Cleaning chutes and ducts a major health benefit.

Are your residents complaining about recurring colds, allergic reactions, watery eyes and foul smells in landings and hallways? Chances are, it's time to have your building's air ducts, trash chutes and compactor cleaned.

Indoor air pollution is "the highest risk to human health among all types of environmental problems," according to a 1990 Environmental Protection Agency report. And indoor air pollution levels are often ten times higher than those outdoors, according to the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute.

Even in the most well-kept apartment houses, ventilation ductwork can become a breeding ground for mold, mildew, fungi and bacteria. While everyone is exposed to some level of indoor pollution from cooking fumes, grease, aerosol sprays, dust, tobacco smoke, household cleaners, bacteria, viruses, animal dander, pollen and fungi, effective control of indoor pollution levels relies on maintaining effective ventilation systems and clean garbage removal chutes, especially in apartment buildings and high-rises.

"Eliminating these pollutants will be the healthiest improvement your building ever makes," says Joel Greenberg, president of 1-800-CHUTE-ME, a company specializing in the cleaning of chutes and ducts.

People can experience a myriad of symptoms due to poor ventilation, ranging from minor irritation of the eyes nose and throat to more severe respiratory problems. Other symptoms can include chronic fatigue, headaches, dizziness and uncomfortable body temperature. If your tenants are complaining or these symptoms, or you notice dust or foul smells around the vents and trash chutes, chances are these systems need attention.

If neglected, garbage chutes can create serious problems for a building, including grease fires, rancid odors, pest problems and excessive wear on the compactor and chutes. While some buildings experience only occasional odors and pests around the chutes and vents, the fact is, many of these building systems have never been cleaned. Air ducts get so clogged with dust that there's no way for foul smells to escape, and trash chutes become a virtual buffet for pests and vermin.

"Chute cleaning won't do away with the vermin, but if used in conjunction with exterminating, it will make pest control more effective," says Greenberg. Other benefits of regular chute cleaning are immediately apparent, such as the elimination of offensive odors, flammable grease and harmful bacteria.

Chute cleaning is a reflection of the overall quality of a building's maintenance and leads to an improved quality of life for all residents. Professionals recommend cleaning chutes once or twice a year, depending on the tenants and how they use or mis-use the systems. Air ducts need less frequent cleaning, but should be attended to every two or three years.

"When tenants are in close proximity to the chutes, sometimes they always package the garbage properly," says Greenberg. "Instead, they just throw it down."

The basic chute cleaning process consists of a chemical wash to soften the grimy build-up, followed by a pressure wash to blast it from the chute walls. This is followed by cleaning and de-greasing the hopper doors on each floor; deodorizing the chute walls; an enzyme treatment; and washing an deodorizing the compactor. Some companies may also repair and replace hopper doors if needed, and service the compactor.

The process can take from a few hours to a few days, depending on the size of the building and the extent of the contamination. The cost is usually a few thousand dollars.

Greenberg's company cleans apartment house and office tower garbage chutes using a robotic arm of his own creation which sprays a "secret sauce" of cleaning fluids. The Fairfield, NJ-based entrepreneur removes up to 40 garbage bags of sludge from a single chute, some of which can stretch up to 35-stories tall.

The air duct cleaning process is simpler: air is blown into the duct, dislodging dust and clogs which are then sucked up with a high-powered vacuum. Only products registered through the EPA can be used to clean these ducts; 1-800-CHUTE-ME recently contracted with the nation's foremost manufacturer of critical filtration, negative air and High Efficiency Particle Air vacuums for duct and vent cleaning. These machines can catch dirt 30 times smaller than the eye can see.

Although they are often neglected, trash chute and air duct cleaning are vital maintenance procedures that should be part of every building maintenance regimen.