Can green, clean and cost control ever get along?

You’ve heard the old saying, “How do you want it—fast, cheap or good? You can choose two.” The message, of course, is that you can’t have everything. But cleaning professionals today are being asked to deliver “everything”—environmental sustainability, high levels of cleanliness AND cost efficiency. So how can they do it all?

According to Ciprus Ltd. LLC, nearly 69% of all commercial floors are hard surfaces. These floors are routinely cleaned and maintained with automatic floor scrubbers that, in the past, were not equipped to handle variable soil loads and different hard surface types. Similarly, buildings with carpet and hard floor surfaces have had to purchase both carpet extractors and hard floor scrubbers to effectively clean their floors.

Maintaining the flexibility to achieve the exact cleanliness level required for different areas, surface types and soil levels with the minimum effort, time and resources is a key to meeting the competing requirements for green, clean and cost-efficient floor cleaning. Three factors that contribute to a flexible floor-scrubbing program are:

• Rotate solutions (water and detergents) for different soils, areas and surface types
• Spend more time cleaning, less time getting ready to clean
• Use fewer machines for more tasks

Download the white paper to take a closer look at these three factors and to learn more about implementing a flexible hard-floor scrubbing program.

Improve Indoor Air Quality with Green Floor Cleaning Equipment

Floor cleaning equipment with green cleaning capabilities can contribute directly to indoor air quality/indoor environment quality (IAQ/IEQ). Facility owners can employ floor cleaning vacuums, carpet extractors and scrubbers with sealed gel batteries:

Vacuum Cleaners: The LEED-EB (Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings) requirements specify that vacuum cleaners are capable of capturing 96% of particulates 0.3 microns in size and meet the requirements of the Carpet & Rug Institute Seal of Approval Program. CRI-certified vacuums release no more than 100 micrograms of dust particles per cubic meter into the surrounding air.

Carpet Extractors: Carpet extractors with green cleaning capabilities significantly reduce drying time and help prevent mold. They also minimize the use of water and detergent while cleaning. Per LEED-EBOM, carpet extractors should be CRI-Seal of Approval certified.

Sealed Gel Batteries: Automatic scrubbers that meet green cleaning requirements utilize environmentally-preferable gel batteries or maintenance-free AGM batteries. These batteries are completely sealed to eliminate acid spills that can occur with wet-acid batteries. This design also minimizes vapor emissions during charging, and, if equipped with an on-board charger, allow non-hazardous charging anywhere in a facility.

With the above types of green floor cleaning equipment, facility owners can ensure they are complying with green cleaning standards, while maximizing cleaning efficiency.

Defining Green Cleaning

“Green cleaning” can encompass many different factors, ranging from various types of cleaning products to sustainable cleaning practices. However, before selecting a “green” cleaning solution or “green” floor cleaning equipment, it is important to take a step back and answer the underlying question, “What does green cleaning really mean to your business, your employees, your budget and the environment?” Are you looking to gain LEED (Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design) certification for your facility, or simply want to be sure your facility is the best it can be?

As a leading manufacturer of “green” floor cleaning equipment, Advance is committed to offering products that meet or exceed industry and government standards for green cleaning. With a wide range of products and green cleaning solutions, Advance is dedicated to developing floor cleaning equipment that will help you employ effective, green cleaning practices including:

• Maintain or enhance indoor air/environmental quality
• Improve worker and occupant safety
• Ensure sustainability
• Reduce the cost of cleaning

So how will you achieve these results? Stick around, and we’ll be happy to show you!