"'Greening the Cleaning'"
Health Facilities Management (11/08) Vol. 21, No. 11, P. 43; Ashkin, Stephen P.

As part of their efforts to "go green," many healthcare organizations are considering making the switch from conventional cleaners with ingredients that pose health hazards to organic cleaning products made from natural antimicrobials such as soy, cornstarch, and citric acid. Although there are a number of environmental and health benefits to making this change, hospitals take care when implementing natural cleaners to ensure they are as effective at preventing infection as their chemical counterparts. Hospitals are required under state and federal law to use powerful disinfectants in certain areas, such as operating rooms, but experts note less potent cleansers are suitable in other areas. Many hospitals are taking a close look at green cleaning due to the fact that many antimicrobials are classified as pesticides by the Environmental Protection Agency. Experts recommend that hospitals divide facilities into critical care zones where certain cleaning chemicals are required under law, such as operating and delivery rooms; semicritical care zones that need a high level of disinfection but offer some flexibility with regard to cleaners, such as restrooms and physical therapy rooms; and noncritical care zones that can be cleaned with soap and water alone, such as administrative offices and waiting rooms.
(Web Link)