Your Easy Guide to Green

Follow these six steps to help you make the green cleaning transition.

1.  Inspect Your Facilities

A comprehensive inspection of each facility helps document and identify areas where green cleaning practices should be adopted.  The Green Building Survey serves as an inspection guide that you can use. 

Download a Green Building Survey HERE

2.  Switch to Green Cleaning Products: 

Audit current products, then work with your distributor to identify green alternatives.  A cleaning chemical audit form and green chemical evaluation can be downloaded for your use and convenience.

Download a Cleaning Chemical Audit Form HERE

Download a Green Chemical Evaluation Form HERE

3.  Introduce Green Equipment and Supplies

Review all supplies including liners and paper products. Identify opportunities to use paper products containing recycled content.

Review and inventory present equipment.  Develop a policy for future equipment procurement that takes into account sustainable cleaning practices.

4.  Adopt Green Cleaning Procedures

There are 10 greening cleaning practices that must be adopted as part of your green cleaning program.  These are referred to as “Green Cleaning Focal Points” and are further explained below.  Develop a written Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for each focal point.

5.  Training

Employee training is critical for successful implementation of a green cleaning program.  Each employee should be trained on the procedures developed around each Green Cleaning Focal Point.  This training should also be supplemented with OSHA mandated training.

Follow this link to the ISSA/OSHA Safety and Health Portal  http://www.issa.com/?id=cleaning_chemicals_in_the_workplace   

6.  Ongoing Improvement

Adopting green cleaning in any facility is one of transition and continuous improvement.  Communication at all stages of the process is important.  Publicizing the importance of the green cleaning program and its benefits is highly recommended.  Measuring successes helps reinforce the benefits.  Measurement can include reduced chemical usage, elimination of aerosols, solid waste reduction and more. 

A great tool to help measure the impact of going green in your facilities can be found by using the Green Cleaning Pollution Prevention Calculator.  By inputting basic information about your building, the calculator estimates how much cleaning product and hazardous materials consumption will decrease by adopting green cleaning practices.

 View the Green Cleaning Pollution Prevention Calculator http://www.ofee.gov/janitor/buildinginfo.asp

  Use this handy checklist to document the process of going green in your facility.

Green Cleaning Focal Points

Every Green Cleaning Program should address each of these critical focal points with a documented procedure and training program.

1. Efficient Use of Chemicals:  Every employee that would be responsible for dispensing concentrated chemicals must be given a means to measure the chemical in accordance with product instructions.  Dilution Control Systems, pumps, or other measuring devices are suitable examples.
2. Solid Waste Reduction:  Means of reducing solid waste through re-using containers, recycling containers, or purchasing products that utilize less packaging.
3. Entryways:  Recognition that must of the contaminants enter a building through the front door is important.  Entryways are addressed through appropriate walk off matting, maintaining the matting, and procedures for maintaining the areas directly outside of building entrances.
4. Hard Floor Care Program:  A hard floor care program that puts the focus on scheduled routine and preventive maintenance.
5. Carpet Care Program:  A carpet floor care program that puts the focus on scheduled routine and interim maintenance.
6. Disinfection Strategy:  A strategy that uses disinfectants regularly for cleaning frequently touched surfaces only.  Part of the strategy should also focus of eliminating the use of disinfectants where they are not needed such as on many types of flooring.
7. Restroom Care:  A thorough and effective restroom care program that schedules cleaning frequencies and methods.  Use of more effective and efficient methods such as special restroom cleaning machines is encouraged.
8. Cafeterias and Kitchens:  Special attention is given to properly clean and maintain food handling areas as this can be an area that attracts pests.
9. Trash Collection and Recycling:  The method of trash storage and collection is important to limit the spread of bacteria, and pest infestations.  A formal recycling program that identifies what is to be recycled and how it is collected is mandatory.
10. Vulnerable Populations:  A procedure for identifying and providing early warning to individuals that may be sensitive to cleaning products or certain cleaning operations is necessary.