Elmira, NY 14903, Water Only Cleaning, Janitorial Services

Elmira, NY 14903, Water Only Cleaning, Janitorial Services

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Renewable Cleaning Technology

For Schools

 

Ruben Rives

Ruben Rives, chief

executive officer (CEO)

of Miami, Florida-based

PSS/H2OnlyDisinfection,

is a renewable cleaning

advocate and foundational

supporter of the nonprofit

Process Cleaning

for Healthy Schools

Consortium (PCHS).

 

 

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Water, the oldest known cleaning solution, is the basis for renewable cleaning because it is non-toxic

and, when manipulated, can effectively remove soils and bacteria from surfaces.

Over the past 10 years, schools have moved to

safer cleaning products, practices and equipment.

During this time, the institutional cleaning sector

has undergone rapid change.

Advances in renewable cleaning technology are

positioning it to be one of the most eco-sensitive

ways to care for public buildings while protecting

the health of the users, students and staff.

Renewable cleaning is the removal, inactivation

and/or proper disposal of dirt, dust, organic matter,

chemical residues and pathogenic microbes

to protect public heath and maintain indoor environments.

Water is a key medium for renewable cleaning

— but not the only one — because it is a universal

resource, which is benign, non-polluting and

renewable or naturally replenished.

Renewable cleaning works like nature does and

employs parallel methods.

The three technologies described in this article

clean, sanitize or disinfect surfaces without using

harmful chemicals.

Combining these technologies with other infection

control strategies such as personal hygiene

— handwashing to remove microbes transmitted

by contact with surfaces or cough etiquette for

microbes transmitted by an airborne route, as

examples — disinfectants registered with the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for specific

applications and appropriate ventilation can

The final frontier in green, renewable cleaning is the ultimate in sustainability.

Image courtesy of Cleaning Consultant Services Inc.

create a comprehensive infection control

program.

Industry manufacturers have introduced

these renewable cleaning devices for surface

cleaning and hygiene in the past few

years.

Although the processes are different, they

all use water as the basis for the technology.

Some innovations are possible because

of advances in electrical engineering, software

and solid-state circuitry.

Although these technologies are not

appropriate for all cleaning tasks, they can

successfully be used as part of a Process

Cleaning for Healthy Schools (PCHS) program.

Antimicrobial devices must comply with

federal standards for advertising, labeling

and testing efficacy.

The testing must be performed by an

independent third-party organization verifying

kill claims.

Rather than an EPA Registration Number,

as found on chemical-based germicidal

products, verified antimicrobial devices

receive an EPA Establishment Number.

A chemical-related health warning label

is not required on devices using only water.

The Technologies

 

Activated water

A water cell applies a slight electrical

charge to tap water.

The charged water passes through an

ion exchange membrane, creating an oxygen-

rich mixture of positively-charged and

negatively-charged nanobubbles.

The ionized water now attracts dirt somewhat

like a magnet and lifts it from surfaces,

enabling it to be wiped away.

The low-level electrical field created

destroys microbes through a process called

electroporation.

Independent third-party testing from

the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI)

Surface Solutions Laboratory found this

technology removes and/or kills more than

99.9 percent of harmful bacteria — reaching

a sanitizing level — using a six-second

continuous spray and a spray-and-wipe

process.

 

Spray-and-vacuum or high-flow

fluid extraction units

Pressurized water agitates surface soil,

as does a squeegee, which aids in removal

along with a wet/dry vacuum system.

The loosened and suspended soil and

microbes are immediately removed by the

vacuum.

Independent third-party testing showed

these devices remove greater than 99.9

percent of the targeted microbes — to a

sanitizing level — from the surface.

Versatility allows for deep cleaning of restrooms,

kitchens, hallways, carpeted areas,

stairwells, classrooms, gyms and fitness

areas — both on floors and above floors.

High productivity and rapid drying —

through vacuuming or, sometimes, blowing

— are traits of this system.

 

Steam vapor technology

In newer systems, a water treatment

module modifies the structure of the minerals

in tap water before the water passes

through a boiler, which converts it to superheated

steam that, combined with an insulated

hose and application tools, carries

energized mineral crystals to the surface

being cleaned.

These crystals disrupt the cell membranes

of microbes, allowing the steam to

quickly destroy them, while the process

breaks the bonds between the soils and the

surface to facilitate rapid cleaning and drying

with very little water consumption.

Testing by independent third-party laboratories

demonstrates a three to five second

kill time — to a disinfection level — for a

broad range of microorganisms using a

thermal-accelerated nano crystal sanitation

(TANCS) process.

Benefits Of Using Renewable

Cleaning Technology

 

Improved health and safety

Replacing harsh cleaning chemicals with

water reduces the chances of accidental

injuries.

A review of workers’ compensation data

from the state of Washington found that six

out of 100 janitors are injured by chemicals

every year; the most common injuries are

serious burns to the eyes or skin.

 

Reduced purchase, storage an

disposal costs

Facilities using these renewable technologies

have realized a significant savings

in their budgets, not including the

costs associated with storage or hazardous

waste disposal.

Simplification of cleaning protocols

Water-only devices can be used for

cleaning, sanitizing and, with steam vapor,

disinfecting tasks; the contact time needed

to inactivate microbes is often significantly

shorter than conventional methods.

No rinsing is required because there is

very little residue remaining on surfaces.

 

Ease of use

The devices are ergonomically designed

and simple to use.

Reduced cost of recordkeeping

Time spent managing material safety data

sheets (MSDS) and hazardous communication

(HazCom) programs is eliminated

because the devices do not require MSDS.

 

Environmentally sustainable profile

Floor machines using renewable technology

require less water; handheld devices,

when compared to chemical cleaners,

reduce energy consumption and pollution

between 97 percent and 100 percent across

seven key indicators of environmental sustainability,

according to the Center for Clean

Products at the University of Tennessee.

 

Costs

Although the up-front cost of the devices

may seem higher than that for chemicals,

they can rapidly pay for themselves, as

demonstrated by a pilot program at the

Georgia Institute of Technology.

The program, using handheld activatedwater

devices, produced savings in chemical

purchases that paid for the cost of

purchasing the devices during the first six

months of operation.

As another example of fiscal effectiveness,

one company providing services to 20

charter schools in the Miami/Dade County

area has saved $72,000 to $80,000 a year

through renewable or sustainable cleaning,

using better equipment and cleaning

processes and reducing chemical usage by

99 percent.

As school budgets become tighter, cutting

maintenance department staff and

funding is becoming prevalent.

Schools should strive to clean smarter,

using the advanced technology and processes

that are now available, to deliver

high-quality cleaning with health benefits.

Renewable cleaning as part of a Process

Cleaning for Healthy Schools program can

be an important part of a leaner, more effective

and hygienic cleaning program.  Go to http://www.advantagecleaningteam.com/  or http://www.janiservu.com/

 

CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • August 2011