SEDONA, ARIZ.—Sedona’s Kings Ransom Inn recently launched Green Suites International’s “EcoRoom Accommodation Program,” converting each of its 53 guestrooms into healthier, more environmental “EcoRooms.” They are the first property in the area to do so. The guestrooms will now feature more than a dozen environmental products. The products include compact fluorescent light bulbs, water-efficient showerheads and sink faucets; LED nightlights (according to a study at Livermore Laboratories, 40 percent of all travelers leave bathroom lights on as nightlights), nontoxic cleaning chemicals; a linen reuse program, and Natura brand liquid soaps, lotions and shampoo products offered in shower and vanity dispensers....

BOISE, IDAHO—ProTeam has earned the gold Seal of Approval/Green Label from the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) for seven of its leading vacuums, signifying that they meet the highest standards for carpet cleaning effectiveness and indoor air quality. Vacuums awarded gold pass a stringent testing process at an independent laboratory and meet three key performance criteria: amount of soil removed, containment of dust and dirt within the machine, and carpet fiber protection. ProTeam vacuums rated gold include: Super CoachVac, Super CoachVac HEPA, Super QuarterVac, Super QuarterVac HEPA, MegaVac, RunningVac and ProVac CN. The Super CoachVac and Super CoachVac HEPA are...

NATIONAL REPORT—With advancements in controls technology and equipment design, washer-extractors (washers) are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and flexible. This is good news for hoteliers looking to save money in a recovering economy. In the race to gain new business, vendors are manufacturing higher G-force machines that spin off more water faster, allowing linens to dry in less time. In some cases, advancements have allowed rinse cycles and dryers to be eliminated entirely. While innovation has allowed vendors to squeeze just about as much water as they can out of the washing process, other advances, especially in software programming, are...

CANTON, MASS.—Pro-Link, Inc., a jansan marketing and buying group, has introduced a new line of cleaning chemicals called BioLink that are biobased and certified green. Biobased chemicals are made with natural, renewable resources such as soybeans, coconuts, and corn. However, the new product line takes sustainability a step further, meeting or exceeding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) BioPreferred program’s minimum for biocontent. In addition, they have been formulated in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Design for the Environment (DfE) formulation initiative. According to Diane Mahana, marketing manager for Pro-Link, the new line will be...

WINCHESTER, VA.—Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP), a leader in innovative facility maintenance solutions, announces a new concept in cleaning. The DVAC 1 Pass Cleaning Solution combines multiple cleaning tasks into one to reduce non-productive labor time. The award-winning DVAC 1 Pass Cleaning Solution is a dolly-integrated vacuum that allows cleaning professionals to collect waste and recycling, dust, and vacuum in a single pass, optimizing both productivity and cleaning quality. “Direct labor is responsible for more than 60 percent of the overall costs of contract cleaners, so products that increase worker productivity have a tremendous impact on their bottom line,” said...

PLYMOUTH, MINN.—With the path to economic recovery still uncertain, all types of facilities—from healthcare and schools to hospitality and commercial office buildings—are feeling the budget squeeze for maintenance staffing and cleaning-equipment purchases. Floor cleaning is one area where productivity gains can help facilities deal with staff reductions and economic pressures. It is an inescapable fact that labor accounts for 90 percent of the cost to clean a facility. Even in times of reduced cleaning staff, there is never a choice to do less cleaning. There are, however, several strategies that can reduce the labor required for floor cleaning while maintaining...

RALEIGH, N.C.—In October, the Raleigh Convention Center joined an elite group of convention centers—those that have earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. In Raleigh’s case, it earned LEED Silver, joining the Phoenix Convention Center, Spokane (Wash.) Convention Center Expansion, and the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore., as LEED Silver recipients. The Raleigh facility earned the LEED designation a little more than a year after the center opened in September 2008. The Raleigh Convention Center is owned and managed by the City of Raleigh. According to Laurie Okun, director of...

MINNEAPOLIS—Advance’s EcoFlex System introduces a new level of scrubber flexibility that ends compromises between green cleaning and the cleanliness of floors. Now available on the Advenger rider-scrubber and coming soon on additional Advance scrubbers, the EcoFlex System lets operators easily control the level of cleaning performance needed to scrub hard floors while using environmentally preferable methods. “Cleaning green makes sense for a lot of reasons,” says Sara Thurston, commercial market manager for Advance. “However, every facility, surface type and cleaning program is different, so assuming that the same green cleaning technique will work in every situation just isn’t realistic.” The EcoFlex...

PATTERSON, N.Y.—Golden Group International, Ltd. (GGI) recently introduced Sani SAC to the hospitality industry. It is a sanitary, sealable, degradable plastic bag, and is the company’s environmentally friendly solution for the disposal of tampons/napkins, diapers and other similar items in public restrooms. GGI has created a 50-bag box, a 125-bag roll and a 5-bag handi-pack that can be used as a courtesy item in a hotel room. Jackie Transue, president of GGI, said she had the idea for founding GGI in 2007 while traveling on business as the president of her own mortgage company. She said practically every restroom in...

Hotels and restaurants that have been taking steps to green their cleaning operations may mistakenly be setting back their green cleaning programs as a result of H1N1 and other public health concerns that have surfaced in recent years. The problem is that eradicating from surfaces the germs, bacteria, and pathogens that can spread these diseases often requires the use of powerful, EPA-registered, hospital-grade disinfectants which they erroneously believe cannot be part of a green cleaning program. In the United States today, there are no disinfectants that can be marketed or labeled as green. Currently, disinfectants are classified as pesticides, which are...