A New Approach

Facility managers are not novices when it comes to sustainability, especially in a world where smart stewardship of natural resources is expected by their tenants, building visitors and governing bodies. Yet many FMs forget how proper cleaning and restoration of all assets — not just textile-covered floors — can promote sustainability.

Plotting out a long-term, comprehensive maintenance plan from the moment a carpet or other asset is installed can have a direct impact on how often non-recyclable items end up in landfills. On the other hand, taking a more short-haul approach almost ensures that assets must be swapped out in as few as five years. That is not good for business, the environment, or the bottom line.

Understanding the rise in sustainability in FM

When did this increased emphasis on sustainability in buildings begin? The interest arose many decades ago but truly gained a foothold in the 1990s as people began to weigh their everyday choices on a sustainability scale.

For instance, many FMs began with water- and energy-conservation strategies. Therefore, so many buildings have been constructed or retrofitted with amenities like automatic lights and faucets. The Lloyds Bank 2020 Commercial Banking’s Business Barometer indicates that nearly one-quarter of all small to midsize enterprises have adjusted their interiors to waste less energy.

Sustainability’s rise is not limited to utilities. It has also crept into worries about indoor air quality (IAQ). After the 2020 pandemic, IAQ has become more critical than ever, especially in the minds of consumers, as have greener initiatives in general. As a 2018 Nielsen survey noted, 81 percent of people want companies to concentrate on improving their environmental standards. With eco-conscientious Generation Z members entering the workforce, that percentage is likely to continue rising.

The good news for FMs is that they do not have to reinvent the wheel to practice sustainability or make it a primary goal. Building standards related to sustainability, not to mention the health and comfort of building occupants, are par for the course. Consider the importance of the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system that has stood the test of time as a green building standard. On its heels have grown other standards including International WELL Building Institute's framework, and the Fitwell system.

In other words, sustainability’s not a niche concern nor a passing fancy. It is so deeply ingrained that it has is expanding to all aspects of life and work — and that brings the conversation back to sustainable cleaning and maintenance practices. Do they take longer to map out and implement? Maybe. Will they require more cash upfront? That is possible. However, sustainable cleaning solutions extend the life spans of myriad assets, from carpets to social distancing partitions. That’s good, green, and practical.

Moving toward restoration & away from replacement

Although it is not possible for FMs to do everything at once to bring their buildings into sustainable harmony, they can begin by focusing on restoring assets rather than buying new ones. Restoration extends any asset’s useful performance while lessening the burden on landfills and taking away the demand to use resources to create replacements. Consequently, it is a proven way to get closer to being eco-responsible. But it will not happen without a proactive game plan.

Every building has its own assets, and therefore its own cleaning and maintenance needs. Nevertheless, paying attention to key sustainability facts can help reduce the need to replace assets and can positively influence any building’s greenness:

1. Older carpet can often be revitalized with proper deep cleaning.

Are some older carpets too far gone to be revived? Absolutely. However, plenty of carpeting that looks dirty and seems worn can be brought back to life. Even getting an extra couple of years out of a commercial carpet will pay off in both environmental and fiscal ways. After all, Environmental Protection Agency estimates suggest that more than 3.4 million tons of used carpet wound up in landfills just in 2018. Cutting that number by just a few percentage points would be a huge start.

A deep, restorative clean can often bring an unsightly carpet back to acceptable levels. Hot water extraction is not always recommended, because this cleaning method uses significantly more water resources and can lead to faster resoiling as well as potential mildew and bacteria buildup. If possible, use a low-moisture deep cleaning method.

Though an aging carpet will not look brand new after being professionally restored, it can serve its duty aesthetically and functionally with proper follow-up maintenance including routine vacuuming, spot cleaning, more low-moisture interim cleanings, and periodic deep cleanings. When it comes time for a replacement, FMs can work with a service building contractor to develop individualized cleaning frequencies for each section of flooring based on estimated traffic and soiling.

2. Upholstered furniture deserves a second look before being discarded.

It is not uncommon for FMs to feel the pressure to upgrade their space’s upholstered furniture about every 10 years, if not sooner. Nonetheless, upgrading is not the most sustainable option. Does furniture become dated? Will tenants ask for something “different” or “modern?” Yes. However, there are other ways to refresh an interior other than tossing upholstered furniture that just needs a little restorative TLC.

Make no mistake: Furniture waste is not to be taken lightly. Just a few years ago, 12 million tons of it was tossed in landfills, according to EPA reporting. As a result, FMs may need to push back against replacing furniture that can be brought back to life. Like carpets, upholstered chairs, cubicle walls, and other furnishings can be carefully treated to extract dirt, reduce stains, and look (and smell) fresher. A planned periodic maintenance program can ensure that they stay attractive and high performing for the long haul.

How can FMs get around the problem of dated furniture? Working with an innovative interior designer may be a smart method to repurpose upholstered pieces so they fit in rather than stand out. This keeps furniture waste to a minimum while still giving tenants a remodeled feel.

3. Resilient floors may appear deceptively beyond repair.

Many FMs have added resilient flooring like luxury vinyl tile (LVT), vinyl composite tile (VCT), and vinyl sheet goods to high traffic areas. These flooring choices work great because they are durable yet fashionable. The only problem is that once soil becomes embedded in a resilient floor’s finish, regular cleaning and scrubbing will not remove it.

Upon seeing how dirty their resilient floors have become, FMs may assume they have no choice but to replace them. Yet there is a workaround: Stripping the old floor finish. Stripping the finish that is soiled offers a game-changing alternative. Once the floor has been stripped of its former finish, a new finish can be applied.

When added by a team of experts, a new finish can bring resilient floors back to like-new condition. Plenty of FMs and building occupants are surprised by the obvious pre-finish and after-finish differences. To extend the life of the flooring even more, FMs may ask their service building contractors to further protect the surface with a performance coating. This will extend the time between the need for future stripping and finishing, which in turn shortens the need for additional resources.

4. Tile and grout flooring rarely need to be replaced when most FMs think.

Restrooms, front lobbies and kitchens are prime spaces for tile and grout. Unfortunately, tile and grout can be one of the most frustrating surfaces to deal with from a cleaning standpoint. Over time, grout especially takes stiff abuse. And daily or weekly mopping does not help much because the infrequently changed mop water simply spreads grime from one side of the room to the other.

What is the sustainable thing to do in this situation? Again, the answer is restorative deep cleans to prolong the life of materials and forestall replacements. Attacking the fatty acids, soil, and even built-up uric acid stains with an appropriate chemical, proper agitation, and an energy-efficient rinse and reclaim process will not only breathe freshness into grout but neutralize and sanitize it, too.

Some grout has been forgotten and neglected so long that it is impossible to restore it to its original color. But even in this instance, replacement is not a necessity. A penetrating, color-filled sealer can protect grout, seal the grout joints, and change the grout’s overall hue. It is much more economical and greener to spend a day restoring a tiled surface than to tear everything out and start fresh.

FMs are not magicians, but they do have some sustainable tricks up their sleeves. Perhaps the most straightforward one of all is to follow a general pattern of restoration before replacement. Saving just a few assets from the garbage dump will help save a planet worth protecting.