Cleaners

The chemicals in cleaning products can be hazardous to maintenance workers and building occupants. These products can also be costly to store and dispose of. Products that are safer for human users are generally safer for the environment as well, and can replace more-toxic products.

Environmentally preferable cleaners may not be as readily available, but they are generally competitively priced. This includes the purchase price of the product, the cost of meeting regulations for worker safety and environmental rules, and the costs of disposal for leftover product.

To better safeguard the health of custodial workers, building occupants, and the environment, the state of Minnesota added environmental specifications to the state cleaning supplies contract.

Minnesota State Contract for Cleaning Products

When products were reviewed for the current state contract for cleaners, vendors were asked for the first time to include information about the environmental performance of their cleaning products. All products selected for the state contract — 33 categories of cleaning products, including all-purpose cleaners, cleaners for toilet bowls, furniture and glass, deodorizers, disinfectants, soaps and floor cleaners— were screened and rated for cleaning performance and environmental characteristics. This approach screened out many of the more harmful products, while still providing a variety of products from which to choose.

• The environmental review addressed human safety first. Vendors received higher points for avoiding product ingredients that are highly toxic, cancer-causing, flammable, or prone to cause skin irritation, respiratory problems or allergic reactions.

• The evaluation also addressed potential environmental impacts because chemicals in cleaning products end up in local wastewater systems, and eventually can pollute our rivers and lakes.

• Products received higher points for using plant-based ingredients because they are a renewable resource. Points were awarded for avoiding phosphates and substances that contribute to ozone depletion.

• Preference was given to products sold in reusable and/or recycled content packaging. A few points were also given to products not sold in aerosol containers because punctured or half-empty aerosols can increase flammability.

• Products with synthetic dyes and fragrances were avoided to limit potential allergic reactions or skin irritations.

Minnesota's Central Stores: Greener cleaner available

Central Stores carries Spray & Clean, a pH-neutral, plant-derived, water-based cleaner. This less-toxic cleaner — one of the products on the state contract — replaces corrosive, caustic and butyl-based cleaners that can irritate lungs, skin and eyes.

As a spray and wipe cleaner, Spray & Clean can be used on desks, file cabinets, computer monitors, fax machines and copiers, walls, tile & grout, porcelain, stainless steel. laminates and any hard surface.

Spray & Clean is available in an 18oz. ready-to-use spray bottle and a 64oz. refill size to save on packaging.

Restore Spray and Clean is made of plant-based surfactants, and includes no petroleum-derived ingredients. The pH-neutral formula is designed to be safer for the user and the environment and can be safely disposed of in septic systems. Spray & Clean contains no bleach, alcohol, ammonia, phosphates, petroleum distillates or fuming solvents; as a result, it emits no noxious fumes or volatile organic chemicals (VOCs).

Spray & Clean is supplied by Restore Products, a division of Brown & Company, LLC (St. Paul, Minn.).

Success Story: City of St. Paul

"Overall, the non-toxic cleaners that we used in the last four months produced sparkling clean results and our custodial staff experienced fewer physical reactions when applying cleaning products," said Mark Galloway, building superintendent of the St. Paul City Hall Annex. "I'm particularly impressed with the performance of the new degreaser in removing deep stains and the furniture cleaner's effectiveness in repelling fingerprints and smudges from elevators and lobby furniture."

Responses similar to Galloway's were gathered in a pilot project that tested the performance of ten non-toxic cleaning products on typical office building surfaces such as glass, toilets, sinks, walls, floors, and furniture. Funded through a grant from the OEA, the Neighborhood Energy Consortium and the City of St. Paul organized this pilot in the spring of 1997.

The 65-year old downtown St. Paul building served as an ideal location, with 17 floors, approximately 350 workers, and a link to the heavily traveled public skyway system. Under these conditions, products must perform well. The custodial staff of the city hall annex found that six of the ten alternative products worked as well as, or better than, the products they replaced. Moreover, custodial staff specifically noticed a reduction in the fumes that sometimes cause physical reactions such as lightheaded sensations and tightening of the chest. Overall, the non-toxic products were also price-comparative with the cleaners they replaced.

Restore the Earth (now known as Brown & Company) supplied the non-toxic cleaners for the pilot project. The cleaning products selected were derived from plant matter and renewable resources. They specifically avoided products containing hazardous chemical ingredients, chlorinated substances, phosphates, volatile organic compounds, and petroleum solvents or propellants. Products were also provided in refillable, reusable containers.

As a result of the pilot's success, the city hall annex custodial staff plans to continue using most of the products tested.

Success Story: University of Minnesota

In the fall of 1999, the University of Minnesota's Facilities Management Division realized that empty and partly filled cleaning product containers were piling up in janitors' closets. With 11 million square feet being cleaned every day, the container pile-up was not just a logistical disposal problem — it was an employee health threat.

Environmental Health Specialist Clayton Handt and his colleagues set up a review board to do a top-to-bottom evaluation of the division's cleaners. The board discovered that Facilities Management was buying nearly 500 different products, many of which were redundant and contained chemicals listed on the U.S. EPA's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI).

After a thorough review, 70 percent of the division's inventory was eliminated. The board also agreed to switch to plant-based cleaners by 2005.

Other information sources for cleaners

• Janitorial Products Pollution Prevention Project

  This is a project summary for two projects conducted during 1998-99 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The first project, which took place in the City of Richmond, focused upon the needs of small organizations; the second was hosted by the county of Santa Clara, emphasizing large organizations. In addition to project details, the site includes fact sheets, tools for evaluating products, commentaries about environmental purchasing, and links to other resources.

• Cleaning Products Pilot Project (CPPP)

  This Web site details a three-year pilot project conducted by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a framework for identifying and comparing environmentally preferable commercial cleaning products. Their results are contained in a matrix of criteria and attributes to assist you in choosing an environmentally preferable cleaning product or provide you with sample criteria.

• The Carbohydrate Economy Clearinghouse

  This project of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance focuses on plant-matter-based (bio-based) products, which are derived from renewable resources. These products stand in contrast to those made from fossil fuels (such as petroleum) and other less renewable resources (such as virgin timber.)

• Green Seal

  Green Seal is a non-profit that sets environmental standards for products and awards a seal of approval to those products meeting their standards.

  Their Choose Green Report has featured household and industrial cleaners. These issues are provided here with permission. Subscribe to the Choose Green Report by joining the Environmental Partners program. Call (202) 872-6400 for details.

• Federal Supply Service (GSA)

  The GSA has a special site for Environmental Programs, including a page dedicated to Safer Paints, Cleaning and Other Chemical Products. They have many downloadable documents, including information about Biodegradable Cleaners and Degreasers, Floor Care Products, and Miscellaneous Cleaning Products.

• Massachusetts Statewide Contract for Environmentally Preferable Cleaning Products

  Massachusetts has awarded contracts to six firms who sell environmentally preferable cleaners. Their Web site includes a summary of the state contract and listings of the approved vendors and their products. The site also describes the environmental, health and performance criteria applied to the products, and presents a scoring summary for each company and product relative to the criteria.

• Cleaning Specifications: City of Santa Monica, California

  This program began in 1993 and included a pilot testing phase to evaluate the effectiveness of various less-toxic or non-toxic custodial products. The city of Santa Monica recently updated the procurement process for custodial/maintenance products, allowing the city to better evaluate the overall worker health and environmental impacts associated with their use. Through this program, toxic products have been replaced with less- or non-toxic alternatives in 15 of 17 cleaning product categories, eliminating the annual purchase of 3200 pounds of hazardous materials.

• Environmentally Preferable Cleaning Specifications: King County, Washington

  The King County Environmental Purchasing Program site includes specifications that the county's transit division used in their bid document for janitorial/chemical supplies (1996).

• Guidelines for Green Building Housekeeping and Maintenance: City of Austin, Texas
  The publication Muncipal Guidelines (1998) is no longer free. The three-volume set can be purchased from the City of Austin for $60.
  

  I. Principles of Sustainable Building Design II. Specifying for Sustainability III. Guidelines for Green Building Housekeeping and Maintenance

  This resource provides a building owner/manager with the information that will assist in establishing and maintaining a Green Building indoor environment with the least negative impacts on the occupants, workers and the environment. It focuses on developing an overall pollution prevention plan, key management principles. Volume III includes specific strategies for housekeeping and custodial maintenance efforts, as well as a recommended approach to a selection criteria for cleaning products.

• Environmental Criteria for Janitorial Products: City of Seattle, Washington
  

  The city's recently adopted policies on "Environmentally Responsible Purchasing" and "Chemical Use" are intended to provide sound environmental stewardship, protect human health, reduce operating expenses associated with the use of highly regulated hazardous materials, and reduce potential liability to the city. Therefore, environmental criteria are being added to a wide variety of new city contracts, including environmental specifications for janitorial service contracts.

• State of Vermont: Practicing Toxic Use Reduction in the Selection of Custodial Cleaning Supplies
  

  To safeguard the health of custodial workers, building occupants and the environment, the state of Vermont added environmental specifications to their state cleaning supplies criteria. Resources and criteria are posted, as well as current state contracts awarded using the new process.