Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 26

FaCilities
In addition to being an effective
and more sustainable cleaning agent,
liquid ozone is also much more
economical than using chemicals.
It is expected that nearly $50,000
will be saved in expenses each year
after the system is fully implemented
in all campus residence halls. “It’s
really quite amazing how simple and
effective liquid ozone is,” Hueter says.
“Liquid ozone requires electricity to
add oxygen molecules into water, but
that’s about it. After we’ve purchased
the liquid ozone machines, there will
be few recurring costs.”
The initial cost of investing in
liquid ozone cleaning is relatively low.
The compact Lotus machines that are
used with this type of cleaning are
manufactured by Tersano Inc. and
have a manufacturer suggested retail
price of $2,750. University housing
has installed a few machines in each

of the medium-size halls; smaller
buildings may only need one, and
larger halls may need three machines
to meet daily cleaning demands. There
is an additional cost for stabilizer air
and water filters that extend the liquid
ozone life cycle from 15 minutes to 4
hours. Filter kits are listed at $187.50.
No additional tools are required.
The converted water is simply used
as a chemical substitute in existing
equipment, such as bottle sprayers,
carpet cleaners, floor scrubbers, and
touchless spray-vac systems. Staff
have to consider how much they need
for each cleaning task, because the
product essentially reverts to regular
water within four hours.
Introducing a new process into
a successful routine is sure to raise
doubts in some people’s minds.
Kennedy explains, “Our custodial
staff are very good at what they do,

ADDRESS CURRENT
CHALLENGES.
HARNESS NEW
OPPORTUNITIES.

and they take pride in their work.
There was some initial resistance
because it was a change in wellestablished and successful cleaning
protocols. To some staff, this was a
leap of faith. The traditional frame of
reference was if you can see and smell
the chemical cleaner, it’s cleaning.
Of course, chemical odor can also
mask contamination. The aroma of
bleach doesn’t mean that a surface
is really clean. But we traditionally
associate such chemical smells with
cleanliness.” As a result, a big part
of the learning process was getting
custodial staff to evaluate actual
results and reframe their perceptions.
“It was very important to hear their
comments and questions and respond
expeditiously,” Gonzales says. “It
requires thoughtful training, followup, and retraining to understand how
contInues

53

CORT has worked with some of the top institutions
to maintain older facilities and refresh underutilized common spaces.
Our furniture management solutions:
n

Provide ﬂexible overﬂow solutions without
capital investment

n

Address swing space and renovation needs

n

Minimize the impact of ﬂuctuations on university
and facilities personnel

n

Enhance student living environments

For more information, contact a CORT consultant
at 1.888.304.2112 or educationsales@cort.com.

cort.com/highered
©2013 CORT. A Berkshire Hathaway Company.

26

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Talking Stick - July/August 2013

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