If you look at the floors of the School of Medicine and Dentistry, you’ll notice that they are most decidedly not green, not in color at least. They are, however, clean and sanitary, and made so in a rather environmentally friendly way.
This is accomplished in large part by the elimination of traditional floor stripper when performing a resealing. Floor stripper is one of the more caustic chemicals used in the pantheon of cleaning supplies. Not surprisingly, floor stripper is not considered particularly environmentally friendly, and is extremely expensive as well.
Now, instead of using floor stripper, Environmental Service workers at the School of Medicine and Dentistry use a chemical-free floor stripping machine. It works by using a specialized pad with plain tap water that strips away the old floor coating via its high pressure and orbital action. The pad on the machine is good for several stripping cycles, as opposed to a conventional stripping pad that only lasted a day or two. With these machines, the floor only needs to be stripped every two to three years, as opposed to almost quarterly with the chemical stripper.
The floors also stay as clean as they do with more effective entryway mats, especially during the winter. These mats are made from 100% recycled material—plastic bottles for the matting and tires for the rubber lining. Beyond being eco-friendly in their manufacture, these mats also more effectively trap dirt and water, resulting in improved indoor air quality, reduced slip hazards, and less cleaning of the floors. Though entryway mats may not be the first thing on your mind when you step into the hospital, they are always there to keep you safe.
When you also consider the microfiber mops that are longer lasting and more effective than their cotton counterparts and the green cleaning chemicals used to clean the floors, it becomes clear that the floors of the School of Medicine and Dentistry actually are quite green—in spirit at least.
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact: Christopher Licata, SMD Operations Manager, at 275-6807 or by email at CLicata@facilities.rochester.edu.