CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Verde International as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Verde offers chemical-free, natural mineral cleaners for every application. Its products include an All Surface Pro Cleaner, Odor & Dust Control, Super Degreaser, and Concrobium Mold Control. The company’s concentrated powders are more economical for storage and shipping versus liquid solutions containing mostly water. Because Verde’s products include no soaps or detergents, no rinsing is required. To learn more, call David Schwartz at (954) 530-3728, ext. 16, e-mail davids@verdeii.com, or go to www.verdeii.com.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) released “H1N1 Influenza Management in Hotels,” a guide for lodging businesses to use in managing H1N1 influenza virus situations at their properties. The 26-page manual gives hoteliers guidance for employees and guests who are afflicted with the H1N1 flu and other influenza strains. It also covers basic sanitation practices to use when cleaning guestrooms and public areas. The “H1N1 Influenza Management in Hotels” manual is divided into 10 areas: a basic introduction to H1N1 flu and its treatment, the need for a hotel response plan and its basic components, employee safety, what...

DAVIE, FLA.—In spite of all the supporting data, most organizations underestimate the value of preventive maintenance, especially with HVAC systems, which are out of sight and out of mind until something goes wrong. The condensate drain pain in HVAC systems is the No. 1 source of microbial growth and contamination for air conditioner units. While annual air conditioner cleaning is essential to maintaining the efficiency of your units, it is also important to provide sustained pan protection in between cleanings. Pan Purge Strips are EPA registered condensate pan strips; they are used in hotels nationwide as part of the...

(This is the first article in a two-part series of articles on green cleaning.) Many hotels are turning to green cleaning products and practices to improve indoor air quality, reduce risk to building occupants, improve environmental performance and obtain a marketing advantage. This document is intended to help hoteliers determine whether to follow suit at their properties and how to do so. 1. What are the problems associated with traditional cleaning products and practices? The rise of the green cleaning movement stems from health and environmental concerns associated with the traditional cleaning industry and its practices. There is a growing recognition that...

(This is the second article in a two-part series of articles on green cleaning. To read the first article, click here.) 4. How well do green cleaning products work? How much do they cost? The cleaning capability of green products can best be measured by testing them in one’s facility. Still, there are reasons to believe that they hold up well when compared to traditional products. Certifying agencies, such as Green Seal, EcoLogo, or EPA’s Design for the Environment Program test products for effectiveness, besides health and environmental considerations, and only approve products with high marks. Also, the widespread adoption...

NATIONAL REPORT—There are many variables that come into play when deciding the best water treatment solution for your pool—pool size, location (indoor or outdoor), and the average volume of guests that use the water on a daily basis. Chlorine, because of its low cost, is the most commonly used sanitizer. In order for it to be effective, however, the pH of the water has to be monitored closely. If not watched properly, chlorine can cause eye and skin irritation, damage hair, bleach swim suits, and aggravate and cause asthma and other health conditions. Chlorine reacts to bodily proteins to...

DALLAS—Accor North America has joined the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP). The program, which aims to reduce the use of potentially hazardous chemicals that can result from products and processes, is the latest of many environmental initiatives taken by the company to help minimize the environmental impact of its more than 1,000 hotels in the United States and Canada. In fact, Accor North America’s economy brand, Motel 6, is among the first in the hospitality industry to implement a fluorescent light bulb and battery recycling program at its properties nationwide. “Accor North America is committed...

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....

NEW ORLEANS—More than 200 non-biodegradable fiberglass trash cans, once destined for a landfill, have found a new life as bright yellow-green recycling bins at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. In an effort to be more environmentally-friendly, the Convention Center sought to replace their existing trash cans with 210 new recycling bins for paper, plastic, and waste. As the trash cans were about to be put out to pasture, enterprising Convention Center employees stepped in with an innovative idea for repurposing the 25-year-old trash cans. During a brainstorming session, operations staff members suggested that the Convention Center’s existing...

BERKELEY, CALIF.—VASKA, a Berkeley, Calif.-based producer of green, botanically-based laundry care products for the commercial, institutional and consumer markets, announced that Royal Laundry of South San Francisco, the largest privately owned commercial laundry on the West Coast, is washing one million pounds of laundry a week using Vaska’s green laundry solutions in its three state-of-the-art tunnel systems. Royal Laundry washes laundry for more than 100 Northern California hotels. Royal Laundry has been a major commercial laundry service provider in the Bay Area for 47 years. When Royal began to encounter challenges with its previous chemical supplier, Don Luckenbach , Royal’s...