LOUISVILLE, COLO.—Unearthed Paints, a manufacturer of eco-friendly paints and plasters, announced the release of their new natural Hard Wax Oil finish—a durable surface treatment, ensuring protection for wood, cork and stone in interior applications. Unearthed Hard Wax Oil is produced from natural raw materials and is non-toxic and VOC-free. Unearthed Hard Wax Oil finish provides a natural, breathable silky-matte finish that penetrates deep into the pores to enhance the wood’s natural beauty. The transparent, honey tinge hue allows the wood’s inherent characteristics to show through. “Conventional polyurethane finishes are a plastic-like layer that sits on top of your wood floor,” says...

JUPITER, FLA.—Fresh-Aire UV, the manufacturer of the original 24 Volt Blue-Tube UV and the APCO in-duct air purifiers, introduces the Mini UV System, the first germicidal ultra-violet light system designed specifically for mini-split and other ductless air-conditioning units in residential and commercial applications.The Mini UV’s patent-pending miniaturized components, consisting of two pencil-thin, 9 (L) x 3/8 (D)-inch UV lamps and a 6 (W) x 1.5 (H) x 1 (D)-inch, 120 or 208-230-VAC power supply, fit inside all ductless A/C brands and even the tightest compact mini-split spaces.Like all Fresh-Aire UV products, the Mini UV inhibits all mold and other...

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.—The Radisson Grand Rapids Riverfront Hotel announced that it has implemented a facility-wide “Green Clean Sweep” by permanently replacing traditional cleaners and sanitizers with plant-based, environmentally preferable alternatives made by green chemical manufacturer EcoLogic Solutions. In addition to the health and environmental benefits, the shift will reduce the hotel’s chemical costs and usage by an estimated 15 percent each year, according to Radisson Grand Rapids Riverfront Hotel general manager, Todd Roesler. “Sustainable commercial cleaning supplies have come a long way recently,” said Roesler. “They’re now every bit as effective as the old fashioned alternatives, often lower in cost, and...

WEST CHICAGO, ILL.—According to an online survey conducted for Tornado Industries, 67 percent of respondents, a clear majority, agree with the following statement, “We are stripping and refinishing floors less frequently today than we were five years ago.” The other respondents either disagreed with the above statement or were “not sure.” These findings are consistent with a New Year’s prediction made by Michael Schaffer, president of Tornado, about floor care trends. “For both environmental and cost reasons, end-customers are delaying refinishing cycles or not refinishing their floors at all,” he says. However, in the long run, delaying or not refinishing floors...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Enagic Kangen Water as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Enagic Kangen Water makes a machine that produces five different grades of electrolyzed water for drinking, cleaning, sanitizing and food preparation. It has been approved by U.S. regulators and the Water Quality Assn. (WQA) has given it its Gold Seal and ISO Certification. Call Bill Norse at (626) 665-5213 for more information and a DVD, e-mail bnorse713@msn.com, or visit www.checkoutkangen.com.

LITTLE SILVER, N.J.—BedBug Chasers, a national supplier of bed bug heat remediation equipment and a provider of heat remediation services to the pest control industry in New Jersey, has expanded its service area to include the New York Metropolitan and Philadelphia markets. Following its New Jersey model of turn-key subcontracted heat remediation services, pest control operators (PCOs) in these other areas can now achieve a higher ROI than if they performed the treatment themselves. The BedBug Chaser green 100 percent chemical free electric heaters were designed with the KISS principle (Keep It Simple and Straightforward) and in continuing that same...

WESTERVILLE, OHIO—International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA) announced that Clorox Commercial Solutions Green Works Concentrated Cleaners from Clorox Professional Products Company have been recognized as High Performance Cleaning Products (HPCP). HPCP is a voluntary, fee-based program which tests green product performance on real-world soils. To be approved for the IEHA HPCP program, a product must perform exceedingly well on more than one type of dirt and soil as determined by the Toxic Use Reduction Institute (TURI) Lab at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. During testing, it was proven that Clorox Commercial Solutions Green Works All Purpose Cleaner, Green Works Bathroom Cleaner...

WEST CHICAGO, ILL.—CFR, which manufactures recycling carpet cleaning extractors and related tools and equipment, announced that its goal in 2012 is to put a much greater emphasis on what the company calls “responsible cleaning.” According to Doug Berjer, product manager for CFR, responsible cleaning refers to cleaning strategies that are designed to help protect the environment as well as natural resources, specifically water. “We want cleaning professionals and carpet cleaning technicians to be more aware of the need to use water responsibly,” Berjer said. “Historically, it has just not been much of a concern. But responsible water use is a...

WEST CHICAGO, ILL.—Tornado Industries, manufacturer of professional cleaning tools and equipment for more than 80 years, has added a “last minute” banner to its website, further reminding managers and cleaning professionals of a special tax break set to expire or decline significantly at the end of this year. The banner, also placed on Tornado’s sister company’s website, CFR, states that buyers of cleaning tools and equipment may be able to deduct the full purchase price of the equipment from their 2011 taxes. Normally, buyers can only deduct a portion over several years. “This is not only a tax savings, but it...

PHILADELPHIA—FMC Corp. introduces the Verifi bed bug detector. It provides continuous detection of bed bugs for up to 90 days at a time in a small, easy-to-use device. Verifi provides three months of active detection before re-activating with replacement components. A pest management professional can quickly and easily install the device for year-round monitoring in hotel rooms, lounges, storage rooms, conference rooms and many other areas where bed bugs may become a problem. And unlike canine and other detection methods, Verifi is discrete and unobtrusive, operates silently, and does not require the room to be out of service. This bed...