CHICAGO—Tornado Industries has introduced a new, advanced HEPA-filtered upright vacuum cleaner with several features normally found on much more expensive “business class” machines. The new CK 14/1 QD model is a 14-inch-wide machine made of durable polypropylene and metal materials. It features a double ball bearing motor for greater dependability and a Quick Draw (“QD”) system that allows fast, simple access to a variety of on-board tools and attachments. The new machine is specifically designed to clean health-care facilities, schools, hotels, commercial buildings and light industrial locations. “On top of all its features, we are especially pleased that this...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—FreshStay.com will commemorate the addition of its 4,000th certified smoke-free member with a celebration at the St. Charles Comfort Suites on Tuesday, August 4. The team from FreshStay.com, as well as a number of local dignitaries, hotel managers and staff will be on hand to mark the occasion. The St. Charles Comfort Suites joins 3,999 other 100 percent nonsmoking hotels that have reached out to health-minded travelers through FreshStay.com’s search function and integrated online booking option. “We’re proud to join the growing ranks of FreshStay.com and excited to host a smoke-free celebration marking the milestone,” says Natalee Keathley, general...

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—The My Green Mind company has introduced its next generation line of eco-friendly cleaning products. Four new My Green Mind solutions cover most cleaning needs, leaving out what eco-conscious consumers don’t want: petroleum-based chemical toxins. The four new products include a glass and Plexiglas cleaner, a soy-based granite and stainless steel cleaner, a mineral zap tile, bowel and shower cleaner—which removes iron, rust, soap scum and mineral buildup—along with a 100 percent active bacteria carpet spotter for stains. “What’s important about the new line is what’s been left out,” said My Green Mind president Michael Grossman. “Take the glass cleaner....

NORTH WALPOLE, N.H.—Len-Tex Corp. announced that its entire line of contract wallcoverings has been certified to meet the indoor air quality (IAQ) standards of California’s Section 01350 for low VOC emissions. This specification developed by the state of California measures key environmental performance in building materials, primarily interior finish products. All Len-Tex wallcoverings meet the standards outlined in the section’s IAQ testing protocol, which stipulates that independent laboratories test materials for chemical emissions. In addition, Len-Tex wallcoverings have also been certified to meet the stringent criteria of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS section 01350) in...

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—UL Environment Inc. announced it has validated environmental claims for Serious Materials’ new drywall product, EcoRock. This represents the first validation of claims by UL Environment since its launch in January 2009, and the first product in the 115-year history of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to receive an Environmental Claims Validation. UL Environment is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UL, a world leader in product safety testing services. UL Environment validated Serious Materials’ environmental claims for EcoRock by performing assessments and laboratory tests. An audit was conducted for recycled content, environmental chamber tests were performed to determine volatile organic compound (VOC)...

GATLINBURG, TENN.—The Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg, adjacent to The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, is on its way to becoming the first LEED certified hotel in Tennessee. The 118-unit property opened on May 28. According to Logan Coykendall, part owner of the hotel and owner of Hospitality Management Solutions, the Sevierville, Tenn.-based management company that operates it, the Hilton Garden Inn should achieve a “solid Silver” LEED rating later this year. LEED, a certification program for new and existing buildings run by the U.S. Green Building Council, offers four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The decision to...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Green Lodging News has just added a new case study to its website. The case study focuses on the Nottawsaga Inn Resort in Alliston, Ont., and how it implemented new dehumidification technology from Dectron Internationale to eliminate the challenging eye and lung irritation nuisance of every indoor pool—chloramines. The year-round convention/resort facility 40 miles north of Toronto includes Canada’s first indoor pool facility to use gas-phase air purification—part of its new dehumidifier purchase—to combat chemical odors that are common among natatoriums. Indoor air quality (IAQ) improved quickly and significantly as a result of eliminating chloramines. “Within 48 hours of...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Ecoflame International Inc. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Ecoflame markets a sugar cane-based ethanol, nontoxic heating gel for use in the hospitality, restaurant and catering industries. Ecoflame Gel burns clean and is safe. As most other chafing fuel heating products are derivatives of petroleum and natural gas, they produce poisonous emissions of carbon monoxide, are carcinogenic, include dioxin, and are finite resources. Ecoflame Gel is a renewable resource with no poisonous emissions and is packaged in refillable and recyclable steel cans. For more information, call...

BURBANK, CALIF.—A new UVC Kit for Air Handlers from Steril-Aire, Inc. may be used in a wide range of HVAC applications to destroy microorganisms including flu viruses, bacteria and mold. The easy-to-install kit delivers Steril-Aire’s proven UVC technology to fan coil units, unit ventilator systems and indoor air handlers with coils up to 84" (213.4 cm) with dual access. It delivers energy savings on retrofit installations, maintains factory design efficiency on new units, and improves indoor air quality and infection control in all systems. Applications include air handlers serving patient rooms, classrooms, hotel/motel rooms, apartments and condominiums, and offices in...

BLOOMINGTON, ILL.—Sanitaire, a leading manufacturer of commercial vacuum cleaners, announced that it has doubled its warranty coverage on most of its models, increasing its parts, service and labor warranty from one year to two. The company is calling its newly-extended warranty program the “Sanitaire Promise of Performance” as a means to emphasize its quality commitment to the company’s vacuum cleaner models. The new warranty effectively doubles the warranty on Sanitaire commercial vacuums from one to two full years from the date of purchase. “We have already enhanced the durability of our products by making numerous improvements in...