Seeing Results With Green Cleaning Programs

This article was originally published in The Cleanest Image by Bald Guy Clean.

Green cleaning programs are being implemented in a variety of facilities, ranging from retail outlets and warehouses to schools and hospitals. But why? And, more so, what are facility managers seeing as result of them? The following article outlines five key results of green cleaning programs.

Health
By implementing cleaning programs, you will experience improved indoor air quality, slow the spread of illness and reduce the chances for exposure to toxic chemicals. By employing safer green procedures, less chemical residue is left on surfaces to promote the spread of germs and there are fewer air borne particles released that contaminate the air.

Appearance
Green cleaning programs actually remove more dirt if implemented and performed properly. Taking a step back and re-learning what clean really is, it will become apparent that the level of clean we have grown to accept is no longer acceptable. Green cleaning allows surfaces to be cleaned much more effectively. This improves the cleaning results as well as the appearance.

Reduced Surface Damage
Many traditional methods of cleaning, over time, actually damage the surfaces they are meant to maintain. Toxins and abrasives may remove soils but also cause long term and even permanent damage that can be costly to repair or replace. By reducing or eliminating harmful practices, and focusing on maintenance, the surfaces will last much longer.

Cost To Clean
Green practices are much more efficient. Accomplishing more, with less is at the heart of green cleaning programs. By directing effort toward better results, you are able to achieve a cleaner, healthier facilities, in less time. This is done by employing techniques that eliminate the use of wasteful and counter-productive cleaning products that in many cases can cause surfaces to be more difficult to clean.

Employee Morale
By being able to perform tasks more effectively, with less risk to yourself and the facility and actually see the positive results from your efforts, the morale of the staff will be improved. No one likes to do a bad job and given the know how to do a good job only makes performing the task more rewarding.

Innovative Cleaning

This article was originally published on the Cleaning Hygiene Today. 

 

Cleaning a food manufacturing facility may, at the outset, sound like a fairly straightforward process. Cleaning is, after all, a science.

However in planning a cleaning program, care must be taken to properly match particular machinery or types of soil with the correct cleaning methodology and materials, as this can have a significant impact on the quality, speed, and cost of cleaning. Additionally, and often overlooked, the delivery of cleaning must be managed effectively. With the needs of all factories being fluid, changing seasonally or even week-by-week, it’s clear that there is also more than a little art in the science of cleaning.

As the traditional approach to cleaning, the sequential method seems intuitive and follows a simple workflow pattern: Remove debris, rinse surfaces, apply detergent, rinse again and finish with sanitiser. This method seems to be the most logical way of cleaning, everything being done a stage at a time by a group of cleaners all working together, making it easy to supervise and monitor how the clean is progressing. The sequential format is often referred to as ‘legacy cleaning’ – procedures that have always been carried out in the same way as they are seen to work effectively. Is this a case of ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’ – or is there a more efficient solution?

When cleaning in a convoy, as in the sequential method, a team can only work as fast as the slowest member. In addition, a rigid and highly structured approach such as this can mean a team lacks the flexibility required to respond to short-term needs or crises. Finally, there may be an unintended consequence – it is very easy to find a sequential team cleaning an area of piece of equipment that does not need cleaning, simply because it is on the schedule.

The traditional approach does have many strengths and is indeed the most appropriate option in specific cases; for example when a factory or process shuts down sequentially and each processing area becomes available for cleaning as the product moves through the system. However with extended or continuous production, it is necessary to combine elements of legacy cleaning with a more flexible approach that balances food safety with economy – equipment must be cleaned when necessary, and not before.

Read the full article here to learn more about cluster cleaning and event cleaning. 

As the traditional approach to cleaning, the sequential method seems intuitive and follows a simple workflow pattern: Remove debris, rinse surfaces, apply detergent, rinse again and finish with sanitiser. This method seems to be the most logical way of cleaning, everything being done a stage at a time by a group of cleaners all working together, making it easy to supervise and monitor how the clean is progressing. The sequential format is often referred to as ‘legacy cleaning’ – procedures that have always been carried out in the same way as they are seen to work effectively. Is this a case of ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’ – or is there a more efficient solution?
When cleaning in a convoy, as in the sequential method, a team can only work as fast as the slowest member. In addition, a rigid and highly structured approach such as this can mean a team lacks the flexibility required to respond to short-term needs or crises. Finally, there may be an unintended consequence – it is very easy to find a sequential team cleaning an area of piece of equipment that does not need cleaning, simply because it is on the schedule.
The traditional approach does have many strengths and is indeed the most appropriate option in specific cases; for example when a factory or process shuts down sequentially and each processing area becomes available for cleaning as the product moves through the system. However with extended or continuous production, it is necessary to combine elements of legacy cleaning with a more flexible approach that balances food safety with economy – equipment must be cleaned when necessary, and not before.
- See more at: http://www.chtdata.com/2013/07/24/the-art-of-innovative-cleaning/#sthash.nIr90cit.dpuf

 

Cleaning a food manufacturing facility may, at the outset, sound like a fairly straightforward process. Cleaning is, after all, a science.
However in planning a cleaning programme, care must be taken to properly match particular machinery or types of soil with the correct cleaning methodology and materials, as this can have a significant impact on the quality, speed, and cost of cleaning. Additionally, and often overlooked, the delivery of cleaning must be managed effectively. With the needs of all factories being fluid, changing seasonally or even week-by-week, it’s clear that there is also more than a little art in the science of cleaning.
- See more at: http://www.chtdata.com/2013/07/24/the-art-of-innovative-cleaning/#sthash.nIr90cit.dpuf

Cleaning a food manufacturing facility may, at the outset, sound like a fairly straightforward process. Cleaning is, after all, a science.
However in planning a cleaning programme, care must be taken to properly match particular machinery or types of soil with the correct cleaning methodology and materials, as this can have a significant impact on the quality, speed, and cost of cleaning. Additionally, and often overlooked, the delivery of cleaning must be managed effectively. With the needs of all factories being fluid, changing seasonally or even week-by-week, it’s clear that there is also more than a little art in the science of cleaning.
- See more at: http://www.chtdata.com/2013/07/24/the-art-of-innovative-cleaning/#sthash.nIr90cit.dpuf

Green Cleaning: A Team Effort

This article was originally published in American School & University.

The custodial green team is extremely important to success, whether starting a new green cleaning program or improving an existing one. The process itself has been well-defined. Assessment tools and awards programs are in place. Product manufacturers offer a wide range of products that meet performance requirements and are cost-effective compared with traditional products. And the distributors of cleaning products make the products widely available and can provide procedural and other training for custodial staffs.

For those schools and universities establishing a custodial green team for the first time, it is important to begin by considering the game plan, which includes the scope of the program, as well as the members themselves. Although input from the members can inform the finalization of the scope and the specific projects they may undertake, management should consider any boundaries before establishing the team and inviting individual members.

Thoughtful consideration before beginning will help avoid an unnecessary disconnect between what the administration expects and the team’s ability to have the flexibility to pursue issues that are important to them.

For those with existing green teams, ongoing consideration should be given to the changes in the facilities themselves, staffing levels, products and vendors. In some cases, the scope of the green team will change; for example, expanding beyond just cleaning to incorporate initiatives on pest management, recycling, composting, energy, water and other activities. These expanding issues may require different skill sets or representatives from other departments who may be affected by the new programs.

Read the full article here to learn more about green cleaning efforts.

Green Cleaning Programs Offer Greater Efficiency As Part Of Overall Sustainability Plan

This article was originally published in Building Operating Management.

Green cleaning programs require a lot of time and attention to make sure they're done right. Making your green cleaning program part of your overall sustainability plan can offer greater efficiency than having it stand alone. With so many different pieces involved, the chances are good that building occupants, an outside contractor, or both will add layers of complexity when it comes to making sure that everything is cleaned in an environmentally responsible way, yet still done to the satisfaction of the facility manager.

With all of these factors in play, it can be tempting to put your green cleaning program in its own little box and not think of it as part of your overall sustainability goals. However, incorporating it into your overall plan offers up opportunities that would otherwise be missed, says Steve Ashkin, CEO, Sustainability Dashboard Tools.

"Sometimes we forget that the janitors can do things other than cleaning that can help the owners and managers meet their broader sustainability objectives," he says.

Regardless of whether you hire a contractor or clean in-house, having a comprehensive, detailed cleaning plan that is rooted in your overall sustainability goals goes a long way toward helping you meet them.

Read the full article here to learn more green cleaning programs.