Green Cleaning Tips for Schools

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• Green cleaning practices do more than just make
  the janitorial industry more eco-friendly. They
  also help organizations save money and improve
  the health of everyone who works in a facility.
  When it comes to schools in particular, green
  cleaning is a great idea.

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• Half of teachers and students are exposed to
  indoor pollutants such as lead, asbestos,
  chemical fumes, pesticides, molds, and other
  toxins at school.
• American kids miss 14 million school days every
  year, often because of poor air quality and
  related medical conditions such as asthma.
• 6 of school janitors are injured or made sick on
  the job by chemical exposure.1

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• Green cleaning practices are also useful for
  saving money and increasing the lifespan of
  school facilities. When janitorial switches to
  less harmful, eco-friendly materials, facilities
  last an average of 10-15 years longer. And one
  school district in New York was able to save an
  average of 365,000 every year by switching to
  green cleaning.1

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• Adopting green cleaning techniques involves
  several steps
• Identify the cleaning needs for the facility, and
  what will be needed to achieve them. This often
  requires heavy-duty equipment like floor
  scrubbers and sweepers.
• Seek out cleaning products (degreasers,
  disinfectants, carpet cleaners, etc.) that are
  certified eco-friendly.
• If a product doesnt have a certification, look
  for products that do not contain harmful chemical
  agents or pollutants.

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• Another key part of green cleaning is finding
  ways to clean smarter, rather than more. In high
  traffic school facilities, attempting to
  perfectly sterilize the entire building is a
  futile effort. Instead, the harshest chemicals
  should be used only on key spots such as
  doorknobs, tables, and other places a large
  number of people make contact with.

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• Another benefit of green cleaning practices is
  that they take into account people with allergies
  and sensitivities to chemicals. When possible, a
  green cleaning plan should avoid using chemicals
  that can cause negative reactions whenever
  possible.

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• Pesticides can be effective, but they also damage
  the human nervous system. Whenever possible,
  focus pest control efforts on eliminating things
  that attract insects or eliminating them at their
  source, rather than applying heavy levels of
  dangerous pesticides. In particular, make sure
  food and drink spills are always cleaned up
  promptly.

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• Use floor mats to collect dust and grime so that
  floors do not have to be stripped and recoated as
  often.
• Clean hard floors with vacuums or sweepers to
  extend their lifespan and avoid the use of
  chemical cleaners whenever possible.
• Switch to metal-free and burnish-free floor
  finishes, which add less contaminants and
  pollution to the air.
• Make an effort to seal cracks and other crevices
  where bugs and outdoor pollutants can get inside.

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• Performance Systems Janitorial Supply is a
  leading vendor of cleaning and janitorial
  equipment and machinery. Find new and refurbished
  floor scrubbers and sweepers at great prices by
  visiting www.psjanitorial.com.

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1. http//greencleanschools.org/wp-content/uploads/A_
   Green_Cleaning_Program_Starts_Here_Final-1.pdf

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Summary

• Adopting green cleaning practices at schools help
  save money, improve quality of life, and make
  schools healthier for students and teachers. Here
  are our top tips for making the switch to a
  greener, cleaner school.