Cleanlink News October 21 2009
New Program Tests Green Cleaners
To
promote cleaning products that are both green and effective, the
International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA) and the
University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Toxics Use Reduction Institute
(TURI) have launched a program to test and validate high performance
products.
The fee-based program will test soil removal efficacy
of hard-surface cleaning products—both those certified as green by
third-party organizations such as Green Seal, EcoLogo, and EcoForm, as
well as products with green attributes—and recognize products that
perform well in standard and customized cleaning tests.
“While
it is accepted that lower-toxicity, environmentally-preferable or green
cleaning products are better for human health and global ecosystems,
the question remains: Do such products clean well when compared to
conventional or even other green products?” says Beth Risinger, CEO and
Executive Director of IEHA.
Products accepted into the program
will be tested using a variety of scientific methods and devices
producing a detailed analysis of product performance. Manufacturers can
use this information to improve their formulations as well as promote
their products.
“For institutions and consumers, the value we
provide is unbiased performance testing to enable product selection
based on objective data rather than on anecdotal information,” says
Jason Marshall, laboratory director of the Toxics Use Reduction
Institute at UMass Lowell. “For vendors, products that are effective
cleaners will have a clear scientific basis for associated marketing
claims.”
Manufacturers of cleaning products that qualify after
testing will be entitled to display the IEHA "High Performance Cleaning
Product" designation and logo.
“The logo will mainly serve as a
way for purchasers to determine at a glance those products that clean
well, but it also may be used by manufacturers for marketing purposes
with certain restrictions,” says Risinger. “This is really about
performance, not marketing, but products that are validated in this
program have a powerful marketing tool at their disposal.”
IEHA and TURI are now accepting applications from manufacturers who wish to have their products evaluated.
For
more information on test procedures, performance benchmarks, or to
apply for testing, please contact Allen P. Rathey, President,
InstructionLink/JanTrain, Inc. at (208) 938-3137 or arathey@jantrain.com.
