Home Cleaning & Maintenance

Cleaning & Maintenance

From the housekeeping department, where green cleaning is considered and implemented, to engineering, where mechanical systems are maintained and fine-tuned, hotel operators have implemented innovative products and processes to save energy and minimize the impact on the environment. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Cleaning & Maintenance

Home Cleaning & Maintenance
From the housekeeping department, where green cleaning is considered and implemented, to engineering, where mechanical systems are maintained and fine-tuned, hotel operators have implemented innovative products and processes to save energy and minimize the impact on the environment. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

NanoSeptic Sleeves Turn Door Handles into Self-Cleaning Touchpoints

FOREST, VA.—NanoTouch Materials, the leader in self-cleaning surfaces for facilities, healthcare and travel, has just released their new NanoSeptic continuously self-cleaning sleeves for door handles. These types of door handles are mandated for interior doors in most commercial and public facilities as part of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). NanoSeptic peel-and-stick skins have been a staple in self-cleaning surfaces for facilities, turning push bars, pull handles and other high traffic touch points into continuously self-cleaning surfaces. Now, with the new sleeves, the number of touch points in a facility that can be self-cleaning has been greatly expanded. “The NanoSeptic skins...

Get the Most Out of Your Efficient Rooftop HVAC

Modern, high-efficient rooftop HVAC units can mean substantial savings on annual energy costs for green facilities, but facility managers need to take an active role in managing the systems to get the most out of them. One of the pitfalls of operating a rooftop HVAC system is that it is out of sight, out of mind. It is easier to neglect maintenance for a system you see only rarely and must make a trip up to the roof to inspect. But, if you don’t keep your rooftop system maintained properly, it lowers the system’s efficiency and shortens its lifespan. In...

Marriott Hotel Saves Thousands with MEIKO Dishwasher

NASHVILLE, TENN.—MEIKO, U.S.A., a global leader in the commercial warewashing industry, announced the release of a report by Frontier Energy that found changing to a MEIKO M-iQ flight-type dishwashing machine saved the San Ramon Marriott hotel in San Ramon, Calif., more than $23,000 a year. The report compares two flight-type rackless conveyor dishwashers. The hotel’s pre-existing, past-generation flight conveyor dish machine was tested first, followed by MEIKO’s M-iQ equipped with an exhaust air heat recovery system. Water flow, electricity use, hot/cold-water supply temperature and dish machine sanitizing rinse time were monitored for a one-month period. Frontier Energy then used this data,...

Pure Wellness Expands into Three Atlanta Properties

ATLANTA—Pure Wellness, a pioneer and leader in hotel guestroom wellness solutions, announces the expansion of their portfolio with the installation of 15 Pure Rooms at three properties in Atlanta, one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. Now, wellness-minded travelers visiting the Fairfield Inn and Suites Atlanta Kennesaw, or Marriott International’s Springhill Suites Atlanta Kennesaw and Springhill Suites Atlanta Buford/Mall of Georgia can experience Pure Rooms. “Both the Fairfield and Marriott International brands are known and designed to deliver an inviting and effortless experience for guests,” said Haley Payne, Chief Wellness Experience Officer for Pure Wellness. “The wellness trend is...

Hyatt Regency Seattle Officially Receives LEED Gold Certification

SEATTLE—Hyatt Regency Seattle, a 45-story premier meeting and event hotel located in the heart of downtown Seattle, has officially received a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, becoming the first and only LEED Gold–certified hotel in the Seattle area. It earned LEED as part of the New Construction rating system. “Hyatt Regency Seattle is thrilled to receive this well-deserved recognition, as we are committed to enriching the communities we call home and protecting the planet for future generations,” said General Manager Tom Wolf. “As the largest meeting and event hotel in...

Pest Management Practices to Achieve Environmental Sustainability

With the environment constantly at the forefront of the news as we continue to strive for a healthy planet, companies are thinking toward the future, adjusting their business models and making plans for the growing need for sustainable and “green” designs and buildings. A green outlook is critical, and with easily-implemented programs and strategies, environmental responsibility can be executed. One such way that hoteliers and designers can achieve this is to create a building that earns a Leadership in Energy Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The council has set criteria to earn certification through...

Marble Shine Services Introduces StoneClean Concentrate Cleansers

SALEM, ORE.—Marble Shine Services introduces the StoneClean Concentrate line of cleansers from Richard James Specialty Chemicals (RJSC). They are available for purchase in a sample quart or gallon container at buystoneclean.com. RJSC cleansers and sealers and finishes have all three elements to qualify as “environmentally friendly”—absence of toxic compounds: short biodegradation time, and “rinse-ability free”. StoneClean Plus Hard Surface cleaner is the ideal cleanser for polished granite countertops. It is fast in environmental breakdown while providing a residue free surface to help make the surface resistant to discoloration, odor and degradation due to microbial and fungal contaminations. One quart will make...

Green Lodging News Adds ChemxWorks to Product & Service Directory

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added ChemxWorks to its Green Product & Service Directory. The company’s D-CARBONATOR soak tank removes carbon buildup and the worst fats, oil and grease (F.O.G.) from kitchen equipment (aluminum baking pans, hood filters, baking racks, floor mats and more) using heated water in combination with safe, eco-friendly and proprietary detergent CarbonZyme. The D-CARBONATOR operates at a temperature of 185˚F/85˚C. Equipment removed from the unit is fully sanitized and bacteria free. It saves on labor, utilities, water, equipment and chemicals. The D-CARBONATOR is 12 times less costly to operate than a 3-compartment sink and cleans better...

FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT/SOAK TANKS

ChemxWorks Clean & Conserve—Without Scrubbing! The D-CARBONATOR soak tank from ChemxWorks removes carbon buildup and the worst fats, oil and grease (F.O.G.) from kitchen equipment (aluminum baking pans, hood filters, baking racks, floor mats and more) using heated water in combination with our safe, eco-friendly and proprietary detergent CarbonZyme®. The D-CARBONATOR operates at a temperature of 185˚F/85˚C. Equipment removed from the unit is fully sanitized and bacteria free. It saves on labor, utilities, water, equipment and chemicals. The D-CARBONATOR is 12 times less costly to operate than a 3-compartment sink and cleans better than a dishwasher. The stand-alone unit plugs into...

More Killed, Injured in Hotels from Carbon Monoxide Leaks

Unfortunately, I have written about carbon monoxide deaths in hotels far too often—most recently last November. The past few weeks I have read about two more incidents at hotels. First, in late June, two men were found dead by a third guest staying in the room at the Best Western Hotel in Asheville, N.C. Police suspect the cause of the deaths to be carbon monoxide poisoning. According to an unsealed warrant, Asheville fire chief Shane Mackey suspects a utility room behind the room was the source of the carbon monoxide. The utility room contained two water heaters and two...