MINNEAPOLIS—Advance introduces the Advolution 2710, a battery-powered rider burnisher that provides a superior gloss and maximum productivity without the emissions or noise associated with propane burnishers. The machine increases productivity with its ride-on capability and extended run time. The Advolution 2710 rider also utilizes a front steering system, allowing the operator to easily maneuver in congested areas and around obstacles. “We designed the new Advolution 2710 burnisher with the operator in mind,” says Sara Thurston, brand manager for Advance. “The machine automatically controls the pad pressure and velocity for consistent, superior gloss results every time.” The One-Touch...

PETERBOROUGH, ONT.—Enviro-Solutions introduces an all new multipurpose cleaner—71C—combining the cleaning power of hydrogen peroxide with citrus oil. Depending on dilution, 71C can be used to safely clean glass, mirrors, floors, tile and grout, walls, and virtually all surfaces. It also can be used as a carpet extraction cleaner and spotter. The hydrogen peroxide helps dissolve soils, stains and eliminates odors. Moreover, because it is Green Seal and Carpet Rug Institute certified, it is safe, effective, and cost competitive as well. For more information, visit Enviro-Solutions.

As building and facility managers, you are probably aware of the availability of green cleaning products, at least on the periphery. But there’s much more to green cleaning than just environmentally preferable cleaning products. Green cleaning is not about simply replacing your current product with a milder cleaner. By definition, green cleaning can simply be defined as “cleaning to protect health without harming the environment.” Green cleaning is about understanding the unique requirements of your building and your occupants, examining your entire process of cleaning, identifying the areas that can be improved, developing a plan and the procedures to implement...

NATIONAL REPORT—No engineer will dispute the connection between preventive maintenance (PM) and energy efficiency. Ask a roomful of engineers the best way to conduct PM, however, and you may get a wide variety of answers. Fortunately for hotel owners and operators, there are myriad automated systems available that help ensure that proper PM gets done, and that energy and profits do not disappear into thin air. The following are descriptions of a few PM system vendors and their solutions. Dunedin, Fla.-based Mintek Mobile Data Solutions’ WinTrack PM system incorporates mobile devices and bar coding to help engineers...

NATIONAL REPORT—A waterless urinal looks very much like a conventional urinal. In fact, about all that is different is that the flush valve or piping that normally sits above the unit is missing. This is because waterless urinals, as the name implies, do not need water to operate. Instead, waterless systems have a vertical trap design that incorporates a cylinder or trap filled with a thin layer of liquid sealant sitting atop the drain area of the urinal. Urine passes through the cylinder and sealant, and as the cylinder fills, it flows under the barrier layer and into...

NATIONAL REPORT—The road has not been an easy one for green cleaning product entrepreneurs trying to break into the hospitality industry. One company has dominated the lodging sector for years and there has been the perception that green cleaning products are more expensive and less effective than market competitors. While those perceptions may have been true 10 years ago, it is no longer the case. In fact, with the price of petroleum—a primary ingredient in many cleaning fluids—skyrocketing, green cleaning options can be just as affordable. Also, in many cases, they can be more effective than more toxic...

NATIONAL REPORT—Why be concerned about indoor air quality (IAQ)? It has been well documented that indoor air contaminants can cause physiological and physical changes in humans including nose, throat and skin irritation, allergic reactions, respiratory problems such as asthma, and even infections. Poor IAQ also has been shown to damage building materials, furnishings and equipment. For example, walls, furnishings and paintings can become coated with residue fumes from cars and trucks, tobacco smoke, fireplaces, cooking fumes and odors, and even candles over time. Some contaminants can even change the electrical nature of components in electronic equipment. ...

NATIONAL REPORT—Patty Griffin, a nonsmoker, recently found herself staying in a smoking room in a hotel in Texas. It wasn’t her first choice, but it was what was available. The smoking odor didn’t hit her hard, however, until she got home and unpacked. “I took out a cotton nightgown, and I couldn’t believe how much it smelled like smoke,” says Griffin, president and founder of the 300-member Green Hotels Assn., Houston, Texas. Certainly, hotels and motels are becoming more accommodating to nonsmokers such as Griffin who don’t want to smell stale smoke or be exposed to its health risks. In...

NATIONAL REPORT—What does it really mean to implement a “green cleaning” program? Is it critical to only use green chemicals, or can other products be used? Is green cleaning an all-or-nothing proposition? Do we have to implement a complete, comprehensive program all at once, or can we phase one in over time? What role do our cleaning personnel play? And how do we identify green cleaning leaders and innovators? The goal of the green cleaning movement is to ultimately introduce cleaning systems that effectively impact an organization’s “triple bottom line” consisting of environmental, economic and social considerations. When...

NATIONAL REPORT—It is a hotel owner’s nightmare—a call from an attorney representing a guest who has been bitten by bedbugs. If accounts found all over the Internet, on blogs and from vendors are true, it happens often. In fact, the news media recently reported that a woman is suing a Catskills resort for $20 million due to the approximately 500 bedbug bites she received while staying at the property in summer 2005. Traditionally, hotels have resorted to chemical treatments from some of the pest control industry’s leading companies to fight the problem. This medicine can be as bad as the...