| Floors, especially hard surface floors, cover a large | | | | 4. Using more durable products so you can apply |
| percentage of a building and are areas that your | | | | floor finishes and strippers less often. |
| cleaning workers will spend a lot of time | | | | 5. Buying from manufacturers and/or distributors |
| maintaining. Many of the cleaners you use to take | | | | who provide good training on the use of the |
| care of floors contain products can have harmful | | | | product |
| health and environmental effects. Switching to | | | | Proper employee training is essential to a "green" |
| "greener" cleaning chemicals can reduce these | | | | floor care program. Overall proper floor |
| effects and also lead to cost savings for your | | | | maintenance will lengthen the life of the floor finish. |
| cleaning company. Floors, especially hard surface | | | | Make sure that employees use proper techniques |
| floors, cover a large percentage of a building and | | | | in damp mopping and vacuuming floors and floor |
| are areas that your cleaning workers will spend a | | | | mats. Daily cleaning will help to maintain floors and |
| lot of time maintaining. Take a look at the list of | | | | decrease the number of floor care products |
| ingredients of many of the common floor care | | | | needed to maintain the floor. |
| products that your cleaning company uses. You | | | | It is a common error to use more "green" |
| will no doubt see some of the following | | | | products than are needed to clean, strip and |
| ingredients: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), | | | | refinish floors, especially when making the initial |
| EGME (ethyelene glycol methyl ether), EGEE | | | | transition over to green floor care program. Train |
| (ethylene glycol ethyl ether) and 2-butoxy ethanol. | | | | your cleaning employees on the proper use and |
| All of these common ingredients have harmful | | | | dilution of all green cleaning chemicals used. It is |
| health and environmental effects. Switching to | | | | important to use only as much chemical as |
| greener floor care products can reduce the | | | | necessary to produce a clean, shiny looking floor. |
| hazards posed by traditional chemicals, and lead to | | | | Using too much chemical is not only wasteful, but |
| cost savings. | | | | can be harmful to the floor's finish. |
| The traditional floor care products have done the | | | | Another important factor in a green floor care |
| job for industry for decades, but these products | | | | program is the proper use of entrance mats. It is |
| are also some of the most powerful chemicals | | | | estimated by the ISSA that it costs $600 (mostly |
| used by your cleaning employees. Many traditional | | | | in labor costs) to find and remove one pound of |
| floor care finishes contain heavy metals, such as | | | | soil after it has entered a building. Stopping soil by |
| zinc. Zinc helps the finish adhere to the floor, thus | | | | using mats concentrates soil in a local area making |
| making the finish longer lasting. However, zinc is a | | | | it easier and less expensive to remove. Stopping |
| neurotoxin (a substance that causes damage to | | | | soil from reaching floors also reduces the need |
| nerves or nerve tissue) and toxic to aquatic life. | | | | for extensive chemical cleaning, stripping and |
| Today there are new choices and several high | | | | refinishing. |
| quality green cleaning finishes and strippers that | | | | Encourage building owners to use high quality mats |
| perform just as well as traditional floor care | | | | made of a material that will trap and hold soil, |
| products. These green products are safer for | | | | water and other contaminants. Mats with a bi-level |
| your employees and are better for the | | | | construction provide an upper level for walking |
| environment. How do you know if the product is | | | | and a lower level that traps soil and water. Mats |
| truly "green" and not just being marketed as a | | | | should be slip resistant so they do not move |
| safer alternative? Look for floor care products | | | | around on the floor. As with the other parts of a |
| that are certified by Green Seal. Green Seal is an | | | | green cleaning program, you need to train your |
| independent, third-party organization that only | | | | employees on the proper way to clean mats. The |
| certifies products that meet specific | | | | trapped soil should be cleaned from the mat and |
| environmental and performance criteria. | | | | not spread on to the surrounding floor area. |
| Cleaning companies can also select more | | | | There is no time like the present to switch to a |
| environmentally preferred products by: | | | | green floor care program. Properly selecting |
| 1. Selecting products that do not contain heavy | | | | chemicals and taking time to train employees will |
| metals and known carcinogens | | | | help to assure the transition to a green cleaning |
| 2. Checking the VOC concentration and only | | | | program will be successful. Your buildings will still |
| buying products where the concentration is under | | | | have a high standard of cleaning and your |
| 7 percent (when the product is diluted for use) | | | | employees, the building's occupants and the |
| 3. Buying products that are in recyclable and/or | | | | environment will be healthier. |
| refillable containers | | | | |