LEED Buildings Require Green Vacuums

For f a c i l i t i e s w a n t i n g t o e a r n t h e U . S . G r e e n B u i l d i n g C o u n c i l ' s L e a d e r s h i p i n E n e r g y a n d E n v i r o n m e n t a l D e s i g n f o r E x i s t i n g B u i l d i n g s : O p e r a t i o n a n d M a i n t e n a n c e ( L E E D - E B : O & M ) c e r t i f i c a t i o n, green cleaning i s a r e q u i r e m e n t.

Ac c o r d i n g t o I n d o o r E n v i r o n m e n t a l Q u a l i t y C r e d i t 3 . 4 : G r e e n C l e a n i n g – S u s t a i n a b l e C l e a n i n g E q u i p m e n t , v a c u u m s m u s t b e certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute. Vacuums meeting CRI’s Seal of Approval program will meet strict standards for soil removal and carpet texture retention. In addition, the vacuums will not release more than 100 micrograms of dust particles per cubic meter of air, making sure the dust stays inside the vacuum instead of being blown back into the air.

Finally, green vacuums in a LEED program must operate at sound levels of 70 decibels or less.