A lot of press has been given to green cleaning products and we at Porter Industries think this is good, but we also feel this is just the beginning of a true Green Cleaning program. Green Cleaning at its core, and the way we address it in our PorterClean approach, is more encompassing than simply using “green chemicals”. A Green Cleaning program must contain written guidelines for all aspects of the cleaning program that affect either the indoor or outdoor environment and it must have performance guidelines that address the efficacy of the cleaning program. It is our sincere conviction that a cleaning program that does not address both the environmental sustainability and the effectiveness of the cleaning being performed is simply not PorterClean.

What does this mean? All cleaning chemicals and products chosen to be a part of the PorterClean arsenal have been carefully chosen by consensus. Our entire Leadership Committee (front line supervisors, department managers, operations managers and division administrators) committed to this process and all chemicals and products must be third-party certified as both effective and environmentally responsible. Our committee typically uses Greenseal™ or Environmental Protection Agency's Designed for the Environment (DfE™) certification as their preferred certifications.

What does this mean for our customers? Our customers spend much of their day in the homes and businesses we clean. The EPA estimates that the average American spends 90% of their life indoors or within the built environment. This means that most of the 22 pounds of air we breathe each day is drawn from air in the built environment. The products we clean with, maintain floors with and care for carpet with become part of this air we breathe. Using products that are certified as low to no impact for the built environment is “business as usual” in the PorterClean approach.

What does this mean? The use of chemicals and equipment that are certified green is not sufficient for a complete environmentally responsible cleaning program. Chemicals applied incorrectly (used for the wrong purpose, over or under diluted, etc.) are unlikely to be effective and may even pose human health risks. Equipment, even green equipment, used for purposes other than what this equipment was designed to do can also create ineffective outcomes or pose health risks for the user or facility occupant. Using an easily pictured example a hammer that was engineered for excellence in hammering and manufactured out of the finest hammering materials known to man will still be a poor tool for sawing wood. To saw wood effectively you not only would avoid using a hammer, but you might also even be particular what kind of saw you used for the job at hand. Cleaning chemicals and tools also have specified uses and users should be trained and evaluated by valid and reliable procedures documented in a written cleaning program.

What does this mean for our customers? Cleaning is often measured by its consistency. Cleaning consistency is created by utilizing the same cleaning chemicals and the same cleaning tools in the same manner day in and day out. Cleaning consistency can also be correlated with safe and healthy cleaning for your facility. The PorterClean program accomplishes this through providing effective standardized training for all custodians as they are hired, evaluating custodial performance and providing standardized refresher courses throughout their career based on tried and tested written procedures and expectations. This simple approach built from clear, easy to understand standards and procedures is the key to consistently safe and healthy cleaning.

What does this mean? Equipment used by PorterClean personnel is either certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute's (CRI) Seal of Approval / Green Label program or purchased using guidelines from the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Existing Building / Operations & Maintenance (LEED - EB/OM) Reference Guide. In 2005 Porter Industries made the commitment that all new equipment purchases (for expansion or replacement) would meet these guidelines.

What does this mean for our customer? Equipment specified in the CRI and LEED programs is designed to meet multiple criteria. Efficacy, substrate protection, positive impact on indoor air quality and user ergonomics all play a role in equipment meeting these guidelines. All of these categories also play a role in the outcome of the cleaning product we produce. Better equipment results in better cleaning outcomes and minimizes equipment being disposed of into the landfill over time.

What does this mean? Care and custody of cleaning chemicals when not in use by the custodial staff is also an issue for facility occupants. Written guidelines concerning proper storage conditions and procedures are a must to properly train a custodial staff. Issues as simple as ensuring all chemical bottles are properly sealed at the end of a shift and as complex as the relationship between dilution-control devices and back-flow prevention are addressed in a properly written cleaning program.

What does this mean to our customers? Preventing any chance of inhalation, ingestion or contact with any chemical we use in the PorterClean program is paramount. The safety and well-being of our custodians and customers must be consistently practiced because our belief is safe behavior is habitual behavior developed from written guidelines that are consistently enforced.

What does this mean? Hand health or hand hygiene involves at least three elements and having written strategies before a cold or flu outbreak occurs is wise.

First, washing or sanitizing your hands often and effectively enough is the first line of defense for all facility occupants. Fomites (a term for a substance or inanimate object where pathogen transfer is highly likely such as facility exterior door handles) are a part of everyday life and the most common way pathogens are transferred between individuals. If a person can sanitize or wash their hands after coming in contact with a fomite or another individual they can lower the opportunity for pathogen exposure.

Secondly, keeping the skin surface as smooth and intact as possible is another strategy for proper hand hygiene. Using the mildest soap necessary and sanitizers fortified with skin conditioners can aid in less areas for pathogens to reside on the hand surface and in the case of blood-borne pathogens prevent entry into the body, which again lowers the opportunity for pathogen exposure.

The final piece in the hand hygiene puzzle is avoidance of anti-bacterial hand-washing products. There are certainly environments where anti-bacterial products are mandatory due to compliance issues; however, in all other cases there is little evidence supporting the fact that the use of anti-bacterial products has a greater impact than simple soap, water and proper hand-washing technique. There is a significant body of evidence that key ingredients in anti-bacterial soap are making their way into the environment and these same ingredients have proven to be bio-accumulative and endocrine modifiers when ingested by humans.

What does this mean to our customers? It is common practice in custodial contracts for the service provider to provide consumable products; e.g. paper towels, toilet paper, trashcan liners, etc., including the hand soaps used in the facility. Health of facility occupants is closely tied to many aspects of a cleaning program including the addressing of fomites and other heavily touched or trafficked surfaces. PorterClean personnel understand the relationship between hand cleanliness, facility cleanliness and human health and can help provide the most up-to-date information, services and products.

What does this mean? The cleaning industry has published standards for cleaning production (ISSA Cleaning Times) and levels of cleanliness (APPA levels 1-5 with 1 being the highest) that can be provided by these various production classifications. Achieving a level of clean that meets the basic needs of human health in the indoor environment requires meeting a cleaning level of at least a three (3) and higher levels of health and safety can be achieved with even higher levels of cleaning. These cleaning standards can only be met by providing sufficient staffing levels that would allow the cleaning personnel to match cleaning production with the cleaning level desired.

What does this mean to our customers? The PorterClean program allows for objective pricing to be provided to our customers based on cleaning program desires. Cleaning for health is a tangible goal that can be quantified and provided to our customers at affordable rates.

What does this mean? It is important when looking into the viability of a new product or piece of equipment that a valid and reliable methodology is used for evaluation. If two products are being tested for the same use, but the testing criteria for both products is not the same, then the testing results would not be valid. If the two products were tested using the same criteria, but different testing methods, the results would not be reliable. It is important that the criteria and methodology for testing be documented for any testing process to ensure the best products are being chosen.

What does this mean for our customers? New products, chemicals and equipment are introduced every single day in the building service industry. The PorterClean program allows our customers to have confidence that only the best products in every possible category are being used in their facilities.

What does this mean? The most important measurement of a facility service program is gathered through consistent occupant feedback. A system must be in place to ensure facility occupants can easily provide feedback to the service provider and that this feedback is recorded and tracked for ongoing performance management. It does not matter how healthy and effective the service provider believes their cleaning program to be. Is the service being perceived as healthy and effective by their customer?

What does this mean for our customers? The PorterClean team uses the Cleantelligent™ system for occupant feedback in all of our facilities. This system allows the occupant to participate in surveys, provide feedback and develop work orders right at their own desk and these items are delivered in real time to the PorterClean manager and division administrator in charge of their facility. The system then tracks the resolution process until the communication is filed for a permanent work record of the site.