This is a legacy version of the WELL Building Standard. Please check the latest version here.
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Cleaning equipment

Features>Air>29. Cleaning equipment

29. Cleaning equipment

High performance cleaning equipment increases the effectiveness of cleaning practices. Cleaning equipment that removes debris and fomite material not only prevents the spread of contaminants, but also reduces repeat work and contact time with potentially harmful chemicals for cleaning staff.

This feature specifies cleaning equipment designed to achieve efficient disinfection of surfaces, reduce cross-contamination and decrease exposure to toxic cleaning chemicals.

Part 1: Equipment and Cleaning Agents

All cleaning equipment meets the following:

a) Mops, rags and dusters used to clean all non-porous surfaces consist of microfiber with a denier no higher than 1.0.
b) Cleaning products are certified by either the EPA's Design for the Environment, Underwriters Laboratories' EcoLogo or Green Seal.
c) Mops are hands-free.
d) Vacuum cleaners contain filters with a HEPA rating.
e) Mobile UV cleaning devices have an output of at least 4 mW/cm² and are used as recommended by manufacturer.
Part 2: Chemical Storage

All cleaning equipment meets the following:

a) In cleaning storage areas, bleach and ammonia-based cleaning products are kept in separate bins from one another.
b) Any bins and bottles of bleach and ammonia-based cleaning products are affixed with large, color-coded labels indicating they are not to be mixed.
Urinary
Immune
Endocrine
Digestive
Reproductive

Applicability Matrix

Core & Shell New Construction WELL Interiors
Part 1: Equipment and Cleaning Agents - O O
Part 2: Chemical Storage - O O
Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Retail
Part 1: Equipment and Cleaning Agents O P O O
Part 2: Chemical Storage O P O O

Verification Methods Matrix

Letters of Assurance Annotated Documents On-Site Checks
PART 1 (Protocol)
Equipment and Cleaning Agents 		Operations Schedule
PART 2 (Design)
Chemical Storage 		Auditor Inspection

23

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Protecting Workers Who Use Cleaning Chemicals. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3512.pdf. Published 2012. Accessed October 17, 2014.
29.1.a

OSHA/NIOSH's Protecting Workers Who Use Cleaning Chemicals info sheet recommends the use of microfiber mops, rags and dusters.
29.1.c

OSHA's Protecting Workers Who Use Cleaning Chemicals info sheet recommends the use of hands-free mops.
29.2.b

Protecting Workers Who Use Cleaning Chemicals info sheet recommends avoiding the mixing of cleaning products that contain bleach and ammonia.
24

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Greening Your Purchase of Cleaning Products: A Guide for Federal Purchasers. http://www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/cleaning.htm. Last updated on 5/12/2010. Accessed October 17, 2014.
29.1.b

The EPA's Greening Your Purchase of Cleaning Products: A Guide for Federal Purchasers provides a list of green cleaning product resources, including Design for the Environment, EcoLogo and Green Seal labels.
26

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Chemical Management Resource Guide for School Administrators, EPA 747-R-06-002. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; December 2006.
29.2.a

The EPA's Chemical Management Resource Guide for School Administrators recommends separate storage for bleach and ammonia products.
40

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings. http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/pdf/isolation/isolation2007.pdf. Published 2012. Accessed September 15, 2014.
29.1.d

The CDC's Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings recommends vacuum cleaners be equipped with HEPA filters.
Features>Air>29. Cleaning equipment