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Scott Uselman of High Point Sanitary Solutions in Houston, Tex., had no way of knowing his demonstration of a new hydrogen peroxide cleaner to a local school district would be the beginning of a process that would eventually involve the entire community.

In the fall of 2004, he was just sharing a new cleaning technology that provided a healthier way for custodians to do their jobs, while providing an economical expenditure of chemical dollars for the district. The district and the community with the help of Uselman took it to the next level.

First steps

Scott and his brother, Chad, grew up around the jan/san industry, so it was a natural step for them to eventually open their own distributorship. The motto for their business is "We Teach Clean," and they work to stay abreast of new technologies and techniques that save time, money and resources for their customers.

When the industry's first hydrogen peroxide cleaner was introduced, they witnessed the power and safety available in this new "Green" technology and quickly saw the potential.

"We've seen a lot of technology come and go over the years," points out Scott Uselman. "But when we saw this technology, we felt it was something to hold onto."

Humble Independent School District in Humble, Tex. was the first school district the two brothers introduced to this new hydrogen peroxide cleaner.

"After the initial demonstration, the district decided to do a pilot program to test it," recalls Scott. "The custodians were a little upset at first, as we took away products that they had used for awhile and had gotten used to. But after a few weeks, all they talked about was how well the product worked. It was all they wanted to use."

Soon, all schools in the district were using the new cleaning program.

By the numbers

There are approximately 33,000 students and 35 schools in the Humble Independent School District. That's a lot of square footage to keep clean and a lot of students to keep healthy. Since the school district receives funding based on the students' average daily attendance, it's always good news when attendance is up.

Before the switch to the single hydrogen peroxide cleaner, the school district used at least six different cleaners. With the new Green program in place, the single cleaner replaced these other products and freed up warehouse shelves and custodian closet space.

Budget and warehouse numbers weren't the only figures getting watched. One of the school nurses at a Humble ISD elementary school was also counting student absentee numbers. The school combined the use of the new cleaner with easy access to hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the school. Teachers encouraged students to use the hand sanitizers throughout the day, with particular attention when they entered the cafeteria for lunch.

The hydrogen peroxide cleaner being used was H2Orange2 Concentrate 117. In addition to cleaning surfaces, it is also a sanitizer-virucide-HBV, killing 99.99 percent of common bacteria and 99.9 percent of specified viruses including Influenza and Hepatitis B. Additionally, the hand sanitizer was effective in killing 99.99 percent of common bacteria on the students' hands.

The nurse tracked absentee numbers for a one-month period of time with the new program, and then compared it to absentee numbers for the same month the previous year. The results were stunning – absenteeism had decreased by 64 percent.

Reaping rewards

As new Green products emerged in the jan/san marketplace, the Uselmans continued to evaluate and expand the company's Green offerings. Included in the company's Green cleaning arsenal is the use of microfiber products, including mops and the associated double compartment bucket.

"This combination of tools saves gallons of water each shift, and provides a cleaner mopping experience," says Scott Uselman. "We're not pushing around dirty water anymore and customers are saving natural resources. We've also seen switching scrubbers to cylindrical brushes saves money
and water."

'Go Green' committee

After experiencing the positive results of the Green cleaning program, the school district wondered what other environmentally preferred steps could be taken to improve the health of the district, improve student achievement and reduce costs to operate its facilities.

The administration reached out to the Humble community for citizen volunteers to serve on a "Go Green" Citizen Advisory Committee. The first "Go Green" meeting attracted nearly 90 residents from all aspects of the community, with almost 70 completing the six-week committee commitment. There were parents and residents who were engineers, architects, construction managers and building planners, as well as district educators and administrators.

The attendees formed five sub-committees to evaluate Green initiatives that would ultimately be presented as recommendations to the board of education. These subcommittees addressed design standards, energy management, transportation, student suggestions, and maintenance and operations.

Scott Uselman joined his neighbors by serving on the design standards committee that researched construction changes which could decrease maintenance and operations expenditures.

"When we looked at the current design standards for the district, we found they had implemented several Green initiatives already," points out Uselman.

For example, the district had begun using tile and grout flooring instead of terrazzo or VCT, thus eliminating traditional floor finish needs. Other new considerations were to install water control devices, use cool roofing systems, utilize day-lighting where possible, and implement solar panels for heating water. There was even discussion of creating an ongoing Green committee.

The "Go Green" Citizen Advisory Committee presented its final recommendations to the school board in April. "This was a great example of a true school and community partnership," says Mark Krueger, assistant superintendent, support services. "The committee came up with a much deeper and richer plan than we would have been able to develop on our own."

Ripple effect

It would be hard to say the introduction of a single Green cleaning product was the single stone that led to the ripple effect of the "Greening" of an entire school community. However, it was a step toward a healthier approach to maintaining educational facilities. For that, the Uselman brothers have satisfaction in knowing their business is contributing to a healthier community and school environment.

Virginia Petru is an independent contractor who has been involved in the jan/san industry for more than 15 years.