How To Assess Indoor Air Quality For Your Commercial Cleaning Clients

Steve Hanson

"Green cleaning" and "cleaning for health" are no longer the exception for commercial cleaning companies, they're the norm. But while most cleaning companies are telling their clients and prospects they can improve indoor quality, these same companies do not have the experience to assess indoor air quality. If you are one of these companies, don't worry; there are things you and your employees can do to alert your clients to potential problems.

First create a checklist that you can use periodically to assess indoor air quality. Include the following points in your checklist:

1. Check vents for air flow and heavy dust build up.
   
    
2. Check for chemical leaks, open containers and unlabelled containers with unknown chemicals.
   
    
3. Check to see if hazardous chemicals or pesticides are being used in the building.
   
    
4. Check for pests, droppings, and cracks in walls that could allow pests to enter the building.
   
    
5. Check for water leaks, condensation, puddling, and wet carpet, which could lead to mold and mildew.
   
    
6. Check for chipping paint (causes lead poisoning), and loose insulation (could be asbestos).
   
    
7. Report broken fluorescent light bulbs. Fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury vapor, which is dangerous when inhaled.

Next, review the checklist with your employees so they are aware of possible issues contributing to poor indoor air quality. Review the results with your client and make recommendations to remove or fix the problem. When you work proactively with your clients to resolve issues such as air quality, you become the expert in their eyes, and they'll continue to turn to you for advice regarding their building maintenance.

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Copyright TheJanitorialStore.com. All Rights Reserved. Steve Hanson helps owners of commercial cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through his online community at TheJanitorialStore.com. For more tips on owning a profitable cleaning business, watch the popular Web TV show CleaningBiz.tv and sign up for the newsletter, Trash Talk.

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