The hospitality industry has been dramatically affected by the growing green movement. Sustainable, eco-friendly design and construction practices are now part of almost all major hotel building projects, including retrofits and property operations.
Yet despite these changes, there are still many situations in which green cleaning is being overlooked. Hotel administrators and housekeeping departments must realize that sustainable building and design practices are just one piece of the puzzle. Maintaining a facility with outdated cleaning chemicals, tools or machines defeats the intended goal of green building and design, which is to operate facilities with less impact on the environment and help protect the health of guests and staff.
The following are six key factors that can help hotel managers and housekeepers successfully implement a green cleaning program:
1) Understand what green cleaning really is. Hotel administrators and housekeepers must educate themselves about the goals of green cleaning and how to put it in place in a cost-effective manner. In some situations it has been used as only a marketing strategy, but the true goals of green cleaning are to provide real solutions that make a hotel property healthier and to have a positive impact on the property’s bottom line.
2) Collaborate. Not surprisingly, green cleaning is most effective when the decision to go green involves the facility’s staff at all levels, from top management to housekeepers and even suppliers. These different groups must join forces—collaboration is key to the success of any green cleaning program. Each group brings expertise to the table, so it is only by working together that a new program can be put in place effectively and efficiently.
3) Find outside help. In years past, facilities wanting to implement a green cleaning program often turned to outside consultants. However, while the expertise of such providers is unchallenged, their services can be costly. Fortunately, some janitorial distributors and janitorial buying groups have made understanding green cleaning and sharing their knowledge with their clients a top priority. Many hotel facilities have recognized that these knowledgeable distributors can be key to the green cleaning process.
Phase in Green Cleaning
4) Start small and dream big. One of the first issues that often emerges when starting a green cleaning program is what to do with old cleaning chemicals and products already in stock. In most cases, the most cost-effective step to take (unless a product is particularly harmful) is to replace conventional products with green equivalents only as they are used up.
This guideline applies to more expensive cleaning machinery and tools as well. Commercial vacuum cleaners (which typically last three to five years), carpet extractors (five to seven years) and floor machines (seven to ten years*) should all eventually be replaced with HEPA-filter vacuum cleaners, low moisture extractors, floor care equipment with built-in vacuum systems, and machines that use less water and chemical.
5) Educate everyone. It is not enough for only hotel managers and cleaning staff to be aware of the green cleaning program and its benefits. All employees will need to be educated about the program, including how and why it is being implemented. Making everyone a “stakeholder” in the green cleaning process helps ensure its success.
6) Promote. Once the green cleaning program has been implemented, it should be promoted among staff, suppliers and hotel guests. As mentioned, some facilities view going green as little more than a marketing tool; this approach clearly overshadows the true benefits and goals of any such program. However, this does not mean that hotel properties should not promote the fact that they have implemented a green cleaning program. Hotel guests know that green cleaning is good not only for the environment but for their own health as well. Many of them will appreciate the steps being taken to ensure that the facility is as healthy as possible for both its users and the greater world.
Mike Nelson is vice president of marketing for Pro-Link, Inc., a buying and marketing group for the professional cleaning industry. He may be reached at mike.nelson@prolinkhq.com.
*The life expectancy of cleaning equipment varies depending on use, model, and care. These are estimates. Also, there are several types of floor machines. Ride-on and walk-behind machines will usually need to be replaced before more conventional buffers, which are typically used for smaller floor care tasks and can last for years.
