Steve Hanson

Traditional Cleaning:
If you're cleaning restrooms the traditional way, you're probably using disinfectant cleaners, glass cleaners, stainless steel cleaners, and acid bowl cleaners. Although these products do a good job of cleaning, they can be toxic to the environment and to the people who use them. In addition, many stainless steel cleaners are made from petroleum products, which is not a renewable resource, so using a product that is water based would be a "greener" alternative.

Many companies who clean in the traditional way also use white cotton cloths for cleaning surfaces. When using cotton cloths, you take a chance that your employees will cross-contaminate surfaces as they move from one area to the next.

Cleaning restroom floors in the traditional way includes sweeping and mopping with a broom or dust mop, and then using string mop-heads and mop buckets to clean the floors.

Green Cleaning:
When you clean restrooms using environmentally friendly products, tools and methods, you use safer cleaning products, and more efficient tools and cleaning systems. First, consider switching to products that are safer for the environment, aquatic life and human life. Check with your local janitorial distributor, as they should carry at least one environmentally friendly product line.

Restroom cleaning involves disinfecting a number of different surfaces, so you want to avoid cross-contaminating surfaces. The best way to do this is to use color-coded microfiber cloths. Each color is used for a particular task. For example:

• Blue - mirrors and bright work
• Yellow - sinks and countertops
• Red - toilets and urinals

Cleaning floors using green cleaning equipment and methods means you'll use a back pack vacuum to vacuum the floor, rather than sweeping, which spreads soil around and causes dust to become airborne.

Mopping floors using green cleaning equipment and methods means you'll use a microfiber mop instead of the traditional mop and bucket. Microfiber mops are lighter weight, use less water, and are able to trap more soil in the fibers than traditional mops. In medical facilities, you can quickly switch mop heads from room to room to avoid cross contamination.

Conclusion:
As you can see, making a few simple changes in chemicals, equipment and cleaning methods can make a big impact. Not only will you be making a contribution to protecting the environment, but you'll also be protecting your employees from toxic chemicals and outdated equipment that can cause unnecessary injuries.

If you haven't made the switch to green cleaning yet, consider doing more research by checking out our Green Cleaning Ebook.

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