Seeing Results in Flooring for Schools
Sep 1, 2011 12:00 PM, By Brian Simmons
Schools can implement a cost-effective, sustainable floor cleaning program to meet green initiatives.
In addition to selecting floor cleaning equipment that meets LEED-EBOM recommendations, facility managers also can use equipment that offers superior flexibility in operating performance. Flexible cleaning technology enables operators to select the appropriate amount of water, detergent and down pressure used for various areas, and be able to change those settings on the fly.
For example, a water-only solution can be used to remove surface dirt and detergent residue, eliminating the use of chemicals entirely. Or, when the application requires a tougher solution, such as heavily trafficked entryways and hallways, operators can select the appropriate detergent cleaning solution. This capability lowers the costs and environmental impacts of using too much water and detergents, making certain that facility occupants aren’t exposed to excessive detergent while still ensuring that floors are cleaned properly.
No matter which type of floor cleaning equipment is selected, facility managers should employ an efficient piece of equipment that will reduce a facility’s overall environmental impact while maintaining high-quality cleaning performance.
•Green cleaning procedures. After selecting the appropriate floor cleaning chemicals and equipment, facility managers must define green cleaning procedures for their program. Regardless of how a facility identifies its desired level of clean; the floor-cleaning process is made up of four components:
-Time refers to the amount of time spent on certain areas. For example, a floor-scrubbing machine can be slowed down in order to spend more time on a soiled area. Green cleaning allows operators to significantly decrease time spent cleaning by limiting the need to "double-scrub" tough soils.
-Temperature: When the cleaning solution’s temperature is increased, the time required for chemicals to react with dirt is cut in half; conversely, as temperature decreases, reaction time increases.
-Agitation refers to the applied scrub pressure; more downward pressure on the brush means more agitation of detergent and water on dirty floors. Equipment that meets green cleaning requirements helps operators switch easily between various scrub pressures as needed.
-Cleaning substances include water and the various chemicals in detergents, sanitizers and disinfectants. In some green cleaning systems, the only cleaning substance used is water. Having a scrubber with a flexible cleaning solutions permits operators to switch between water-only and water/detergent cleaning.
Simmons is commercial product manager with Nilfisk-Advance, Plymouth, Minn. He can be reached at brian.simmons@nilfisk-advance.com.
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