There is no escaping it, “green” is everywhere. It is covered extensively in trade publications, addressed at conferences, it consumes daily news briefs and even customers and building occupants are beginning to ask about it.

“What is being done to reduce the impact your facility has on the environment?” “How have you changed your cleaning techniques to adjust to demands for a healthier environment?” And, “How will the cleaning department minimize their impact on the indoor air within the facility?” These are all questions being frequently asked of cleaning managers.

Although all these questions are important, the latter is asked most frequently. The indoor air quality within a facility has been known to affect absenteeism, performance levels of building occupants and the health of those within the building — all of which impact the overall performance and financial success of a business.

Green advocates, as well as statistics from the Healthy Schools Campaign, state that poor indoor air quality has been proven to negatively affect attendance of both faculty and students within a school. The same can be said for other types of facilities. Statistics also show that test scores are lower in schools with poor air quality.

Much is being done to improve the indoor air quality within facilities across the country. In addition to transitioning to chemicals with low volatile organic compounds (VOCs), cleaning managers are examining the benefits of filtration, air flow and containment on machines such as vacuums. Experts agree that when used properly, these machines can significantly reduce the VOCs within a facility and in turn, improve the indoor air quality.

“Vacuums are extremely important machines,” says Allen Rathey, president of InstructionLink/JanTrain Inc. in Boise, Idaho. “They are either the number one source of capturing and removing particulate matter from the building or the prime culprit for emitting particulates back into the air.”

Air Flow In And Out

When it comes to vacuums, the amount of velocity used to suck up particles is important. To maintain proper air quality and clean effectively, the machine must be capable of grabbing and removing even the most fine particles from carpeting. For this to be possible, the machine must provide adequate suction capabilities.

“Vacuum suction plays a large role in improving indoor air quality,” says Steve Hanson, a cleaning distributor based in Brainerd, Minn. and owner of janitorialstore.com. “A heavier suction will collect materials quickly into the machine so particles are not emitted back into the area.”

Experts agree that suction is important, but it can also be a double-edged sword when it comes to vacuums. Machines that have powerful pick-up can quickly clog filtration systems and restrict airflow through the vacuum, minimizing cleaning efficiencies and affecting indoor air quality. When this happens, it is recommended that the filters be changed.

“You can’t change your filters often enough,” says Rathey. “Some managers see filters as an expense, but they are more of an investment. If you change them once an hour, you would clean better and finish cleaning sooner because the filter wouldn’t be impeding the vacuum’s ability to clean and workers can move quicker.”

It is also important to remember that bigger isn’t always better. In fact, if a fairly thick filter is being used, it is important to make sure the suction in the vacuum is strong enough to accommodate the restricted air flow. Regardless of whether the filter is clean, poor suction used in conjunction with a thick filter will minimize the effectiveness of the machine. At the same time, if powerful suction is used with a thin filter, there is potential for particles to pass through the filter too quickly and be redistributed into the air.

“If you have a lack of proper filtration, the dust and debris will circulate back into the air through the exhaust of the vacuum,” says Hanson. “Making sure to use the proper filtration will minimize that from happening.”

“You also want to make sure that the vacuum has a filter on the blower side, capturing particles that pass through the machine,” adds Rathey. “The more we become aware, the more we realize the amount of particles that can contaminate the air. It is important to understand what we are putting into the environment, as opposed to what we are removing.”

Ken McIntosh, senior technical director at The Carpet and Rug Institute in Dalton, Ga., agrees that it is important to use proper filters and adds that suction pressure in conjunction with proper filtration is essential.

“You have to be careful with the pressure coming from the high filtration machines,” he says. “With a high-pressure machine you can get more blowback under the housing of the vacuum, which has to be guarded as well. The proper filtration should match the design characteristics of the vacuum because it can cause premature deterioration and affect the appearance of the carpet.”

Emissions from the bottom of the machine, can also negatively impact the air quality within the facility.

Proper Containment

Whether emissions come from the bottom or from cracks in the machine, proper containment is important in trapping particulates and improving indoor air quality.

“When we began testing vacuums in 2000, we found that many of them did not do an adequate job of containing the soil removed from the carpet and in fact, spewed a large portion of that into the room,” says Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun. “If you have a vacuum that doesn’t have good soil containment on it, the result will be poor air quality.”

Proper containment will also make cleaning tasks easier in the future.

“Cleaners won’t have to redo their work, or vacuum as frequently,” says Mark Bishop, deputy director of Healthy Schools Campaign, headquartered in Chicago. “The other benefit to containment is that by removing contaminants, cleaners will help keep building occupants healthier because they won’t be breathing in particles, whether redistributed from the carpet or emitted from the machine itself.”

It has been said that some vacuums, regardless of proper suction and filtration, can emit dust and particles back into the air through cracks and seams found on the machine itself. Experts comment that this is more common than some think and actually is as equally important to address as filters.

First and foremost, it is important to use vacuums at the proper height from the flooring. A significant amount of particles can escape from under the housing of the machine because of all the agitation that goes on at the base of a vacuum. If the vacuum is not the proper height from the flooring, those particles will circulate back into the air, or worse, remain in carpets.

When The Carpet and Rug Institute tests vacuums for its Seal of Approval certification, overall emissions are a main focus and can make or break whether the machine becomes certified. The belts, brushes and motor can all emit particles and vapors that will negatively impact air quality and must be measured and tested along with filtration, suction and overall efficiencies. The Carpet and Rug Institute certification will measure all particles, regardless of where they come from on the machine, before granting certification.

Because of the thorough process machines go through, this certification is so effective that experts throughout the industry support Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) findings and recommend manufacturers who have achieved certification.

“Looking for CRI certification is an easy way to identify a vacuum that is going to be effective and have proper filtration,” says Bishop.

Whether certified or not, vacuums are essential for interim cleaning and should be used on a regular basis. In conjunction with an appropriate cleaning schedule, the proper use of a machine and its filtration capabilities will maintain cleanliness within a facility, as well as improve indoor air quality.




POSTED ON: 8/1/2008