ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc. has received the 2011 Cleantech Tekne Award from the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) for its new Aquanomic laundry system. Designed for use in hotels and other institutional settings, the Aquanomic laundry system utilizes innovative wash formulas and low-temperature chemistry to reduce water and energy consumption by up to 40 percent while providing clean, white and soft results.“Ecolab’s purpose is to help make the world cleaner, safer and healthier everywhere it matters, and that’s what drives our innovation,” said Dr. Larry Berger, senior vice president of Research, Development and Engineering and chief technical officer. “Our...

VISTA, CALIF.—Surprisingly, one area often overlooked as a facility becomes greener and more sustainable is the restroom. Yet more water is used in restrooms than virtually any other area of a facility, and because water and energy are interconnected, water consumption increases the amount of energy necessary to power a facility.In addressing this issue, Klaus Reichardt, CEO and president of Waterless Co Inc., offers the following suggestions to make commercial restrooms greener and more sustainable: •    Lighting: Restroom lighting is often on 24 hours a day. Install motion sensors to turn off lights when the restroom is not used.•    Lightbulbs:...

MIAMI—Hotels using MTech’s HotSOS (pronounced hot sauce) for managing workflows and tracking/reporting guest incidences and requests will be able to create preventive maintenance work orders to run faucets in rooms that remain vacant for a specified number of days in order to protect against Legionellosis. This form of pneumonia, more commonly known as Legionnaire’s Disease, can easily be contracted by hotel guests over the age of 50 who smoke or suffer from lung disease or a weakened immune system and who come in contact with stagnant water that has remained in sink pipes. According to a recent article in The...

TORRANCE, CALIF.—Enagic introduces the Kangen Water cleaning system. It features electrolyzed water and can be used to sanitize bathrooms and countertops, clean windows, floors, carpets and can be added to the laundry to cut down on laundry detergent. It can be utilized in the kitchen for food preparation, cleaning of kitchen utensils, cutting boards and sanitizing, thereby decreasing the possibility of spreading e coli, salmonella, listeria, staph, etc. The water is created from one machine that produces seven very different grades of electrolyzed water. The system has been approved by U.S. regulators, the Water Quality Association (WQA), giving it their...

ANN ARBOR, MICH.—NSF International (NSF) and the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute (ACS GCI) have developed an American National Standard that provides a standardized way to define and report the environmental and human health hazards associated with a chemical product and its manufacturing process impacts. The new standard, officially known as NSF/GCI/ANSI (American National Standards Institute) 355 Greener Chemicals and Processes Information Standard, establishes standardized criteria for comparing chemicals and processes that help chemical manufacturers and their customers make greener choices. The standard outlines a framework that chemical manufacturers will use to develop one comprehensive, standardized NSF/GCI/ANSI 355 report to...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—GCA Services Group, a leading national provider of facility services, including janitorial/custodial services, announced they will be exhibiting at the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AHLA) International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS), held in New York City from November 12 to 15. GCA representatives will be available throughout the show to discuss their facility services solutions specific to the challenges facing lodging and restaurant management teams that meet both strict government regulations as well as high consumer standards. “First impressions make all the difference in the hospitality industry,” said Bob Norton, chairman, CEO and president of GCA. “At IHMRS...

WINCHESTER, VA.—Rubbermaid Commercial Products, a provider of facility maintenance solutions, was awarded a 2011 ISSA Product Innovation Award for its new Rubbermaid HYGEN Clean Water System. The award was presented at the cleaning industry’s largest trade show, the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA)/ INTERCLEAN show held in Las Vegas. The ISSA Product Innovation Awards, in its second year as an online program, offers cleaning-industry distributors, building service contractors and in-house service providers the opportunity to cast their votes online for the most innovative products in five different categories: cleaning agents, paper/plastics, equipment, supplies and services, technology & other. Of the...

CUMMING, GA.—Supreme Chemicals of GA, Inc., the manufacturer of Krud Kutter products, announced that Original Krud Kutter—Cleaner/Degreaser and Krud Kutter Tough Task Remover have received Biodegradable Certification in compliance with the SCS Biodegradable Standard V3-0. Concerns about the health of the Earth’s rivers, lakes and oceans have generated enormous interest in cleaning products that biodegrade in water. However, the claim “biodegradable” has been used to mean different things by different companies, leading to consumer confusion. To help overcome this confusion, and ensure that products making the biodegradable claim meet consumer expectations, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) has developed a special certification...

CINCINNATI—Cintas Corp. launched a nationwide air-conditioning (A/C) coil cleaning service called ChemTron Coil Cleaning by Cintas. The service enables hoteliers to lower energy bills, extend the life of air-conditioning units and improve indoor air quality, resulting in higher guest satisfaction scores.  “Air-conditioning units that are not properly maintained can lead to high energy bills, premature unit failure, odors, allergies and other health issues,” said Fred Wehby, senior director of Deep Clean Services, Cintas. “ChemTron Coil Cleaning by Cintas ensures that all units are properly cleaned to run at maximum efficiency. On average, hotel owners using the service achieve a 28...

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Texas is now experiencing its worst drought since 1895. Agricultural losses now exceed $4 billion and several other industries in Texas are expected to be severely impacted due to the drought. “The Texas cleaning industry is being asked to use water more responsibly,” says Doug Berjer, product manager for CFR, manufacturer of recycling carpet extractors. “And, it’s not just in Texas; water conservation is now an issue throughout the country.” How can cleaning professionals and carpet cleaners conserve water? The following are Berjer’s Solid Seven Water Conservation Tips: 1. Use microfiber mop heads and cloths. A University of California study found...