Soil is everywhere. It is a part of the earth we live on and managing it is a vital part of our everyday existence. The U.S. Green Building Council has developed a rating system for new and existing buildings to encourage building owners to earn credit for meeting certain housekeeping criteria. Strategies include the creation and maintenance of entrance systems and mats that prevent particles from entering the building. Recommendations include a minimum of 10-12 feet of quality matting products at entrances. At the heart of an entrance system is prevention of contaminants from entering a building. 85% of all soil enters a building on the feet of people entering the building. Of this, at least 80% is dry soil and the rest is oily. The dry soil can range from large particles to powder-like dust. Over the years, many products have been developed and sold to help keep soil at the door and out of the building. The key to the success of a mat’s performance is whether it will do what an entrance mat should do.

What is Green Cleaning? The concept of Green Cleaning began with Presidential Executive Order 13101 dated September 14, 1998 titled “Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition”. In the order a policy was established to prefer pollution prevention, recycling and safe disposal in government facilities. Green Cleaning now means the best use of products that reduce indoor pollution as well as reduce environmental pollution and favor sustainable materials.

What Products are popular in a Green Cleaning Business? The obvious products that come to the forefront of Green Cleaning businesses, such as chemicals and paper due to their potential toxicity and/or recycle/disposal properties. Other products such as mats play an important role in improving indoor air quality. For example, in discussing mats, the EPA, Green Seal, and US Green Building Council have referred to them as “…the first line of defense”. In addition, they call for a minimum of 10-12 feet of mats at the entrance of a building as a way to keep dirt and moisture contained thereby reducing the need for cleaning and reducing the quantity of chemicals required for that purpose. LEED-EB, the nationally recognized voluntary standard for green existing buildings sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council also recommends entryway systems as a way to improve IAQ.

Where Do Our Mats Fit in the Green Cleaning Business? 75 to 80% of contaminates that enter a building come through entryways. A quality matting system stops these contaminates at the door. Stopping these contaminates not only reduces cleaning labor costs and reduces wear on floor surfaces but it also substantially reduces the need for cleaning chemicals that might be harmful to the building occupants and the environment. Quality matting systems like the Waterhog™ provides the maximum performance for preventing soil and water from entering a building and therefore helping to keep a building “Green”. The bi-level construction that provides an upper surface for walking and a lower area where soil and water are stored until removed by cleaning accomplish this capability. Waterhog™ mats utilize this permanent rubber reinforced BI-level construction, thereby, trapping large quantities of moisture and dirt, minimizing the effects of soil and water being tracked further into the facility. . Lower quality mats must be replaced 4 to 5 times more often than Waterhog™ mats contributing significantly more waste to our landfills.