Enviro-Care Inc

Environment Benefits

Biopreferred Certified

HOST Dry Carpet Cleaner requires no special disposal and can be composted. And, Host is the first dry carpet cleaner to receive USDA BioPreferred Certification via ASTM test Method D6866-05.

USDA BioPreferred products are composed in whole or in part of biological products or renewable domestic agricultural materials, including plant, animal, or marine materials. Made from renewable resources, BioPreferred products are generally safer for the environment then their petroleum counterparts and are usually biodegradable or recyclable.

Woolsafe Certified

The WoolSafe Organization is an international certifying body focused on carpet cleaning and maintenance products for wool blend carpets. Its purpose is to indicate that products have been tested and approved as being suitable for these carpets. Products are tested on a range of characteristics in two categories, defensive tests and performance tests. WoolSafe Approved means that the product is effective, has low resoiling characteristics, is low in alkalinity, has no bleaching agents, no optical brighteners, is nonflammable, ninhazardous, environmentally responsible and has clear and concise use directions.

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP)

Host meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommendations for Environmentally Preferable Purchasing. EPP is a process for selecting "products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose" (Executive Order 12873).

The environmental attributes selected by the EPA as criteria for their EPP guidelines mirror those used by Green Seal in regards to potentially harmful chemicals, low VOC content, flammability, training, packaging and biodegradability.

Additional criteria for chossing environmentally preferable products include:

Use of renewable resoureces - HOST is biobased.
Designed for use in cold water in order to conserve energy - HOST not only conserves the energy to heat water, it conserves the water!
Limited use of disinfectants - HOST is not a disinfectant, although it does carry EPA-registered removal properties (see below)
Corporate environmental performance - HOST's environmental srores are the best in our category as shown by the National Institule of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) Life Cycle Analysis. We intend to keep it that way.

Indoor Environmental Quality

The HOST system of applying HOST Dry Carpet Cleaner to the carpet, brushing it through the carpet and then vacuuming up the HOST Dry Carpet Cleaner removes dirt and reduces allergens. Reserch studies have shown that one cleaning with the HOST System using HOST Machines redues:

Dust mites by 78%
Dust mite allergen by 75%
Cat allergen by 85%
Mold spores by 85%

More recent tests with the HOST Liberator & Freestyle machines show improved allergen extraction:

Dust mite allergen by 89%
Mold spores by 97%

Preventing Mold & Mildew Growth

The HOST System uses less than one teaspoon of liquid per square foot, so unlike wet cleaning methods, HOST does not leave carpets wet with dirty wastewater that can lead to mold growth and cause health problems. In fact, HOST helps remove mold and mildew from carpets.

Conservation of Resources

Water
This point is often overlooked: water extractors use large amounts of water. Further, they generate large amounts of wastewater which burdens sewers and water treatment facilities. Also, wastewater left in the carpet evaporates, humidifing buildings and forcing air conditioner and dehumidifiers to run harder and longer.

Using HOST saves water. In fact, the HOST System deep cleans carpet with 97% less water than typical high-flow water extractors. However as HOST Dry Carpet Cleaner is ready-to-use, the actual water savings in any buildin using it is 100%.

Compared to year's worth of typical high-flow water extraction cleaning of 50,000 square feet of carpet, the HOST System:

Saves 205,716 gallons of fresh water per year
Reduces waste water by 174,859 gallons per year
Reduces water affecting indoor humidity by 30,857 gallons per year, relieving the workload on HVAC systems and reducing mold growth potential

Energy
Many environmental organizations recognize that it takes quite a bit of energy to heat water used in water extraction cleaning methods. In an effort to lower costs and energy use, such organizations are supporting cleaning systems that do not use water. With HOST there is:

No water to heat
No need to use blowers
No need for air conditioners to dry carpets
No need for dehumidifiers to remove moisture

Health & Safety

In accordance with Consumer Products Safety Commission and Federal Hazardous Substances Act regulations, HOST is not an eye irritant nor a primary skin irritant and is nontoxic by oral ingestion or by inhalation. HOST is not WHMIS Control Product. HOST contains no dyes, contains no heavy metals, does not become airborne and has low VOCs. HOST Dry Carpet Cleaner's Hazardous Materials Information System (HMIS) rating is: Health=0; Flammability=0; Reactivity=0; Personal Protection=none required.

Leed-EB Points

The US Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System "is a voluntary, consensus-based, national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings."

Using the HOST System may contribute to earing:

Energy and Atmosphere credits (up to 2 credits) by optimizing energy performance and by sustaining building operations and maintenance through proper staff education.
Materials and Resources credits (up to 4 credits) by optimizing the use of IAQ compliant products and by implementing the use of sustainable cleaning products and materials.
Water Efficiency credits (up to 3 credits) by reducing total water use by 10% or 20% and by reducing wastewater generation.
Indoor Environmental Quality credits (up to 3 credits) by optimizing practices that prevent the development of IEQ problems, by including green cleaing of entryways and by the use of cleaning products with a low environmental impact.

Additionally

HOST Dry Carpet Cleaner is also approved by the Florida School Plant Managers Assocation (FSPMA) for carpet cleaning products based on performance, safety and environmental criteria.