Interclean 2022,the professional cleaning and hygiene show that offers the most complete overview of innovative products and solutions, took place last week in Amsterdam and Dave Morrissey ,CIO, and Ingo Weinhold, International Business Development Manager, had an exciting few days as they got to experience huge advances and innovation in the cleaning industry. The recurring theme of ‘cleaning for health and not just for appearances’ was apparent throughout the exhibitions and the presentations. Creating a healthier indoor environment is key to the health and well-being of those who occupy a building and to achieve this, there must be clean air, clean surfaces and proper ventilation. At ASL we are believers in cleaning for health and hygiene and our asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program addresses this.
ISSA and GBAC at Interclean
It was wonderful to meet up with colleagues and friends including Patricia Olinger and Michael Diamond from ISSA-The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association and the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) and discuss the imminent launch of our latest education program ‘Healthier Buildings Awareness’ for GBAC members. GBAC’s program relies on comprehensive training, which teaches the proper protocols, correct disinfection techniques, and cleaning best practices for biohazard situations. This aligns nicely with ASL’s mission and we are uniquely positioned to deliver the education that is required around the impacts a building has on health. The GBAC Symposium 2022 in Chicago is approaching fast and we are looking forward to hearing from Dr John McKeon there in his capacity of keynote speaker.
It was great also to catch up with Dave Maurer of the CPI Innovation Center in Michigan which so impressed us when we visited recently. The facility provides hands on training for those in the cleaning industry, fulfilling the center’s philosophy that education only really happens if something is transferred into real life or into practice.
Education at Interclean
The presentations and seminars at Interclean were second to none this year and we particularly enjoyed Prof Axel Kramer’s lecture as part of the Indoor Air Quality Society launch symposium during which he discussed the important issue of VOCs in cleaning products in healthcare.
The asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program, run in collaboration with AAFA, tests products such as surface cleaning sprays and dusting wipes. Cleaning product ingredients are many, varied and largely unregulated. It is not a requirement for manufacturers to list all the ingredients on packaging and anything that constitutes less than 2% of the product can be omitted. Indeed, the American Lung Association recommend using only cleaning products that “don’t have volatile organic compounds, fragrances, irritants or flammable ingredients”. The asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program ensures that levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are very low in any products that are awarded the certification or that their concentration is low enough to warrant no concern for sensitive individuals.
Interclean 2022 was a wonderful opportunity for ASL to educate and empower people to improve lives by creating healthier indoor spaces.
Keywords
cleaning products, cleaning industry, health, healthier, indoor environment, Interclean 2022, certification, innovation, indoor air quality, indoor environment, VOCs, ventilation, building materials, allergen, allergy, asthma, asthma & allergy friendly®
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