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by: MichaelRichmond
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Depending on who you listen to, it can be very difficult to make your building Green. Businesses have been asked by many authorities to "Go Green," but they have not been told what Green means except to being a lengthy process of conversion and retrofitting that is lengthy and costly. In truth, it is obvious that the concept of a Green building has been reinterpreted by a variety of services causing an endless demand for change.

The foundation for a Green building comes down to the improvement of the health concerns of the building regarding the people that work there. It is admittedly helpful to change the light bulbs, reduce energy consumption, conserve fresh water, and recycle the trash. However, the best place to start a Green office is in the janitorial duties.

It need not be so complex. We feel that any building can accomplish a three step janitorial improvement. The first step is what we call the Green Agenda. This is when the decision-makers implement polices. The second step is to insure the Green products are used, and the third step is to require a Green certified janitorial service at contract time.

The importance of a Green building is the improvement of the health factor for those who do the cleaning and those who put their eight hours in every day. Studies should that there are acute and chronic influences based on the cleaning of the building. This reflects in the cost of manpower and the loss of profitability through absenteeism, lost productivity, and increased medical costs.

The Green practices are just as important as the Green products. For instance, the use of microfiber cloths can reduce chemical use. It can also decrease the bacteria and dust shuffled around the building. New cleaning methods must change the old "Spray and Wipe" routine to install a "Dwell Time" of the cleaning product. The spread of disease is greatly reduced by change of cleaning methods as well as the tools. It is not sufficient to toss a Green product in the janitor closet and assume that the whole project is Green.

During the bid or quote process for your building, you should include a "Green Practices Clause" that gives preferential treatment to janitorial services that not only offer a line of Green products but also boast a Green trained and certified workforce. It makes ultimate sense that the operator is equally as valuable as the tools of the operation. A set of tools does not make an average guy into an expert mechanic. Why should this not be true of the people protecting the health of the building for your employees?

Find a Green Clean Institute Certified janitorial firm in your area or require that those hoping to service your building are Green Clean Institute Certified. Your employees will be healthier, your costs will go down, and you may even qualify for the Green Clean Institute Certified Green Building.

About the Author

A big part of any Green Building is the janitorial service. More than energy or water, the wellbeing of the employees are influenced by the type of janitorial service you employ. The Green Practices clause

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