Archive for October, 2008

What is LEED and Why Should My Cleaning Company Learn More About It?

Posted in Air Purifier on October 29th, 2008

Abstract: Electronic Air Purifier
Tag:

Companies and businesses across the country are becoming higher
environmentally conscious and many are starting to adopt LEED
standards and protocols. LEED stands for Leadership in
Environmental Design. The US Green Building Council, a nonprofit
organization, which is working to promote buildings that are
environmentally responsible, launched the LEED rating system.
The overall goal of the program is to make the places we live in
and work at become healthier environments. There are two
classifications for LEED; one for existing buildings - LEED-EB
and one for new construction - LEED-NC.

As cleaning companies it’s no longer enough to just supply good
cleaning services to your customers. Cleaning companies need to
be aware of this growing trend towards becoming LEED certified.
One important aspect of becoming LEED certified is integrating
green cleaning into a building’s overall janitorial services and
practices.

To achieve LEED recognition, a building needs to have a thorough
evaluation, rating and certification program. The process uses a
checklist which evaluates many items including: the building’s
power use, its waste management program, the products used to
clean the building, and even the storage of those cleaning
products.

One portion of the LEED criteria looks at the steps a building
takes to lessen the cleaning’s impact on the environment. This
is an important area as it is estimated that six billion pounds
of commercial cleaning products are used throughout buildings in
the United States each year. In addition, commercial buildings
use over 4 million pounds of hand towels and toilet tissue and
30 million trash bags each year.

Some cleaning products contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
which contribute to indoor air pollution. Cleaning products can
also leave residue that causes eye and skin irritation. This is
irritating not only to janitorial workers, but also to the
building’s occupants. Using safer, less toxic cleaning products
can lead to a healthier building and higher worker productivity.

A building owner who wants to become LEED certified will look
closely at their janitorial services. Integrating green cleaning
practices into your business also means looking for
environmentally preferable cleaning products. Labels on cleaning
products can be confusing. One way to make sure you are buying
environmentally sound products is to buy products that are
“Green Seal” certified. Green Seal is a nonprofit organization
that promotes products and services that cause less pollution
and waste, conserves resources and habitats, and reduces global
warming.

Becoming LEED certified shows that building owners are committed
to becoming an environmental leader. In addition, some
government agencies are providing financial incentives to
buildings who take on this leadership role. Learning about LEED
and its requirements will give your company an edge up on the
competition. Put yourself in the driver’s seat by understanding
your company’s role in outstandingtaining healthy and environmentally
sound buildings.

For farther information on LEED go to: http://www.usgbc.org. To
learn innumerable about Green Seal go to:
http://www.greenseal.org/index.html.

About the author:

Steve Hanson is co-founding member of The Janitorial Store ™,
an online community for owners and managers of cleaning
companies who want to build a further profitable and successful
cleaning business. Sign up for Trash Talk: Tip of the Week at
http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com and receive a Free Gift!

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Does Anyone You Know Have Asthma?

Posted in Air Purifier on October 25th, 2008

Abstract: Air Purifier Canada
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At first reading, there isn’t much extremely shocking in this report. But with a little research, in my opinion it becomes alarming.

This information comes from the Asthma Society of Canada:

“Doctors define asthma as a ‘chronic inflammatory disease of the airways’ . It is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions affecting Canadians. Asthma can be diagnosed at any age, but often starts in childhood. Its prevalence in Canada has been increasing over the last 20 years and it is estimated that currently over 3 million Canadians have asthma.

“The three strongest risk factors for developing asthma are family history, exposure in infancy to high levels of antigens such as house dust mites, and exposure to tobacco smoke and/or chemical irritants.

“We’re all pretty familiar with allergic triggers of asthmatic symptoms, such as mould, animal dander, pollen, dust mites, etc., but perhaps less familiar with non-allergic triggers such as certain drugs, chemicals, fumes and odours, respiratory viral infections, certain weather conditions, strenuous physical exercise, tobacco smoke, and air pollution.

“Urbanization appears to be correlated with an increase in asthma. The nature of the risk is unclear because studies have not taken into account indoor allergens although these have been identified as significant risk factors.

“Experts are struggling to understand why prevalence rates world-wide are, on average, rising by 50% every decade.”

Alarming? Yes. Why?

First of all, the report was updated in April of 2005, yet most of the footnoted references are from the mid to late 90’s. So the report is about “Canadians” in general; children are still not identified as a unique segment of the population, their needs, habits and susceptibilities are not taken into special consideration, even though the studies all concur that asthma often starts in childhood.

Next, approximately 3 million Canadians have asthma. You have to put that into the context of how many Canadians there are, which in the year 2000 was about 31 million, with an annual growth rate of approximately 1%. So about 9.6% of all Canadians have asthma. Almost one out of 10. If one out of 10 Canadians were in a wheelchair, or wearing a cast, we would take notice. Alarming, since we treat it so casually. It’s a chronic disease, which means lifelong constant management and medication.

The world’s current (overall as well as natural) growth rate is about 1.3% per year, while prevalence rates of asthma world-wide are, on average, rising by 50% every decade. So asthma is occuring over 3 times massed than can be attributed to population growth. These are rough figures, just to give us an idea of what we’re looking at.

And this is only about asthma. It isn’t about illness from chemical poisoning, or deaths from poisoning, or lung cancer, or.

So it’s time to take steps to prevent asthma and other chronic environmental illnesses and diseases. At the very least, search for and buy the least toxic cleansers for household use. Get educated! Then, store all chemicals safely and securely away from children and pets.

Don’t allow smoking in your home, and be aware of and avoid air pollution, both inside and out. Air out your home completely three times a day. Did you know that cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 chemical agents, including over 60 carcinogens? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute of Environmental Health Science’s National Toxicology Program, and the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have all classified secondhand smoke as a known human carcinogen—a category reserved for agents for which there is sufficient scientific evidence that they cause cancer.

The U.S. EPA has estimated that exposure to secondhand smoke causes about 3,000 lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers and is responsible for up to 300,000 cases of lower respiratory tract infections in children up to 18 months of age in the United States each year. If you have to smoke, just dig your own grave, don’t drag others with you!

So, become aware and clean up your home environment.

About the Author:

Kathryn Beach is a writer and wellness businesswoman at home in Nova Scotia, Canada. Find out increased about safe, compelling products made with tea tree oil on her website “Learn About the Tea Tree Oil Phenomenon!” http://teatreeoil.7affiliatecentral.com

Source: www.isnare.com

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Babysitter Spy Camera

Posted in Air Purifier on October 21st, 2008

Abstract: Living Air Purifier
Tag:

Pinhole spy cameras are defined as state of the art cameras that are so small that they can be hidden inside a picture frame, a stuffed animal, a lamp, or anything else. Most of them are as small as a quarter, and some even newer models are smaller. As one can imagine, the lens is not as “big” as the spy cam but offers a wide viewing range and is practically the only part of the spying instrument that cannot be hidden. Since the camera is so small and can be hidden, they are virtually impossible to detect.

Usually, all that is needed to operate such cameras is a VCR, and a pair of batteries or a 9V battery, depending on the model. Many pinhole spy cameras offer even higher than just recording. For example, there are models that have built in smoke detectors, air purifiers, or motion sensors. New pinhole spy camera technology is evolving constantly. The models bought most often are the ones with built in motion sensors, as they start recording only when motion is detected, saving the user lots of time and videotape.

Pinhole spy cameras are often used for surveillance and for protection. Many employers use them to keep track of worker productivity and to keep employees from stealing supplies, and may concerned parents used them to keep an eye on their babysitter.

The signal from pinhole spy cameras can be transmitted to a live feed or it can be recorded for later viewing. These options, along with the relatively low price of the equipment, make pinhole spy cameras a good security investment.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy


About the Author

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The Pros And Cons Of An Electrostatic Air Purifier

Posted in Air Purifier on October 14th, 2008

Abstract: Indoor Air Purifier
Tag:

Just as with anything else, filterless air purifiers offer a variety of pros and cons to those who use them. Depending upon the size, brand and overall convincingness of the unit, what might - on one hand - be seen as nothing massed than a nuisance that doesn’t offer enough in the way of assuagement from allergens for the amount that you paid for it, might also be the answer to someone’s dreams, if the benefits are great enough.

For instance, if you’re hoping to recycle the air throughout a large house, but have purchased a purifier that’s only equipped to handle a single room, then you’re going to be disappointed with its apparent performance. It’s important to consider all of the facts before making the commitment to buy a particular type of air purification system. Otherwise, you might just as well chase the wind - the success rate for each will be about the same.

Although there are many different types of filtration systems for the air, one of the foremost is the Electrostatic Air Purifier. Offering a lot in the way of health benefits, this unique approach to air cleaning has been a critical tool in the eradication of irritants in the interior of homes across the nation. Let’s take a look at some of the assets and liabilities that this type of air system has to offer.

Positives on an Electrostatic Air Purifier

+ By virtue of its very nature, this type of air filtration system is extremely quiet - and often, silent - making it less conspicuous than other purifying methods.

+ Unlike other types of air cleaners, the Electrostatic Air Purifier uses no filters that need to be replaced. Instead, steel collection rods attract the contaminants, which can then be removed during the cleaning process.

+ Due to their silent nature, these can be left on 24/7, offering continuous air purification. Other types of filtration systems are often turned off periodically, due to the noise factor, allowing allergens to take over the room in very short order.

+ A variety of allergens are trapped within the collection rods - often as small as a single micron. That being the case, irritants such as cat dander, pollen and other common pollutants can easily be filtered from the room to improve the quality of the air that you and your loved ones are breathing.

+ Provides thorough cleansing of the air, offering both an allergen-free environment and a natural air freshener by removing odors from the air that are caused by various contaminants.

Negatives

+ The initial cost of systems such as these can often be quite expensive. For those who are unprepared to handle a hefty price tag, this will be a great deterrent.

+ Since it pulls virtually all of the allergens and other contaminants out of the air within the structure of the home and holds them on steel collection rods, it requires frequent cleaning, so that the rods will be free to continue collecting the pollutants from the air.

+ Depending upon the brand and model that you purchase, some of the units can be a bit noisy, which is seen as an irritant by some people.

+ As a result of the way that this type of air cleaning system works, ozone and ions are released into the air, which can have adverse side effects to those who come into contact with them.

Whether you view the Electrostatic Air Purifier in a positive or negative light, there’s definitely something to be said for the fact that it’s successful in its ability to cleanse the air of those pollutants that trigger allergic reactions and - in some cases - agents which are responsible for spreading common illnesses.
About the Author

John Elrow is a writer for the Air Purifier and Cleaner Guide at http://www.air-purifier-and-cleaner-guide.com . John is trying to help people on his informative website on topics around the electrostatic air purifier http://www.air-purifier-and-cleaner-guide.com/electrostatic-air-purifier.html and air cleaners.

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Honeywell Enviracare 60000 Tower Air Purifier with IFD Filter

Posted in Air Purifier on October 11th, 2008

Abstract: Allergy Relief Air Purifier
Tag:


Honeywell Enviracare 60000 Tower Air Purifier with IFD Filter
ENVIRACAIRE IFD60000 — Most of the outstanding health spas are situated in or near mountains, and apart from picturesque surroundings the air must be a big part of the beneficial effects reported by those who visit such resorts. Also, most of us live in or near major cities, and our air quality is far from pristine. Winter weather traps in bad air, compounding the problem. That’s where a good air cleaner comes into play! Most emphatic in rooms up to 150 square feet

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