The future of clean: next generation cleaners maintain healthy indoor environments.

In case you haven't noticed, there is a revolution underway in the commercial cleaning industry; and soon, it may change the way you look at "standard" cleaning products forever. As indoor air quality and other health issues in relation to building conditions continue to grab headlines, managers should know that creating a safer, cleaner, and more hospitable building environment does not have to come down to a matter of expense. In fact, new innovations in cleaning technology may end up saving you money in the long run--not just on the up-front cost of chemicals, but also in terms of liability and the prevention of lost business.

Years ago, a small number of manufacturers ramped up efforts to create what were referred to as "green cleaners." The results were mixed: without a fixed set of criteria to evaluate the legitimacy of a green cleaner, there was no uniformity among the various products. "There were customers who were asking for green, but they were all asking for different attributes," said Mark Petruzzi, vice president of certification for Green Seal (www.greenseal.org), an independent, non-profit organization that has led the way in defining a set of standard criteria for environmentally-friendly cleaners. "Our organization has been around for almost 16 years, but it is just now that we have been able to get the attention of the big players in the commercial cleaning market." Today, according to Petruzzi, there are close to 50 companies manufacturing products that Green Seal would define as legitimate green cleaners. "We've really been able to collate the market. Purchasers can now point to the certification and know that the product will meet a thorough list of qualifications."

Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaners

While most people have a tendency to focus on the presence of hazardous materials in the outdoor environment--from obvious sources such as smog and gas emissions--a bigger respiratory threat may actually be found lurking within the walls of your club. Conventional cleaning chemicals utilize formulations with a host of substances that, in high concentrations, are nothing short of toxic. Close to 20 million Americans currently suffer from some form of asthma; the incidence of the condition has increased more than 40 percent in the last 25 years. While other factors come into play, maintaining a healthy indoor environment is largely dependent upon using cleaning chemicals in a targeted, efficient manner.

Hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners are fast becoming an easy and effective method for improving cleaning operations across several fronts--providing enhanced safety and cost savings by performing several jobs at once. "Hydrogen peroxide cleaners work by introducing plain old oxygen into the system, so you immediately substitute it for the building blocks of conventional chemicals," said Patrick Stewart, president of EnvirOx, the company that led the way in bringing the application of hydrogen peroxide technology to the cleaning industry in 1998. The main benefit of using hydrogen peroxide is that oxygen literally takes the place of other chemicals to do the exact same jobs.

"With conventional cleaners, you often need a chemical that is strong enough to do the task at hand, but it comes with the tradeoff of being harmful to other surfaces and people," Stewart said. "In order for those formulations to be effective, they have to be at full strength; you can't dilute them." And since each chemical performs a unique task, you end up having different products for applications for such jobs as windows, floors, and bathroom tile. "A lot of it comes down to marketing. Manufacturers want to put more products into the hands of the consumer." Hence, since the hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners cut down on the number of products being used, "You reduce the overall chemical burden on your entire facility," he said. A list of harmful ingredients commonly found in traditional cleaners can be seen in the table on page 92.

Today there are over a half dozen manufacturers of hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners on the market, with increasing numbers looking to expand this technology in their existing product lines. "Virtually every commercial cleaner has a hydrogen peroxide-based product," Stewart said. EnvirOx's [H.sub.2][Orange.sub.2] Concentrate 117, though, was the first of its kind to earn certification under Green Seal's GS-37 Environmental Standard for Industrial and Institutional Cleaners. While there has been some expansion in the residential market, at this point hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners have mostly been used in commercial and institutional applications. In the case of EnvirOx specifically, they have benefited from green initiatives in connection to cleaning programs enacted by various state legislatures, including Massachusetts and Vermont. Similarly, the company procures [H.sub.2][Orange.sub.2] for the city of Seattle, WA as well as the city of Santa Monica and Ventura County in California.

Interestingly, back in the late '90s, it was from the angle of cost savings that hydrogen peroxide cleaners first sparked an interest. "For the first three or four years, nobody really cared that it was safer to use," Stewart explained. Hydrogen peroxide cleaners are dilutable into two strengths, light duty and heavy duty. "They were mainly interested in the fact that they could reduce the amount of money they were spending on so many different chemicals. But now, everything is green; so the fact that it is environmentally preferable became an added bonus."

Stewart notes that there are some jobs that are simply too tough for the basic hydrogen peroxide formula, and in these situations a conventional cleaner may be the only option, though EnvirOx has developed ancillary products to deal with these applications, including Mineral Shock for mineral-based stains, and Ultimate for dreaded petroleum-based stains. Overall, the standard hydrogen peroxide formulation is ideally suited for the following tasks:

* Tile and grout. Many of the conventional products needed to clean this problem area contain products that are acidic and hazardous.

* Protein-based stains. A common problem in a club setting, stains that arise from food and beverage mishaps, particularly on carpets, can be oxidized in place with a hydrogen peroxide cleaner.

* Odors. The oxygen in the product literally destroys unwelcome smells as you clean.

* Table-wiping, general cleaning. The product wipes out germs on contact, and lacks the harshness of other cleaners that may damage tabletops and sensitive materials. "Many state capitol buildings contain irreplaceable tiles," Petruzzi of Green Seal said. "So they liked that they could clean these areas and not have to worry about damaging the surfaces."

The Total Package

Unfortunately, combating germs and illness is a multi-front effort, and chemicals are just one area of concern. Stephen Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group (www.ashkingroup.com), an environmental firm dedicated to creating healthier, more productive indoor environments, insists that facility owners and managers take the total cleaning operation into consideration, and give the issue the attention that it deserves. "Many organizations have been cutting back on their cleaning program, because building owners view it in terms of just another expense on their balance sheet," he said. "Most people's cleaning budgets are already in pretty good shape, and cutting it another 10 percent is not a good idea." More than just a matter of money, cleaning is also about responsibility. "Their job is to protect the occupants' health and safety. The last thing you want is for one of your members to get a rash. People do respond to insufficient cleaning." And in active environments like a club setting--i.e., the fitness center--respiration rates will be higher and people will inhale more potential contaminants.

Like many in the green cleaning industry, Ashkin views the introduction of hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners as a positive step. "We recommend the Green Seal certified products because it makes it easy for purchasers to make informed choices. Any conventional cleaner is by its nature a respiratory irritant," he said. "Disinfectants are pesticides; they are toxic. They kill pests and unwanted organisms. But in a club, where you're concerned about public health, you do need to kill these organisms."

Ashkin continued, "The question then becomes, 'How do we select the right products to use?' In the scheme of things, hydrogen peroxide is vastly superior to bleach. Chlorine burns skin and irritates eyes, and when mixed with other substances, it can create deadly fumes. It is also a 50-year-old technology. Thanks to the ingenuity of the chemical industry, we realize that there are many different ways to get the job done."

In mounting an assault against contaminants, Ashkin underscores a basic fact: "We need to do things to encourage people to wash their hands," he said. "Sixty to 70 percent of illnesses come from hand contact." And while many facilities use electric hand dryers in restroom areas--which on the surface implies a savings on paper products and labor--Ashkin favors a more traditional approach. "There has been some debate about this in the industry, but most people prefer to dry their hands on paper towels. I recommend using a large roll made from recycled content paper in a touch-free dispenser." By making the hand washing process easier--by eliminating the inevitable stray water drips and mess that occurs when transferring wet hands from sink to dryer--more people will take this simple step to ensure cleanliness.

As for the toilet area, Ashkin encourages using two large double rolls instead of one. Not only will the area need to be refilled less often, but also members will remain satisfied. "Nothing angers a member more than finding an empty dispenser," he said. "By using the double roll, you'll minimize the chance that this job will get overlooked during a shift change."

The actual equipment you use to clean your club also needs to be reviewed, with special emphasis on vacuums, carpet extractors, buffers, and burnishers. Here are some of Ashkin's guidelines:

* Vacuums should be equipped with high filtration bags. "Note that I did not say HEPA bags," he said. "Just because a vacuum is described as a 'HEPA vacuum' does not mean it provides HEPA-level filtration. Also, a club with a traditional cloth vacuum just isn't cutting it." The Carpet and Rug Institute (www.carpet-rug.org) has also developed their own Green Label Certification Program to identify vacuums that do a good job of removing soil, containing dust within the bag, and preserving the quality and appearance of carpet.

* Carpet extractors should remove enough moisture so that carpets are dry within 24 hours to prevent the growth of mold and mildew.

* Burnishers should have active vacuum attachments to prevent fine particulates from being aerosolized. "What they are literally doing is grinding off the floor finish."

* Automatic floor scrubbers should be efficient at minimizing the amount of water and cleaning chemicals required to clean a given area.

* All equipment should be chosen to provide safe and comfortable operation to the user. Poorly designed equipment will not only be dangerous, but it will end up not being used--reducing the effectiveness of your cleaning program.

Floor mats can prevent the entry of contaminants into a building, though they need to be suited to the climate and condition of the region. "In Seattle," Ashkin said, "You deal with a lot of moisture. But in Phoenix, it's sand." Microfiber mops prove to be more effective at picking up particles than traditional cloth models, which tend to simply redistribute the dirt.

A Commitment to Clean

What has helped the movement toward green cleaning the most, Petruzzi said, has been the convergence of goals from different people within the industry. "We've really seen a merger between the two schools of thought on this issue," he explained. "The first group was concerned with the human toll of conventional products, as far as people being harmed by traditional cleaning products; while the other was interested in more in the purely environmental, non-toxic nature of green cleaning." Still, when it comes to the private club industry, there is a lot of room for improvement.

"Cleaning should be a way for clubs to differentiate themselves from their competition," Ashkin said. "Through a quality cleaning program, they say that they care about their members. And they can market this through little touches like signs on the doors or stickers in the bathroom. It really comes down to connecting it to the mission of the organization."

Table of Harmful Ingredients in Traditional Cleaners

                                         Irritates eyes,
Surface Cleaners  2-butoxyethanol        respiratory tract

Glass Cleaners    2-butoxyethanol,       Irritants
                  butyl cellosive,
                  diethanolamine, ethyl
                  cellosive, ethylene
                  glycol,
                  monoethanolanune

Mold/Mildew       Formaldehyde           Irritant to eyes, nose,
Cleaners                                 throat, skin

Toilet Bowl       Hydrochloric acid,     Corrosive. Irritant to skin
Cleaners          hypochloric bleach,    and eyes. Can damage
                  muriatic acid, oxalic  kidneys, liver
                  acid

Bleach            Sodium hypochlorate    Strong corrosive. Irritant
                                         to eyes, respiratory tract.
                                         Can be deadly if mixed with
                                         ammonia

Floor Cleaners    Pine oil, petroleum    Irritant to eyes, skin,
                  distillates            mucous membranes. Petroleum
                                         distallates may cause fatal
                                         pulmonary edema

All Purpose       Ethylene glycol        Poisons animals attracted
Cleaners          monobutyl acetate      by sweet smell; can cause
                                         damage to internal organs
                                         through skin absorption;
                                         inhalation can cause
                                         dizziness

Sources: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Western Regional
Pollution Prevention Network; Chemical Awareness in Schools; Toxic
Chemical Exposure in Schools; Our Children at Risk/Vermont Public
Interest Research Group. Please note this is not a complete list,
just a sampling of hazardous ingredients in traditional cleaning
products.

All photos courtesy of EnviOx and Bolingbrook Country Club