The green, eco-friendly model has evolved from a fringe movement to a true market force, and building services man­agers and professionals are becoming in­creasingly interested in going green. Planning and implementing a green clean­ing program is an involved process that re­quires thoroughness and patience. Small steps can lead to big improvements; very of­ten, the first step is the most difficult to take given the often overwhelming amount of in­formation available from a variety of sources. The seven tips listed below are de­signed to help building services managers start the process of cleaning green.

1. Understand what it means to be green:

In order to create a plan with reasonable and achievable goals, a building services manager must truly understand what is means to be green. Going green is more than a marketing ploy; it is a real solution to

real issues that can affect your facility’s bot­tom line and the health of your staff and the building’s tenants.

2. Outline your goals for the green cleaning program:

One of the hallmarks of legitimate green, eco-friendly and sustainable pro­grams is that they look at each situation holistically and in context. In order to de­termine solutions to problems and outline your green program’s short and long-term goals, assess your building holistically. Consider ways in which your building cleaning process is negatively affecting the entire building. Find the problems and then outline the solutions.

3. Assess your current cleaning practices and products:

Discovering the true culprits of bad cleaning practices and finding solutions is not always an easy task. Make certain that a complete inventory of the facility’s cleaning products and equipment is taken. The path to green cleaning starts with an inventory of the janitorial closet. Take a long look at the products your mainte­nance provider uses. If the products used to clean your building are causing indoor air pollution, creating a toxic environment or unnecessary waste, consider alterna­tives. Simple and inexpensive changes should be made first and will provide a high return on investment.

4. Require proof that your cleaning contractor is using environmentally safe products:

Although it may seem difficult to en­sure that your maintenance provider is us­ing safe products, you can require proof. Third-party certification processes ensure that the products used in your building meet specific standards.

5. Make sure the cleaning contractor isusing the right mechanical equipment:

The equipment used during the clean­ing process should be quiet, durable and, most importantly, energy efficient. Energy efficiency promotes conservation of valu­able resources and can help reduce opera­tional costs over the long term life of a facility. Again, a true and legitimate green cleaning program covers all the bases. Better green processes and products will only yield full benefits if the right, envi­ronmentally friendly equipment is used as well.

6. Educate employees and contractors about green cleaning products and practices:

Assess your employee and providers’ knowledge of green cleaning products and their uses. Make sure your provider edu­cates employees about how to use each product and the practices of green clean­ing. Simply providing green cleaning products is not enough; employees must be taught how and in what situations to use these green products.

7. Create an internal communication plan for your green initiative:

Educating your staff and provider about green products and practices will ensure proper implementation of your green pro­gram. However, a strong communication plan that emphasizes the benefits employ­ees and contract staff will enjoy from the green program is the key to long-term suc­cess of your initiative. Employees and contractor staff need to not only under­stand how to use these new green prod­ucts, but also why the green initiative will be beneficial to their day-to-day work lives. Before you launch your green clean­ing program, you will need to spend some time promoting your efforts, and educat­ing your staff and tenants. Once the pro­gram has started, you’ll also need to find ways to reward staff members for adher­ing to the green program; this will keep your staff interested in the program and motivated to keep clientele happy. Alert your staff about the new green program well in advance of its start; this transition is a major step and most staff members do not want to feel rushed into a major change. It is also important to place sig­nage around the building explaining all of the benefits of your newly implemented green cleaning program. ❑

Chad MacDonald is the president & CEO of Dulles, Virginia-based Service-Force, a provider of facility services and management programs. Contact him at cmacdonald@serviceforceusa.com.