NATIONAL REPORT—Any discussion about green cleaning today should include the ways that water—plain old H2O—is being used to replace the toxic chemicals that cleaning and maintenance personnel have had to work with for decades. Cold water poured straight from the tap and used in that state is not going to clean much but if heated to a high temperature, ionized or infused with an extra oxygen atom, it can be just as effective or more effective at cleaning than the harshest chemicals. Many vendors now offer cleaning products that rely solely on water for cleaning. Some products are available in spray bottles while others require equipment that must be moved to the area where cleaning is taking place. The public health, environmental and financial benefits of these products are many.
Activeion Cleaning Solutions offers a spray bottle that includes a battery attached to it. The battery applies a slight electrical charge to the tap water inside. The charged water passes through an ion exchange membrane, creating an oxygen-rich mixture of positive and negative nano-bubbles. The ionized water, according to Activeion Cleaning Solutions, attracts dirt like a magnet and lifts it from the surface, enabling it to be easily wiped away. The ionized water both cleans and sanitizes. The battery in the spray bottle must be charged before the bottle is used. The ionator EXP for commercial applications is designed to last five years.
Available from Tersano (International) SRL is the lotus PRO cleaning system. Using electricity and tap water, lotus PRO creates liquefied ozone. A stain remover and deodorizer that sanitizes while it works, it kills almost 100 percent of bacteria, 50 percent faster than chlorine bleach. After its job is done, it turns back into water and oxygen. The lotus PRO system includes a base unit and trigger spray bottle. The liquefied ozone is made inside the base unit and transferred to the removable spray bottle. According to Tersano, the lotus PRO is currently being used by companies to clean more than 20,000 guestrooms in the United States.
Super Ionized Water
A spray bottle product called PH 12.6 includes super ionized water, a cleaning liquid separated from pure water using a patented electrolytic method. The electrolytic process enables the isolation of highly alkalinized molecules of water with the pH of 12.6. Molecules of PH 12.6 bind with dirt particles to lift the dirt away from a soiled surface.
“PH 12.6 is an all-purpose cleaner that acts as a disinfectant,” says Tanya Krefsky, the sole distributor of PH 12.6 in the United States. “There are no fumes. It is safe to use around food and produces no allergic reaction.”
VaporLux offers commercial vapor (steam) systems that use water heated to high temperatures to clean. Vapor molecules are extremely small and are able to penetrate the pores on any surface. When the hot vapor molecules come in contact with the cool surface in the pores, they violently expand and force all dirt, debris and bacteria to the surface. Because the vapor molecules are so hot, bacteria as well as most other harmful pathogens are killed. The result is a surface that is free of any substance that was not on the original surface. Vapor systems can be used in bathrooms for tile and grout cleaning, in kitchens to remove grease and grime on equipment, and in any carpet area where spots need to be removed.
Almost All Chemicals Eliminated
Larry Cavalloro, principal, VaporLux, says his company’s vapor systems can eliminate the purchase of almost all chemicals. Three commercial models are available. One tank of water will last from two to four hours.
Advanced Vapor Technologies also offers steam vapor systems for use in hotels. The company’s systems incorporate a technology called Thermal Accelerated Nano Crystal Sanitation. It encourages the formation of nano crystals within tap water. Then, when the water transforms into super-heated low-moisture steam, these energized crystals accelerate to help disrupt the cell membranes of the microbes on the surface one wishes to clean, making the cell membranes more sensitive to moist heat. Advanced Vapor Technologies’ system uses just 1.5 quarts of water per hour as it disinfects.
Rick Hoverson, commercial sales manager for Advanced Vapor Technologies, says his company’s cleaning system leaves no residue behind for guests who might be sensitive to chemicals. No Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are required. Additional benefits include labor savings, a reduction in waste associated with chemicals, a simplified cleaning process, improved indoor air quality, and a dramatic reduction in chemical purchase costs. Chemicals also do not enter the environment through the drain.
Ideal for Smoke Damage
AmeriVap Systems uses super-heated dry steam vapor in its Steam Max and Vapor Blitz lines of equipment. Just one ounce of water is used per minute. The company’s systems can be used to sanitize mattresses, clean and restore marble surfaces including flooring, as well as remove smoke and soot from surfaces that have been damaged due to cigarette smoke.
The Tennant Company equips its floor scrubber equipment with what it calls ec-H2O technology. Water is passed through an electrified screen inside an oxygenation chamber. This creates a solution infused with oxygenated micro-bubbles. A water cell passes an electric charge through the restructured water which then creates a blend of highly charged acidic and alkaline water. The activated water breaks the dirt into small particles which is then picked up by the scrubber. Forty-five seconds after the activation, the water returns to its normal tap water state. By that time, the water is in a recovery tank along with the dirt in the scrubber.
According to Sven Toelen, global ec-H2O product manager for Tennant Company, ec-H20 technology was first introduced in 2007. He says the technology, identical to that used in the Activeion product, not only eliminates the use of chemicals but also reduces the amount of water needed for floor cleaning by 70 percent. A study conducted for Tennant last year showed that its ec-H2O technology reduces environmental footprints across seven key categories when compared to traditional cleaning with chemicals. For example, there is almost no transportation-related environmental impact from using water. With chemicals, however, there are many environmental impacts throughout their life cycle—both upstream and downstream.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
