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Renewable Cleaning Technology
For Schools
Ruben Rives
Ruben Rives, chief
executive officer (CEO)
of Miami, Florida-based
PSS/H2OnlyDisinfection,
is a renewable cleaning
advocate and foundational
supporter of the nonprofit
Process Cleaning
for Healthy Schools
Consortium (PCHS).
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Water, the oldest known cleaning solution, is the basis for renewable cleaning because it is non-toxic
and, when manipulated, can effectively remove soils and bacteria from surfaces.
Over the past 10 years, schools have moved to
safer cleaning products, practices and equipment.
During this time, the institutional cleaning sector
has undergone rapid change.
Advances in renewable cleaning technology are
positioning it to be one of the most eco-sensitive
ways to care for public buildings while protecting
the health of the users, students and staff.
Renewable cleaning is the removal, inactivation
and/or proper disposal of dirt, dust, organic matter,
chemical residues and pathogenic microbes
to protect public heath and maintain indoor environments.
Water is a key medium for renewable cleaning
— but not the only one — because it is a universal
resource, which is benign, non-polluting and
renewable or naturally replenished.
Renewable cleaning works like nature does and
employs parallel methods.
The three technologies described in this article
clean, sanitize or disinfect surfaces without using
harmful chemicals.
Combining these technologies with other infection
control strategies such as personal hygiene
— handwashing to remove microbes transmitted
by contact with surfaces or cough etiquette for
microbes transmitted by an airborne route, as
examples — disinfectants registered with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for specific
applications and appropriate ventilation can
The final frontier in green, renewable cleaning is the ultimate in sustainability.
Image courtesy of Cleaning Consultant Services Inc.
create a comprehensive infection control
program.
Industry manufacturers have introduced
these renewable cleaning devices for surface
cleaning and hygiene in the past few
years.
Although the processes are different, they
all use water as the basis for the technology.
Some innovations are possible because
of advances in electrical engineering, software
and solid-state circuitry.
Although these technologies are not
appropriate for all cleaning tasks, they can
successfully be used as part of a Process
Cleaning for Healthy Schools (PCHS) program.
Antimicrobial devices must comply with
federal standards for advertising, labeling
and testing efficacy.
The testing must be performed by an
independent third-party organization verifying
kill claims.
Rather than an EPA Registration Number,
as found on chemical-based germicidal
products, verified antimicrobial devices
receive an EPA Establishment Number.
A chemical-related health warning label
is not required on devices using only water.
The Technologies
Activated water
A water cell applies a slight electrical
charge to tap water.
The charged water passes through an
ion exchange membrane, creating an oxygen-
rich mixture of positively-charged and
negatively-charged nanobubbles.
The ionized water now attracts dirt somewhat
like a magnet and lifts it from surfaces,
enabling it to be wiped away.
The low-level electrical field created
destroys microbes through a process called
electroporation.
Independent third-party testing from
the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI)
Surface Solutions Laboratory found this
technology removes and/or kills more than
99.9 percent of harmful bacteria — reaching
a sanitizing level — using a six-second
continuous spray and a spray-and-wipe
process.
Spray-and-vacuum or high-flow
fluid extraction units
Pressurized water agitates surface soil,
as does a squeegee, which aids in removal
along with a wet/dry vacuum system.
The loosened and suspended soil and
microbes are immediately removed by the
vacuum.
Independent third-party testing showed
these devices remove greater than 99.9
percent of the targeted microbes — to a
sanitizing level — from the surface.
Versatility allows for deep cleaning of restrooms,
kitchens, hallways, carpeted areas,
stairwells, classrooms, gyms and fitness
areas — both on floors and above floors.
High productivity and rapid drying —
through vacuuming or, sometimes, blowing
— are traits of this system.
Steam vapor technology
In newer systems, a water treatment
module modifies the structure of the minerals
in tap water before the water passes
through a boiler, which converts it to superheated
steam that, combined with an insulated
hose and application tools, carries
energized mineral crystals to the surface
being cleaned.
These crystals disrupt the cell membranes
of microbes, allowing the steam to
quickly destroy them, while the process
breaks the bonds between the soils and the
surface to facilitate rapid cleaning and drying
with very little water consumption.
Testing by independent third-party laboratories
demonstrates a three to five second
kill time — to a disinfection level — for a
broad range of microorganisms using a
thermal-accelerated nano crystal sanitation
(TANCS) process.
Benefits Of Using Renewable
Cleaning Technology
Improved health and safety
Replacing harsh cleaning chemicals with
water reduces the chances of accidental
injuries.
A review of workers’ compensation data
from the state of Washington found that six
out of 100 janitors are injured by chemicals
every year; the most common injuries are
serious burns to the eyes or skin.
Reduced purchase, storage an
disposal costs
Facilities using these renewable technologies
have realized a significant savings
in their budgets, not including the
costs associated with storage or hazardous
waste disposal.
Simplification of cleaning protocols
Water-only devices can be used for
cleaning, sanitizing and, with steam vapor,
disinfecting tasks; the contact time needed
to inactivate microbes is often significantly
shorter than conventional methods.
No rinsing is required because there is
very little residue remaining on surfaces.
Ease of use
The devices are ergonomically designed
and simple to use.
Reduced cost of recordkeeping
Time spent managing material safety data
sheets (MSDS) and hazardous communication
(HazCom) programs is eliminated
because the devices do not require MSDS.
Environmentally sustainable profile
Floor machines using renewable technology
require less water; handheld devices,
when compared to chemical cleaners,
reduce energy consumption and pollution
between 97 percent and 100 percent across
seven key indicators of environmental sustainability,
according to the Center for Clean
Products at the University of Tennessee.
Costs
Although the up-front cost of the devices
may seem higher than that for chemicals,
they can rapidly pay for themselves, as
demonstrated by a pilot program at the
Georgia Institute of Technology.
The program, using handheld activatedwater
devices, produced savings in chemical
purchases that paid for the cost of
purchasing the devices during the first six
months of operation.
As another example of fiscal effectiveness,
one company providing services to 20
charter schools in the Miami/Dade County
area has saved $72,000 to $80,000 a year
through renewable or sustainable cleaning,
using better equipment and cleaning
processes and reducing chemical usage by
99 percent.
As school budgets become tighter, cutting
maintenance department staff and
funding is becoming prevalent.
Schools should strive to clean smarter,
using the advanced technology and processes
that are now available, to deliver
high-quality cleaning with health benefits.
Renewable cleaning as part of a Process
Cleaning for Healthy Schools program can
be an important part of a leaner, more effective
and hygienic cleaning program. Go to http://www.advantagecleaningteam.com/ or http://www.janiservu.com/
CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • August 2011
