Floor Chemicals: Shifting Towards Green

Transitioning from a traditional floor care program to a green floor care program is not difficult when you research products thoroughly and engage management and custodial employees from the initial survey of the products to the final application.

"Before embarking on a green alternative, we spoke to a wide range of chemical providers and other facility professionals who had made the switch successfully. Then we tested some of the products on campus," says William Suter, LEED-Accredited Professional, director of facilities management at American University in Washington, D.C.

Alan Cisneros, maintenance/mail service supervisor at Chadron State College in Chadron, Neb., also studied the green products on the market and attended workshops before making the switch to green floor care products.

"I was involved in online open forums with other institutions that had some of the same questions," says Cisneros. "My participation in the forum helped me become more of a believer."

Steve Spencer, facilities specialist with State Farm Insurance in Bloomington, Ill., began his research of green floor care products by studying Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).

"After reviewing the MSDS of various products, we conducted appropriate testing for performance, cost of use and labor," he says. This type of testing will help departments determine which products are most appropriate for their specific facility needs.

Researching Products

Before implementing a green floor care program, custodial departments must identify proper products. Green cleaning products have ratings, recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and specified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), which helps decision makers identify green finishes and strippers. Those ratings recognized by LEED include Green Seal Standard GS-37; California Code of Regulations, Title 17 Section 94509 "VOC Standards for Cleaning Products"; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines.

By surveying companies that make floor finishes and strippers, Green Seal compiled a list of toxic substances that are prohibited from recommended green floor finishes and strippers. These ingredients are listed in Table 1 below.

Management and Staff Acceptance

After completing the research about green floor care systems, custodial managers are ready to meet with upper management to present the benefits of shifting to greener options within their facilities. One way to do this is to demonstrate the correlation between reducing exposure to harsh chemicals and increasing positive opinions of the facility and the individuals managing it.

Another way, says Cisneros, is to present data that shows the time and cost savings associated with using green cleaners.

"At Chandron State College, we did a couple of pilot programs in several of our buildings," he says. "Facility executives and administrators could review these first hand and evaluate their success."

Once upper management is onboard, it is time to engage the custodial staff in the process of stepping away from traditional floor care products and heading to greener alternatives.

"Sometimes we are so set in our ways of how we do certain jobs, we can't comprehend the benefits of implementing new cleaning products and how they might help us work smarter and safer," notes Cisneros.

Understanding and outlining the benefits to green floor care chemicals will go a long way in a successful transition. But understanding a product is only half the battle. Workers must also embrace the potential new cleaning techniques when using the product.

"If all you do is change products, you will not be successful," explains Suter. "Just telling people what to do is not likely to result in good outcomes. On site demonstrations may be necessary to alter years of traditional cleaning behavior."

Green Seal's "Choose Green Report" states that green products attempt to avoid many of the harsh chemicals that make other products work so quickly. As a result, environmentally preferable floor care products may require different methods.

According to a past Housekeeping Solutions' report, chemists and researchers, who are perfecting green cleaning solutions, are adamant in their desire for these products to be backed with full training and support. Support and education, they agree, play a large role in a facility's success and the success of the products themselves.

"When changing to green chemicals, you need to overcome traditional cleaning methods with frequent training, not only in use of the new product but in the new methods and benefits," says Suter.

"It is a new way of thinking," adds Cisneros.

The time spent to educate staff on the application of green products pales in comparison to the benefits to building occupants. Green Seal reports that traditional floor cleaning products may contain carcinogens, asthmagens, skin and eye irritants and endocrine disrupters, which are associated with cancer, reproductive disorders and other human health issues. Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from cleaning products occur when organic solvents evaporate, says Green Seal, which estimates that for every 100 custodians who switch to less volatile cleaning products, VOC emissions could drop by one ton a year.

Application

According to Green Seal, strippers are formulated to work with specific types of floor finishes. Green strippers may not be as effective at removing a traditional floor finish with metal crosslinks. As a result, a stripper needs to be specific to the system with which it is being used.

"Routine maintenance of some of the newer green flooring systems requires specific cleaning processes that work with the greener and often more neutral or recycled-based materials," says Suter. "It makes sense to add to the benefit of a green flooring product by using a green chemical than it does to reduce the benefit by using traditional cleaning products."

In other words, if using a traditional floor finish, remove it with a traditional stripper. Green strippers are most effective when removing green floor finishes. Contrary to past beliefs, custodial managers report no difference in frequency of use between green and traditional products.

Regarding disposal, Cisneros advises caution with any product, whether it is traditional or green. However, he stresses that the green product is much safer for the facility, the building occupant and the natural environment.

Finally, most custodial managers agree that price is not a deciding factor when considering a switch to a greener floor care system.

"There are price premiums for some products, but decisions like this no longer can be made on price alone," explains Suter. "The impact on the environment and people must be taken into account. Whether it is price, people and planet or economy, ecology and equity, a sustainable approach must depend on all three to stay upright."

Catherine Dinsmore is a freelance writer based in Watertown, Conn.

Download Table 1