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Green
Carpet Care
Keep your carpets green, no
matter the color, by using these green-cleaning tips
By Stephen Ashkin
Building managers, working with their custodial crews, are
transferring to environmentally preferable cleaning systems and products in
record numbers. What started as a trickle just a few years ago is now beyond a
trend. For many building managers in many industries, having their facilities
"green-cleaned" is a given.
However, the situation gets a bit more complicated when it comes to tasks such
as carpet cleaning. Maintaining carpets can require frequent cleaning, sometimes
using very powerful cleaning chemicals, making "green" a challenge. The
following are some key steps building owners and managers can take to reduce
carpet cleaning’s impact on the environment:
Prioritize carpet cleaning. Many facilities schedule carpet cleaning
throughout the year, with certain areas cleaned on a set schedule. This may work
in some parts of a building as long as those carpeted areas do need to be
cleaned. But what often happens is the executive areas of facilities, where
carpets tend to stay relatively unsoiled, get more than their fair share of
attention. Carpet cleaning should be prioritized: clean those areas that get
more soiled more frequently and the less soiled areas less frequently.
Vacuum frequently. It is estimated that 80 percent of the soils in
carpets are dry, such as dust and grit. An effective vacuum cleaner, employing a
HEPA or similar filtration system, can remove these soils from carpets, which
prevents them from further soiling the floor covering. In addition, a high
filtration system protects indoor air quality.
Employ interim carpet cleaning methods. Although the extraction method is
the most thorough carpet cleaning procedure, it uses a lot of water. Older
extractors may use as much as two gallons of water per minute, as well as large
amounts of chemicals. Often a shampoo, bonnet, or dry carpet cleaning method can
be used on an interim basis. These processes use far less water, energy, and
chemicals, which reduces cleaning’s impact on the environment.
Low-flow technologies. Even when incorporating an interim carpet cleaning
system, switching to low-flow or low-moisture extractors can reduce water use
dramatically. Some systems use less than one gallon of water per minute and the
carpets dry in two to four hours. This expedited cleaning time helps prevent
mold or mildew from developing.
Use cold water when cleaning carpets. While this is a somewhat
controversial suggestion, most soils will be removed from carpets by using cold
water, depending on the degree of soiling. Why is this important? The heating of
water, especially when using portable extractors, can draw large amounts of
power. Using cold water eliminates this. Additionally, depending on how the
chemicals are used with the system, hot water can cause the development of fumes
that can be harmful to the user and indoor air quality.
Use green-certified cleaning chemicals. Today, this is a "no-brainer."
Several manufacturers now have green-certified carpet cleaning products or
products that meet or exceed certification standards. Most users find these
products compare favorably with, if not exceed, the performance standards of
conventional carpet cleaning chemicals.
Maintain the equipment … and know when it is time to select new machines.
One 23-story building in Chicago has employed the same portable carpet extractor
for more than 15 years. The machine breaks down regularly, is an excessive water
and power user, and due to its lack of cleaning power, requires large amounts of
chemical solution to perform adequately. Fortunately the building’s managers
have decided to replace the machine. Newer machines require far less water and
energy and use less chemical more efficiently than machines produced just a few
years ago. Consider new equipment if current machines are more than seven years
old and be sure to maintain them properly to keep them operating most
effectively.
Touching on Sustainability
As you may have noticed, many of these tips now include sustainability issues.
Green and sustainability are becoming intertwined. Whenever any type of cleaning
can be performed using less water, less chemical, or less energy, not only is it
greener and healthier, but it is using natural resources more responsibly. This
is why the next step in green carpet cleaning, or for that matter all cleaning,
is sustainable cleaning.
Stephen P. Ashkin is president of The Ashkin Group, a consulting
firm specializing in greening the cleaning industry, as well as Sustainablity
Tool LLC. He is also coauthor of both The Business of Green Cleaning and Green
Cleaning for Dummies.
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