Laval, QC - April 7, 2016, is World Health Day, sponsored by the World Health Organization.

Avmor Ltd., Canada's leading manufacturer of professional cleaning solutions for the Jan/San and Foodservice markets, believes the professional cleaning industry should honor this day by focusing on ways to protect human health...and at the top of their list is indoor air quality (IAQ). 

According to Mike Sawchuk, Chief Business Development Officer for Avmor, IAQ is an issue that just does not seem to be going away. 

"Even though the professional cleaning industry has introduced many new products and technologies that help protect IAQ, millions of people still use facilities every day with poor IAQ that can negatively impact their physical and mental health."

To back up his claims, Sawchuk points to the following:

* The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the American Lung Association, and the World Health Organization all view indoor air pollution as one of the greatest risks to human health.

* Researchers now connect poor IAQ with allergies, asthma, reproductive and developmental problems, and even cancer.

* Poor IAQ can adversely affect employee health and productivity. The EPA estimates this costs U.S. businesses "tens of billions of dollars per year." 

* Conversely, the EPA believes improvements in the indoor air environment may substantially raise employee morale and productivity, and reduce healthcare costs.

Among the steps Sawchuk suggests the professional cleaning industry can take to address these challenges are the following:

* Find and eradicate the source of poor IAQ: "One source often overlooked is carpet and upholstery.  In most facilities, restorative cleaning of carpet and upholstery using effective cleaning solutions should be performed at least once if not twice per year."

* Use only green-certified products. Along with UL Ecologo certifications, Avmor has received Greenguard Gold certifications for several products. "Greenguard has some of the most stringent standards in the industry for IAQ, ensuring they can be used safely in sensitive environments such as schools and healthcare facilities." 

* Install 15 feet of matting at all building entries.

* Advise facility managers to air out facilities in which new furniture, carpet, or floors have been installed, where floor stripping and finishing has occurred, or where there has been extensive painting.

* Clean custodian closets, make sure there are no intake vents in or near the closets, "and conduct an audit of the cleaning products in the closet...dispose of expired or old products"

* Select closed-loop dilution control systems that help optimize the efficacy of cleaning products and help protect IAQ

* Avoid the use of fragranced cleaning solutions, deodorizers, and aerosol sprays, or products with volatile organic compounds or petroleum based fragrances.

"And make sure all equipment used for cleaning, from vacuum cleaners to floor machines, have features that help protect IAQ," adds Sawchuk. "Protecting IAQ takes a system approach and includes every cleaning tool we use."