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As documented in an Arizona Republic article dated June 2, 2007, studies have found that air inside a building can be two to five times as polluted as the air outdoors. "If you're going to be indoors 90 percent of the time, then you should pay attention to what's going on indoors," said Barbara Spark, indoor air program coordinator for EPA's Western region.
Green cleaning and environmental stewardship are not just buzzwords from the 1960s. The choices we make in cleaning products, equipment, systems and procedures affect our economy and our very lives. As evident, increases in childhood asthma, falling test scores, student absenteeism, employee sick time, and lower productivity all have some basis in poor indoor environmental quality.
Green Cleaning is not about simply replacing your current product with a milder cleaner. Green cleaning is a process that reduces the negative impact on human health and the environment when compared to traditional products and programs. It minimizes VOC emissions, controls allergens from dyes and fragrances making indoor environments more healthful and pleasant. Product selection is important, however, a regularly scheduled Green cleaning and maintenance program is of equal importance. A properly designed and implemented plan will have a positive impact on the cleanliness of your facility, the health of its occupants and your ROI.
Contact Total Quality Cleaning Systems today for a free Green Cleaning audit of your building. We would be more than happy to examine your entire process of cleaning, identify the areas that can be improved, develop a plan and the procedures to implement the plan, execute the plan and measure the results.
The USGBC (United States Green Building Council) has pioneered the framework and standard for “Green buildings”. Total Quality Cleaning Systems, subscribes to that framework.
The 10 Stewardship Principles, by Steve Ashkin
- Commit to people, education, and communications. Buildings do not become dirty or become cleaned by themselves. These activities are dependent on people! A successful “Green” janitorial program should involve both the cleaning personnel and building occupants. Get people involved; keep them involved by celebrating and communicating successes. Let them know the values/benefits that are in it for them.
- First, clean to protect health and the environment. Second, clean for appearance. It is not what is seen that is the real area of concern. Even clean appearing buildings can be extremely unhealthy. Thus, focus on cleaning for health and the environment, and in most cases, the appearance will be addressed at the same time.
- Clean and maintain the building as a whole, not as separate components. Cleaning and maintenance, in one area of a building, can have a major impact on other areas. For example, the fumes from stripping and recoating a floor in one area can contaminate adjacent areas or even the entire building via the HVAC system. Appropriate actions must take place to ensure the health and safety throughout the entire building.
- Scheduled routine maintenance. Scheduled maintenance that is frequent and thorough is the most efficient and effective method for building maintenance. Concise plans and records are a must!
- Plan for accidents. Specific procedures need to be developed to address accidents. Plans should address weather related problems, as well as common spills (e.g., coffee), water leaks, and/or smoke or air contamination by a noxious chemical reaction.
- Minimize human exposure to harmful contaminants and cleaning residues. Workers should always use the appropriate personal protective equipment. Areas where work is taking place should have adequate ventilation. Work schedules should be established to minimize exposure to building occupants, and the products used should be the most benign to accomplish the task.
- Minimize chemical, particle, and moisture residue when cleaning. The products that are used for building maintenance, due to their ability to quickly and efficiently remove oils, soils, living organisms, etc., can also contribute to a building's problem if used incorrectly.
- Ensure worker and building occupant safety at all times.
- Minimize the amount of pollutants entering the building, while maximizing the amount of pollutants extracted. It is significantly more effective, in terms of both time and money, to keep contaminants out of the building, then to try to remove them once they have entered.
- Dispose of cleaning waste in environmentally safe ways.
In summary, the goal of Green Cleaning is to protect the health of building occupants, visitors, and cleaning personnel, as well as reducing polluting effects on our air and water. Dr. Berry defines cleaning as, “the process of locating, identifying, containing, and properly removing and disposing of unwanted substance from an environment”. We believe this to mean that Cleaning should be organized, scheduled, and focused on achieving specific objectives primarily those related to protecting health and valuable property.
Let people know that your building is cleaned Green. Publish a sign in your entrance that lets your customers, employees, and visitors know your Green Cleaning mission statement
- Providing a healthier indoor environment for customers and tenants
- Creating a safer working environment for your employees
- Minimizing adverse impacts of building service operations on the outdoor environment
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Please visit these resources to learn more about Green Cleaning.
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