By John Downey In the past two decades the concept of “green” cleaning has progressed from the fringe to the mainstream. Many cleaning professionals who once looked skeptically at “environmentally friendly” chemicals and practices now embrace it because many green-cleaning agents and practices have been proven effective. Another consideration for employers struggling to find workers: [...]

Sanitation in a Post-COVID-19 World, or in any infectious-disease related future that awaits us, includes transcending cleaning for appearance or asset protection for loftier goals that protect health.

Scientists have reported Far-UVC light is an effective way to kill airborne SARS-CoV-2 in a room-sized lab chamber (March 2022, Nature) without the health and safety risks of exposure to typical UV — a finding that could make wearing masks in such environments less important, while reducing the need for excess ventilation. The report said: [...]

Sanitation in a Post-COVID-19 (C19) World, or in any infectious-disease related future that awaits us, means transcending facility appearance or asset protection for loftier goals that protect health. It also requires vision. While sanitation once meant removing dirt you can see, science broadens that definition by helping us “see” the previously invisible: e.g., organic [...]

Microfiber and steam for environmental cleaning during an outbreak. Faced with a norovirus-gastroenteritis outbreak, a 229-bed hospital in Australia compared two approaches to cleaning and disinfecting in Ward C and D respectively: 1. Ward C used conventional cleaning and disinfecting with detergent followed by bleach. 2. Ward D used steam vapor with microfiber cloths and [...]

We exhale carbon dioxide (CO2) when we breathe, and monitoring CO2 in classrooms can be a way to help ensure enough ventilation to reduce exposure to COVID-19 which is mainly spread through the air. Cambridge and Surrey Universities, and Imperial College, London, have supported a rollout of CO2 monitors in the UK. Dr. Henry Burridge [...]

It's no surprise that water under pressure cleans better than a gentle stream. Following a presoak, commercial car washes have used this method accompanied by agitation, for decades. Per the study, Removal of biofilms and stubborn soil by pressure washing, "applying a disinfectant, followed by hot water at high pressure produced the greatest ... soil [...]

Microbes applied on porous surfaces may provide odor control by displacing the bacteria responsible for odors. Products containing live microbes in spore form — or enzymes harvested from them — are available for cleaning; a positive step at first glance as nature uses microbial enzymes to break down leaves, oils, waste, and other [...]