***Why Aren’t Hotels, Motels, and B&B’s Greener?

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Written by Mark Sneller, PhD

In today’s world, good indoor air quality (IAQ) is a subject that is frequently on the lips of people concerned with greener and cleaner air. Good IAQ is important in lodgings because the livelihood of many tens of thousands depends on repeat business. If the customer is not satisfied, he will not return. On the other hand, the satisfied customer can be a powerful spokesperson for good green lodging.

Lodges usually operate on a shoestring budget. It’s understandable that sometimes odors must be masked with the use of fragrances; however, common usage of these products should be discouraged. Not only are they annoying to the guest, but often they contain hazardous ingredients. So why are so many lodges reluctant to use baking soda and borax for the bathroom? Both are incredibly inexpensive, especially when purchased in bulk quantities. Currently, most businesses opt to buy higher costing fragrance products for odor removal and disinfection. Even if bleaches must be used, they can be diluted 1:20 and still be effective.

For the main portion of the living space, a quality vacuum cleaner is usually, but not always, employed. However, this writer has performed tests on numerous vacuum cleaners with an electronic particle counter and has monitored significant dust leakage from supposedly good quality devices. Yet, if the product application is correct, that is, vacuuming slowly and thoroughly, the removal of dust in the room will be maximized. While time and efficiency is the essence of the cleaning personnel and the management, proper cleaning and greening will bring repeat trade.

Indoor air quality is also important from the standpoint of removing pollen as part of that dust if the lodging is in a high pollen area. Virtually all indoor pollen is tracked into the room. A client does not need to be exposed to allergens indoors. He or she needs their personal space to be as hypoallergenic as possible — hence the need for good vacuuming.

Commercial lodgings are like hospitals, offices, homes, and schools. We all tend to follow manufacturers’ recommendations regarding filter changes, which, quite frequently, are not as often as they should be changed.

Green lodgings should be green outside and green inside. There are many ways to assist the client outside the unit, as well, but that’s a subject for another day.

Bragging rights belong to a lodge that opts to be green.