It is imperative to select cleaning products that perform well within your specific building environment. For instance, make a list of what you want a product to do, so selecting a new sustainable product can be narrowed down based on the cleaning goals you have for your facilities. To help in this process, create a list of surfaces to be cleaned and soils to be removed. Gathering this information will aid in selecting a sustainable cleaning product that will perform well for your specific environment. Once a potential product is identified, users should conduct non-bias performance tests on targeted surfaces and soils, to determine the efficacy of the product.

To improve efficiencies in your facilities, keep your cleaning processes as simple as possible. It will help to make a list of daily or regular cleaning activities that must be completed. To identify the appropriate products or applications for a specific area or job, users can create a color-coded or numerical identification system.

Also, to simplify the knowledge transfer that must take place, managers can create wall charts for employees, displaying how products can be used properly. And whenever possible, provide hands-on training so employees can learn the correct way to use products and equipment the first time around, not by trial and error.

Today, many facility managers and janitorial and sanitation teams are looking for less harsh cleaning alternatives that perform as well or better than their current chemical based products. Sustainable cleaning products can accomplish the same task as more traditional cleaning products, generally at a faster pace, and without the negative health and environmental risks. It is worth the investment  when users consider the total cost of the product from creation and use to disposal.

For instance, a bottle of sustainable cleaning solution may cost more upfront, but less product may be used per job, making the solution last longer than a comparable traditional cleaning product. The use and disposal of sustainable cleaning products also have less negative impact on human health and the environment, which when taken into consideration can impact the overall cost of using more sustainable cleaning products.

Cleaning with environmentally sustainable cleaning products can minimize the potential for harsh chemical accidents and human exposure to these chemicals and the indoor environment. In order to protect workers and customers, organizations should follow government safety rules and regulations and enact procedures that guarantee customer health and safety before, during and after cleaning, such as proper set up, product dilution and product clean up.

Practicing sustainable cleaning procedures can also aid in preventing excess waste. Preventing waste in your cleaning and maintenance duties will have a significant impact on the health and safety of your facilities and on the environment.

It is better to prevent waste than to collect or treat waste after it has been created. It is beneficial to look for sustainable cleaning products that are highly concentrated so fewer products are needed to get the job done. More is not necessarily better; using more product than needed results in a tremendous amount of chemical waste.

In addition, using products that have easy-to-use systems will help make the transition to sustainable products from more traditional cleaning products easier. Facility managers can also try to eliminate causes of spills and messes by taking close inventory of facility activities. To help floor cleanliness, for instance, it will help to place adequate, absorbent entrance matting to catch soils upfront.

Reusing items whenever possible will help add to the health of the environment. It is important to reuse materials in the cleaning process, such as mops, towels and cleaning solutions. Floor pads can be washed and reused. Wet mops, when used properly can be used for extended periods.

Refillable cleaning product containers are better than recycling containers because they are not immediately added to our environment to decompose after use.

When considering a shift in cleaning products and equipment, facilities must eliminate product duplication and hazardous substances. Eliminating cleaning products that serve the same purpose is an important step in streamlining your cleaning processes. For instance, one general purpose cleaner can accomplish many cleaning tasks that you might be currently using multiple products for.

Having duplicate cleaning products can confuse staff and complicate the training process. Eliminating duplicative products will also help to dispose of outdated or unusable products and, when possible, replace them with safer substitutes. Be sure to dispose of them properly according to local community guidelines so they do not end up contaminating the local landfill or water system. Whenever possible promptly repair faulty or damaged equipment and do not let spills on floors sit, clean them quickly and properly to prevent slip-and-fall accidents.

Companies wishing to adopt sustainable cleaning practices can use this as a starting point to become more eco-efficient. Take a holistic approach to sustainable cleaning and do not expect what’s in the bottle to make your entire program green. Design and use best practices and cleaning methods to maximize the use of all materials used in the cleaning process. Energy conservation also comes into play while utilizing green cleaning processes. Cleaning processes should be conducted at ambient temperature and pressure. You can select cold water instead of hot water when practical. Remember to turn out the lights in areas when they are not occupied and cleaning is complete. Additionally, purchasing decisions should incorporate data about what products and equipment use the least amount of energy.

When considering sustainable cleaning products, look for products that have third-party sustainability certifications from the most widely recognized organizations that have stringent guidelines such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment and Green Seal. When third party certification is not available, require full disclosure of ingredients so you can better determine if a particular product is sustainable.

Some ingredients that are harmful to humans or that have been found to negatively impact the environment include: carcinogens, nervous systems toxins, harsh acids, reproductive toxins, phosphoric acids, caustic sodas, heavy metals and endocrine disruptors.

Acceptable sustainable ingredients used in many environmentally sustainable cleaning solutions can include but are not limited to the following: soy-based solvents, fruit derived solvents and acids, vegetable derived surfactants, corn based esters and low levels of hydrogen peroxide. Sustainable cleaning products should also be selected based on their sustainability profile and not simply because they are termed “green” or meet a set of environmental attributes.

As more facilities consider the switch to more sustainable cleaning products and equipment, there are more product options available at reasonable price points. Companies and distributors who offer training on sustainable products can help make the decision process and transition to utilizing these products easier for facility employees. ❑