Green Seal has announced the development of the Environmental Leadership Standard for Residential Cleaning Services, GS-49, which will define and establish environmental performance criteria for professional residential cleaning.  Like GS-42, the environmental standard for commercial cleaning services, GS-49 will certify home cleaning services that meet leadership criteria for green cleaning, enabling bona fide green cleaning services to stand out, while helping consumers select service providers based on legitimate health and green science criteria rather than marketing hype or 'greenwashing'.
 
The development of GS-49 will be led by Green Seal staff, with input from experts and stakeholders in a process involving four steps: Scoping, Proposed Standard, Final Review of Standard, and Issued Standard.
 
The first phase of participation will be to determine the scope of GS-49.  Scoping comments must be received by June 25, 2008, and members of the cleaning industry are invited to register to participate as stakeholders.
 
The GS-49 scoping process will include the following comment sections:
• Definitions
• Cleaning procedures and plan
• Vulnerable population considerations
• Staff training
• Equipment maintenance plan
• Equipment use and maintenance
• Chemical use requirements
• Water use
• Waste requirements
• Floor care
• Kitchen and dining area care
• Bathroom or restroom care
• Disinfection
• Indoor plant care
• Labeling requirements
• Communication requirements
• General comments

Scoping comments will be submitted mainly through an online forum system. Once registered on the forum, participants can post contributions to the scope, and will be included in the project email list.

To register as a stakeholder for the project and access the forum:
• Visit green-seal.org/standards
• Register an account; for the username, please use your first initial and full last name (e.g., J Smith); select "GS-49 Residential Cleaning Services"; include your organization (this will not be viewable by other users); review the disclaimer information; and click Register.
 
Green Seal will also accept registered stakeholder's comments by email, fax and postal mail. Any comments received will be posted to the online forum and be viewable by GS-49 registered forum participants by the name of the commenter.
 
Mailed comments may be sent to:
Green Seal, Inc.
Attn: GS-49 Residential Cleaning
1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 827
Washington, DC 20036

Or by fax: (202) 872-4324 (no more than 10 pages)
Or by e-mail: standards@greenseal.org with "GS-49 Residential Cleaning Services" in the subject header.
 
If you have any questions, please contact the Project Manager Nana Wilberforce PhD, Green Seal at (202) 872-6400 or email nwilberforce@greenseal.org or standards@greenseal.org. More information on this project can also be found at the Green Seal Web site.