.

No one knows what the future will bring. But after getting a taste of a global commercial economy in lockdown, sourcing U.S.-made office supplies makes a lot of sense. Getting workplace materials manufactured in your state — or another state — and delivered to your location in times when global delivery options are limited or suspended is much easier to do than depending upon international shipping or overseas supply chains.

Office supplies made in the U.S. are dependable, built to last and can be reliably sourced with domestic delivery. OnTimeSupplies.com has an extensive line of office products made in America for all the reasons listed here. We offer live chat, U.S.-based customer service and a toll-free number (1-866-501-6055) that’s well-manned. Quick delivery and bulk pricing discounts are two more customer-appreciated staples of our core business model.

A Brief Guide of Some of Our Bestselling Office Products Made in America

To give you an idea of some of the office supplies and office furniture we offer, here’s a brief guide to a selection of our most popular Made in America workplace items.

Three-Ring Binders

When you need to put presentations together and organize printed materials, three-ring binders are a crucial item for any modern office to have. We stock U.S.-made ring binders (black, clear or white), grip binders, binders coming in a variety of colors and much more. OnTimeSupplies.com can handle all of your three-ring binders demands.

Bags

From healthcare and biohazard can liners, retail shopping bags and sacks to shipping and reusable zipper-closure storage bags, as well as low-density waste can liners, we carry it all. Any type of bag your office might require can be found on our website. Simply place your order, receive your shipment and then bag up whatever needs bagging.

Cleaners and Detergents

Your janitorial staff needs a steady supply of cleaning products to keep your office as clean and tidy as possible. Dry-erase surface cleaners, lemon-scented all-purpose commercial cleansers, Windex glass cleaner, floor cleaners, high traffic hardwood polishing restorer and more can all be found among the many products we sell. Bulk and green cleaning options are also available.

Food Wrap

If you need to wrap food as an integral part of your businesses or simply need food-wrapping products for your breakroom, we’ve got you covered. Choose from clingwrap plastic wrap, waxed paper with wet wax food wrap, Reynolds heavy-duty aluminum foil roll or a more specialized item, like Dispens-A-Wax Waxed Deli Patty Paper for soaking up grease and moisture from fresh foods.

Inks and Toners

When you need to print for your day-to-day routine, you’ll likely require a reliable supply of inks and toners. We stock a wide-range of brands, including AbilityOne, Dataproducts, Epson, HP, Lexmark, TROY and Xerox. Never let your inkwell go dry with our exhaustive supply of U.S.-made inks and toners.

Office Chairs and Stools

Employees need chairs and stools for their workstations, breakrooms, workshops and conference rooms. OnTimeSupplies.com offers classroom chairs, drafting stools, folding chairs, reception chairs, foodservice stools and office chairs. If you can sit on it, chances are that we sell it — and probably at a lower price than you will find elsewhere.

Office Desks

In addition to chairs, the modern workplace needs desks, of course. Our stock of office desks, workstations and desk accessories made in the U.S. is considerable, to say the least. Select from corner desks and workstations, executive pedestal desks and shop desks, as well as a variety of component trays, surfaces, shelves, desk bases and desk legs to keep your office running safely and smoothly.

Pens and Office Paper

While writing things down with a paper and pen might seem old school in the digital age, many offices still rely upon a healthy stock of pens and office paper. We carry a diverse range of pens and paper to suit the demand no matter the environment. In our pen department, you’ll find ballpoint, countertop, gel, multifunction and rollerball pens, only to name a few.

When it comes to office paper, we stock paper in different weights, colors and brightness ratings for an easy one-stop shop. Head over to our office paper page to check out the deals we have on card stock, copier/printer paper, cover stock, brochure sheets, proofing board and more.

From office snacks, business envelopes and mailing supplies to file cabinets, file folders and dry-erase and permanent markers, OnTimeSupplies.com is dedicated to offering our clients U.S.-made office supplies delivered promptly and always backed by our stellar customer service department, all found on our easy-to-use website.

A Practical Guide to Restaurant Takeout Supplies

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In normal times, takeout food delivery can be a big part, if not the biggest part of a restaurant’s revenue stream. During the time of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic — and even after it subsides — takeout food and takeout supplies are even more significant for a restaurant’s income.

The legal requirements for bars, bistros, cafés and restaurants to restrict beverages and food services to carry-out will vary from state to state. Regardless of what the official rules are in your neck of the woods, be aware that those rules are subject to change as the situation and nature of the virus fluctuates.

Here’s a practical guide covering the basics about how to handle takeout services in the era of COVID-19 — plus a general guide to essential restaurant takeout supplies needed during normal times as well.

Takeout and Delivery Under Social-Distancing Restrictions

From food carts and food trucks to pizzerias and fancy restaurants, entrepreneurs in the food services industry have all experienced a major shakeup as to how they can operate in the modern era. These changes dropped on the industry like a rock due to the coronavirus outbreak. While the future might be uncertain, stocking up on the right restaurant takeout supplies can help businesses prepare for good times and bad.

In addition to having a reliable source of takeout supplies, make sure you check often with your state’s official guidelines regarding any social distancing required by delivery staff (if not using a service like Uber Eats or Grubhub). Guidelines might also affect distancing for customers who pick up their takeout orders in person, rules for staff preparing takeout orders and contactless payment models that limit physical interactions.

Selecting the Best Takeout Supplies for Your Restaurant

Know your clientele can help you anticipate your takeout container needs. A chic vegan bistro, for example, might have a lot of customers who are eco-conscious and prefer eco-friendly products. OnTimeSupplies.com as a line of green/recycled food containers perfect for that type of market. A pizzeria that specializes in all meat pies with a side business in deep-fried donuts, on the other hand, might have a customer base that isn’t quite as concerned about using 100% eco-friendly materials.

Handy Restaurant Takeout Supplies

OnTimeSupplies.com offers restaurant takeout supplies that come in a range of materials, from recycled products and plant-based plastic to aluminum, cardboard, foam, paper and plastic. We also offer U.S.-made takeout containers.

Below is a small list of some of our top-selling items, although we sell thousands of restaurant takeout products on our website. OnTimeSupplies.com provides quick delivery for all of our goods, and our low prices beat the big box retailers every time.

Corrugated Pizza Boxes

Pizza boxes are a staple item in the pizzeria game. We stock Kraft pizza boxes in a variety of sizes. These boxes come with a triple-layer of grease-absorbing paper, plus steam vents, to ensure fresh pizzas on delivery. No sogginess here, guaranteeing happy customers with every pizza sold.

Foam Bowl Containers & Lids

From a Thai restaurant famous for its fiery curries to an Italian bistro known for its outstanding Italian-style gazpacho soup, bowl containers are an indispensable takeaway item. Our foam Dart® containers and Eco-Forward™ lids (coming in different sizes) are the perfect matches for busy eateries that need to distribute food for takeout with the confidence that the temperature and taste of the meals sold are maintained upon delivery.

Foam Carryout Food Container

Dart® Carryout Food Containers are the workhorse of the food delivery industry. These stackable, insulated and versatile containers are ideal for piping-hot foods as well as meals that need to be kept cold.

Plastic Utensils Combo Pack

If takeout food isn’t delivered to someone’s home, or you anticipate that your customers will be eating in the park, their car or somewhere where they won’t have utensils, you’ll need to provide cutlery. Our Combo Pack of heavy-duty Plastic Utensils (56 forks, 56 knives and 56 spoons) — or a carton of Heavyweight Soup Spoons — will meet the takeout utensil needs of your clientele every time.

Coffee Dreams Design Hot Cups & Lids

Environmentally-friendly paper Dixie® Hot Cups (8 oz. or 10 oz.) and lids that don’t use polystyrene foam are a great choice for your takeout business — and Mother Nature. These cups feature a cool, playful coffee design and offer outstanding insulation, which eliminates the need for sleeves or having to double-cup beverages.

Molded Fiber Cup Trays

If you own a coffee shop or café, StrongHolder Molded Fiber Cup trays will save the day. Customers who come in and order multiped beverages will appreciate the tip-free, one-handed carrying design of these four-cup trays, and their rugged molded fiber composition stands up to travel. Make sure your valued patrons can get out the door with as many drinks as possible in their hands by stocking up on these handy cup trays.

Aluminum Foil Pop-Up Sheets

Any busy takeout joint that wraps food up in aluminum foil knows the value of this material, whether it’s a burrito stand to a shawarma establishment. Our Standard Aluminum Foil Pop-Up Sheets (coming in a pop-up dispenser) gives out one aluminum sheet at a time, which helps restaurant staff move quickly while simultaneously wasting less foil.

While this list of essential restaurant takeout supplies is far from comprehensive, it will give you a solid overview of some of our most popular products. Visit OnTimeSupplies.com to see more items that will help meet your food business’s takeout needs.

A Simple Guide to Reopening Your Office

Posted on by On Time Supplies

Reopening an office can present business owners and managers with a long list of difficult issues to deal with under most circumstances, especially if the closure was long term. Getting an office safely up to speed after a virus quarantine, like with the coronavirus, is even more of a challenge. This simple guide to reopening your office offers clear steps, tips and a list of important supplies needed to open your workplace responsibly. Get your staff back on the job while keeping them safe in your newly opened workspace using the right advice and products.

Setting Up Your Office Space for Reopening

Different states will have different guidelines about how to manage and reopen an office after their COVID-19 lockdown measures are eased. Regardless of your state’s specific guidelines, there are some basic steps you can take to make your workplace safer for staff and any customers or contractors who visit your office on-site.

  • Space out workstations, desks and cubicles. Keep employees six feet (around two meters) apart. You can install plexiglass or plastic dividers between desks in open-office settings or settings where floor space is limited.
  • Change the orientation of desks and monitors to increase the distance between people (especially their mouths and noses). This will help keep the spread of airborne germs at bay.
  • Provide a staging station at the entrance of your office for workers and guests where they sanitize their hands. Also, post rules and recommendations for safely entering the office space outside the entrance.
  • It’s also a good idea to post additional information signs outside of your office entrance about what to expect in this post-COVID environment. The information should be obvious and clear to read, detailing the new rules everyone is expected to follow.

Provide Posit-COVID Rules and Workplace Protocol Training

In addition to posting signs about what employees should expect when reopening an office after (and during) the coronavirus epidemic, you should provide training about what staff should anticipate concerning changes to how your physical office space will now operate. Ideally, the bulk of this training and information should be provided online or by email for accessibility and to avoid the necessity of gathering in large groups. Here are some key social-distancing protocols to consider:

  • Instruct employees to wash their hands often. Teach them how to properly use hand sanitizers and hand sanitizer stations.
  • Limit the number of people who use breakrooms at one time. You may have to change breakroom etiquette and add extra supplies. For example, stagger scheduled breaks, increase the availability of cleaning materials and switch to disposable cups, plates and utensils to avoid accidentally sharing a coffee mug.
  • Instruct and remind workers about maintaining social distancing. Once they’re face-to-face, people often tend to forget about recommended safe distances and fall into old habits.
  • Put up signs to instruct and remind workers about how to cough safely.
  • Post notices throughout the office about sanitizing your hands after coughing.
  • After work, at least for now, skip after-work drinks or meals with colleagues. This will help maintain social distancing and reduce the risk of spreading a virus.

Add Extra Sanitation Measures Office-Wide

In keeping with the new COVID workplace environment, here are some extra sanitization measures you should consider providing in and around the office (in case your office is adjacent to or part of a warehouse or workshop):

  • Masks and gloves to use in tight spaces, or when moving from one location to another. Make sure to set up multiple locations/stations where employees can pick up their disposable protective gear.
  • Hand sanitizing dispensers, sanitizer stock and sanitizing stations throughout the office.
  • Signs and notices mounted around the office reminding everyone to wash their hands often, as well as instructions on how to cough and minimize the spread of disease.
  • Notices reminding people not to shake hands, essentially welcoming them to the new business norm.
  • Cleaning supplies readily available for wiping down and disinfecting keyboards, doorknobs and other shared surfaces in the modern workplace multiple times during the day.
  • Ensure office ventilation systems are functioning properly to keep the air as clean and germ-free as possible.
  • Never share cups, plates or utensils when in the breakroom. Use disposable products or bring your own from home.

Getting Workers Safely Back into the Office

It’s understandable that workers might be apprehensive, eager or a combination of both when returning to the office. In addition to the steps we’ve already outlined, employees can return in waves (only a few at a time) over several days or weeks to reduce the stress of requiring everyone to return on the same day. Staggered shifts can also be implemented, when possible, to reduce the number of people on-location at any given time.

Employers can offer COVID testing at the office (if available), eliminate or reduce in-person meetings and use video conferencing tools too. Wear masks or even protective goggles if and when people need to meet in closer proximity than currently recommended.

Business owners and managers have a lot to think about when reopening an office, from new safety training and sanitization measures to creating a comfortable environment where employees, if they feel sick, can head home immediately. The world has changed with COVID-19, but with a little patience and preparation, safely reopening an office is a fairly straightforward and manageable task.