Researchers added that at this time, they believed there still is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of [green] products and that more research is urgently needed for the ongoing development and implementation of green cleaning initiatives in healthcare and other types of facilities. Based on these studies’ findings, cleaning professionals in all types of facilities need to step back, evaluate, and ensure that the green cleaning products and practices they are using meet the following criteria:

• Effectively and hygienically cleaning surfaces to help prevent the transfer of disease
• Effectively protecting human health (for example, by reducing asthma attacks in educational facilities)
• Effectively protecting the health and safety of the cleaning professional using these products
• Effectively protecting the indoor environment
• Maintaining cost and performance effectiveness

The bottom line is that while implementing green cleaning is certainly important, cleaning professionals also need to ensure that all tools and procedures—including those that are termed environmentally preferable—are successfully removing harmful soil, bacteria, and other bio-pollutants from surfaces. They also need to employ standardized tools and use more scientific methods to evaluate cleaning effectiveness. Further, they must use environmentally responsible tools and systems that have already been tested, studied, and proven to be highly effective for hygienic cleaning.

^*The Center for Health Design was formed in 1993 by healthcare and design professionals focused on advancing the idea that the design of medical facilities can improve patient outcomes.

^**These studies were released in 2011. Hospitals participating in the case studies were Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH; Ridgeview Medical Center, Waconia, MN; Magee-Women’s Hospital of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA; Boulder Community Hospital, Boulder, CO; and Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.

Tom Morrison is Vice President of Marketing for Kaivac, developers of the No-Touch^® and OmniFlex^™ Crossover Cleaning Systems.