Finding the Right Green Janitorial Services
Having a LEED building is considered an honor for any building owner. This prestige should be kept by business owners at all costs. A green janitorial service is what a green building should have for its facilities. These services ensure that the facilities retain their best condition at all times. Since a LEED building promotes the healthiest environment for the people, this is the best step to take.
Green janitorial services are making it big in the market these days. The only question remains: Are they effective? While there are so many companies which promise to give the best green cleaning services, not all of them would be the same. This is why only LEED accredited professionals are the only ones that should be trusted when it comes to this. Becoming LEED accredited only means that they understand what they are doing in terms of green janitorial services. All that will be given to their clients would be the most efficient and the best services that LEED buildings deserve.
The credibility of any building should not be sacrificed. In the world today, health is the one priority that people have these days. A LEED building is of no use when it is not maintained. Always go for the best green janitorial services for all LEED buildings. It will be guaranteed to promote nothing but the best ways to reduce energy consumption and improved quality of the building. It is time to think of other people when it comes to commercial property maintenance.

Finding the Right Green Janitorial Services is a post from: Green Efficient LEED Blog

What Green Cleaning Is All About

What Green Cleaning Is All About
Cleaning is one task that people should always take seriously. This affects everyone since it deals with maintaining the quality of indoor space. While commercial property owners may know that they have the responsibility to have their building cleaned, they may not know how to do it.
Most building owners will hire cleaning services to do the job, but is this enough? The world is becoming more polluted each day. This is why the emerging industry of green cleaning service companies is becoming more successful. So far, this is the only way that any cleaning service should be done. People can only trust those who provide cleaning services for the betterment of the environment and the people.
It does not mean that any green cleaning service provides the best service. LEED certified cleaning services are the most trusted among all green cleaning companies. They have cleaning procedures which use only the best techniques and products to ensure that cleaning is done safely. They guarantee that indoor air quality is improved to prevent catching any sickness or illnesses. This is not only the benefit that you will get with the LEED cleaning. A part of your energy will be conserved since these services ensure that there is less water and electricity consumption.
For commercial property owners, never hire those who only claim to be green cleaning services. There is only one way to ensure that you are hiring the right cleaning services for your property. There is only LEED to entrust your property to.

What Green Cleaning Is All About is a post from: Green Efficient LEED Blog

The Times Call For Greener Cleaning Methods
Green cleaning is not an impossible thing to have these days. Most people demand to have this service done to their properties which is why there are so many companies which offer this kind of service. Especially for property owners, they want to ensure that they are marketing the best building in their area. This is why they focus mainly on hiring cleaning services that will increase the value of their property.
Green cleaning only comes with one name –LEED. They provide the people with the most reliable standards when it comes to being a green building. Every single detail should be checked to know if a building maintains the best environment for the tenants. Building owners can only trust LEED green cleaning services to do the best job for this. They ensure that there is no electricity or water gone to waste. They provide a cleaning system that only uses the safest cleaning procedures and chemicals for the job. You can trust that LEED accredited professional has come up with these procedures. This is enough to know how credible the cleaning service is.
People immediately know that LEED can be trusted. Properties should be LEED credited as well as serviced by LEED green cleaning. This can ensure future and current tenants that buildings are maintained at their best condition. Cleaning should be done properly by the proper people. There is no other way that owners can ensure the safety of their tenants than by having the building cleaned, the green way.

The Times Call For Greener Cleaning Methods is a post from: Green Efficient LEED Blog

Know What Is Right For A Green Building
Entrusting green cleaning to just anybody is the most irresponsible thing that an office building owner can do. There are a lot of people who are staying in a commercial building each day. It seems logical for the building owners to realize their responsibility to these people. They need to take into consideration the health of the people who spend almost 8 hours a day in the office. This is why they need to look for a green cleaning service that can ensure the health of the people.
What really makes a green cleaning service credible?  There are so many cleaning services which claim to provide the best cleaning services. The only thing that makes a green cleaning service a trusted one is to know if they have a LEED AP behind their operations. They are the people that will ensure all policies and procedures work to meet LEED standards.
A LEED AP is someone who has full knowledge and understanding of the various green services. This person is the only one that people can trust to know what really makes a green building.  This is why building owners can trust only those cleaning services which have an accredited professional who manages the cleaning procedures. They can guarantee to have the best policies in compliance with the set requirements for a green building. Rather than choosing any janitorial service for the building, there are only the best among these companies that people can trust. Tenants can now feel safer within the four walls of the building.

Know What Is Right For A Green Building is a post from: Green Efficient LEED Blog

The Importance of LEED in People’s Lives

The Importance of LEED in People’s Lives
A building is nothing without a LEED certification. This is why LEED buildings are making it as the top choices for the people when it comes to properties. Since this means that these buildings have passed the certification system of LEED. These four letters mean a lot of things that people should be aware of.
LEED buildings have been built according to a system that promotes green living. These facilities ensure energy saving policies for better quality of the indoor atmosphere. There will be lesser production of harmful chemicals that may endanger the health of the people. Allergic reactions and breakouts can be reduced since everything is cleaner. Carbon dioxide emissions are even reduced to prevent pollution.  You can always trust a LEED building when it comes to practical building design. Nothing goes to waste and it provides the best for the people inside.
Being a LEED building does not exempt it from cleaning and maintenance. Instead, the more it should be maintained.  For a LEED building, only a janitorial service that has a LEED certification is the only one that should be trusted to do this job. This is where the importance of LEED enters. The certification is the only mark that will make these two compatible with each other. A LEED building needs LEED services. Not only will a janitorial service clean the place, but it will ensure that the building will last longer. This is why it needs to have LEED cleaning services to ensure quality maintenance of the building.

The Importance of LEED in People’s Lives is a post from: Green Efficient LEED Blog

LEED Buildings Deserve Only One Kind of Janitorial Service is a post from: Green Efficient LEED Blog

The ideal green cleaning schedule calls for the fulfillment of housekeeping chores during daylight hours.  This reduction in energy use is significant and translates nicely to the bottom line.

Carpets are important to the overall building and cleaning routine.  These areas can contribute to the “sick building syndrome” but, if maintained properly, can work to the occupant’s benefit.

Housekeepers should vacuum frequently and thoroughly.  Unfortunately much of the soil accumulating in buildings is oily.  Frequent vacuuming reduces soil buildup.

Likewise, stains need to be addressed quickly.  99% of stains can be alleviated with a quick response.  The longer the stain persists, the more difficult it is to remove.  Spotters should be used to treat the stains.  Cleaners should apply the mildest stain removers first.  Spots should not be brushed but should be scraped toward the middle and then tamped with the spotter.

Detergents, shampoos and spotters should not be over-used.  This is a change from traditional cleaning practices.  Carpets should only be wet  for cleaning purposes and this should be performed on rare occasions.  When cleaned, the rotary extraction method should be used.

Spotted carpets should not be coated.  Avoid the use of “carpet protectors.”  In effect these protectors tend to glue the dirt into the carpet.  If the carpet is stubborn, either re-scrub or re-extract the carpet.  However, the most important ingredient in the building’s carpet maintenance program is frequent vacuuming.

Green Cleaning Carpet Care is a post from: Green Efficient LEED Blog

• Use cold water only – avoid hot water
• Keep back straight – do not twist the spine
• Bend at the knees – do not bend the back
• Use arm muscles to move the mop – always use a figure eight pattern of mopping

The little changes are subtle, protective and healthy, but purposeful. Not only will the cleaning process be more effective but the cleaner will also be safer.

To damp mop properly, the housekeeper will need the following supplies and equipment:

• Dust mop and accessories
• Double mop bucket filled with cold water
• Medium industrial loop mop
• Wet floor signs
• Neutral cleaner; Blue Lightning or Green magic are excellent Green Seal certified products
• Putty knife or similar tool

Fill one of the double buckets with cold water and mix in the proper amount of detergent.  The mop wringer is placed on the empty bucket.  This is where the soil will be deposited.  Place the “wet floor signs” where they cannot be overlooked and near the area to be cleaned.  Use the putty knife to remove gum and other foreign matter.

• Use dust mop to remove dust and loose surface material
• Set equipment in area where work will take place
• Begin at the farthest point and work backward toward the door
• Position the double bucket on the un-mopped portion of the floor
• Immerse mop head into water and detergent and wring out lightly
• Mop a sufficient quantity of the floor and wring the soiled water
• Repeat the process

When mopping a hallway, start by mopping the floor along the edge.  The mop head should just touch the baseboard.  Use the figure eight motion to mop large open areas.  Overlap each stroke as you move back.

Simple enough isn’t it.  That is the green cleaning way to get the job done safely and soundly.

The Green Way to Damp Mop Floors is a post from: Green Efficient LEED Blog

Green cleaning is the new approach to janitorial services.  Green cleaning initiatives have been developed to improve housekeeper health, offer better environmental performance and replace traditional chemically intense cleaning products with green, sustainable products.  Green cleaning does not mean sacrificing cleaning power, but it does mean improving cleaning practices.

Traditional chemical-based cleaning products cause severe repercussions.  These effects can occur during the development, manufacture and transport of these products.  Possible environmental consequences of traditional janitorial product use includes:

• Air pollution
• Bioaccumulation of toxic substances
• Endocrine disruption in wildlife
• Ozone depletion
• Water pollution

The use of green cleaning techniques and products can help to reduce these environmental hazards.

The green calculator requires the input of certain information about the building and cleaning practices:

• Estimate of square footage of carpeted area in building
• Estimate of hard floor area
• Types and annual usage of current cleaning products
• Policies regarding current product handling and mixing practices
• Proposed changes to cleaning practices

The calculator analyzes this data and provides summaries of

• How much total cleaning product consumption will decrease by adopting green cleaning practices
• How much hazardous materials consumption will decrease by adopting green cleaning practices

Green cleaning changes do not necessarily apply to all products.  Some products and practices are linked, while others are relatively independent so a change might produce different results depending on the overall set of products and practices selected.  Persons interested in finding more information about the EPA’s green cleaning calculator should visit the EPA web site or contact the agency.

The Green Cleaning Calculator is a post from: Green Efficient LEED Blog

Unfortunately, cleaners sometimes seek to create a “stronger” cleaning mixture to either ease the cleaning effort or to tackle tougher than expected cleaning tasks. Consistent use of these products creates an aura of familiarity and workers are always seeking faster and better ways to clean.

A bleach product mixed with an acid-containing toilet bowl cleaner can cause the release of deadly chlorine gas.  If bleach is mixed with an ammonia-based cleaning agent, dangerous chloramine gases are created.  These gases are not contained in the area in which the composition was created.  Instead, they travel throughout the building and on occasion have found their way into heating and cooling systems.

It is easy to say that proper training of cleaning personnel could have prevented this incident.  That is true.  However, hindsight is always 20/20.  The real question is why the possibility of this accident existed in the first place.  These products are not necessary to keep a building clean and safe for workers and occupants alike.

Persons exposed to these gases should be moved out into the fresh air immediately.  Exposure to any of these gases can cause a violent reaction.  The seriousness of the effects depends upon the amount of time the sufferer was exposed to the gas and the strength of the mixture.  Individuals with significant exposure to skin should remove clothes and have them washed immediately.

Many of today’s green cleaning products do not smell as powerful as bleach or ammonia-based products.  They necessitate proper dilutions and a good amount of cleaning effort.  However, they are safe and sustainable and designed to counter the “sick building syndrome” that contributes to lost time and money.  Yes, green cleaning may cause less shine, but it is healthy and safe and productive alternative.

The Dangers of Mixing Cleaning Chemicals is a post from: Green Efficient LEED Blog