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- Using Aqueous Ozone To Clean For Health
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Tried and true success stories of healthy and sustainable cleaning initiativesWith another school year underway, a growing number of K-12 schools and universities are implementing greener, healthier cleaning practices.听听鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing a lot of innovation in green cleaning in schools 鈥� from technologies that help reduce chemical use, to processes and procedures that streamline our use of labor and make for more effective, healthier cleaning programs,鈥� says Mark Bishop, vice president of policy for听.The four schools profiled here have all adopted successful green cleaning initiatives that have earned industry recognition. In addition to advancing sustainability goals, these schools鈥� custodial services workers are educating students 鈥� the future leaders of the sustainability movement 鈥� on the importance of cleaning for health.
Testing The Waters
When the听, in Ann Arbor, transitioned to aqueous ozone to clean its residence halls, custodians were skeptical of the new technology.听鈥淚t鈥檚 a paradigm shift for our staff, and that鈥檚 been challenging,鈥� says Vicky Hueter, director of University Housing Facilities. 鈥淚t looks like water, so it鈥檚 hard for our staff to realize they鈥檙e cleaning.鈥滲ut with a strong focus on training and ATP test results, the department has garnered custodial support and now uses aqueous ozone for 85 to 90 percent of its cleaning tasks.听鈥淭he dispensers filter water and air, and charge that with 45,000 volts, turning oxygen into ozone and infusing it into the water,鈥� explains Joe Kennedy, associate director for the North campus region. 鈥淲e then dispense that into spray bottles, mop buckets, scrubbers and carpet extractors.鈥滱ccording to Hueter, the results have been nothing short of amazing: 鈥淭here were stains in carpeting we thought we鈥檇 never get out, and the stains have disappeared,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd in some restrooms where the grout smelled of urine, the smell is gone.鈥滲ut more importantly, aqueous ozone has created a healthier environment for staff and students with chemical sensitivities.听鈥淲e鈥檝e had staff come up to us after we made this transition and say it literally saved their lives,鈥� says Hueter. 鈥淭he cleaning chemicals we used previously made them so ill that they were considering leaving their job.鈥滱queous ozone has also cut the facility鈥檚 chemical costs in half, as well as reduced its environmental footprint by decreasing chemicals, packaging and the use of fossil fuel for materials delivery.听To further cement its green cleaning program, the housing department recently achieved CIMS-GB certification.听鈥淕oing through the certification process helps you identify areas where you may be strong and those where you need improvement,鈥� says Darryl Betts, associate director for the Hill campus operations. 鈥淚n doing so, that helps us improve our services, as well as our policies and procedures.鈥漇tudents also play an active role in driving healthy cleaning practices. 鈥淭hey want to see safety data sheets and know what products we鈥檙e using,鈥� says Brian Fitzgerald, associate director of housing facilities. 鈥淚f we didn鈥檛 have green initiatives, many of our students would demand them.鈥�
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