Using environmentally friendly, less-toxic products is just one step in the process of setting up and implementing a successful green cleaning program. How our cleaning staff uses cleaning products and equipment also impacts the program's success.

One of the biggest roadblocks to setting up a green cleaning program may be human nature-it can be difficult to get people to change their fixed habits. Fortunately, implementing a green cleaning program does not have to mean a big change in how buildings are maintained and cleaned. In many cases, simple changes in products and practices can make a difference.

Keeping dirt out of the building is a low-effort and low-budget way to support green cleaning efforts. We suggest that building management place a durable welcome mat at all entryways so occupants and visitors do not track dirt from outside into the lobby area and throughout the building. Double-door entryways or foyers can serve the same purpose, although it may mean more effort and expense to reconfigure a building entryway. Less soil in the building means less frequent or intense cleaning is necessary, which means janitors use less chemicals. Daily or spot vacuuming also cleans up dirt before it gets ground in and becomes harder to remove.

We always periodically reinforce initial staff training, to remind our cleaning staff about green cleaning practices. For example, our janitors are taught, either in their training program or through reading the labels on cleaning products, how much cleaning product is needed to remove a particular stain. If training is not reinforced periodically, many janitors may start to use more product than is necessary to clean a stain, thus wasting the product, or use products that are more hazardous or aggressive than is really required for the particular cleaning task at hand.

Switching from products with highly toxic ingredients to ones that are less hazardous is a pollution prevention technique that also protects workers. Some cleaning tasks may necessitate the use of hazardous chemical cleaning products because there are no effective substitutes. In these instances, the best pollution prevention strategy is to properly handle and apply the cleaning product, while ensuring the employee is using adequate personal protective equipment.

Special Issues: Specific Cleaning Practices

How to Use Disinfectants

When using disinfectants, janitors must select a product that works on the specific germs they are trying to get rid of, or select a broad-spectrum product that works on all of the germs they may encounter. Because of potential health risks and impacts on the environment, it makes sense to minimize the amount of disinfectant used. There are four ways to do this:

Select the right product. Use a product that is registered by EPA and contains the specific ingredients needed to kill the germs with the efficiency required for the building room use (i.e., day care, bathroom, food service). Using the wrong disinfectant wastes time and money and does not remove the germs.

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