Its primary focus is managing air contam-inants. Protecting indoor environments from contaminants is essential for maintaining a healthy space for building occupants and personnel. Investing in a green cleaning program not only lowers the environmental risk, but also puts your building one step closer to achieving LEED certification or a compara-ble equivalent. One of the most important parts of a green cleaning program is to first identify what types of soil you’re trying to clean. Soil is any substance, solid or liquid, that is present in a place where it is not wanted. There are three types of soil: Tracked-in soil Airborne soil Spills. found on shoes or other objects. Routine disinfection or sanitization of all floors and surfaces in buildings is not con-sidered necessary. However, the use of disinfectants and sanitizers in certain places like food service areas may be required or recommended by other laws, regulations or guidelines. When you make a commitment to a green cleaning program, your staff feels like their job and organization is contributing to a greater purpose. Not only will adapting a green cleaning program help the environment, but it will also lessen the adverse health effects cleaning products can have on your body. If you plan on doing some cleaning soon, don’t just be concerned with the environ-ment; keep your health and well-being in mind, too. CM Heated Mats Melt Snow for Modern Green Products Today, most green products undergo rigor-ous certification tests by organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Green Seal Inc. to assure they are effective and safe. In addition, there have been significant advancements in cleaning equipment in order to produce products that better cap-ture and remove soil than those made sev-eral years ago. Advancements include special filters on vacuum cleaners and the development of microfiber cloths and mop heads. A common myth is that disinfectants and sanitizers should be used liberally as every-day cleaners. This is not the case; in fact, it is the com-plete opposite. Cleaning is a necessary first step to san-itizing or disinfecting because contact and reaction with soils may reduce or even eliminate the effectiveness of disinfectants. Therefore, even if a surface is washed and disinfected properly, the disinfected condition is effective only until the surface’s next use. To be effective, most disinfectants require the surface first be cleaned and then kept wet for several minutes of contact time with a fresh solution of the disinfectant product. Floors wet with disinfectant create slip hazards and, once disinfected, floors and surfaces rapidly become re-contaminated by airborne microorganisms or from those 866.766.9628 [email protected] www.heattrak.com Circle Product Information no. 214 on page 32 www.cmmonline.com 19
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