Traditional Cleaning vs. Green Cleaning - Part 2, Restroom Cleaning

http://www.thejanitorialstore.com

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:

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.