This credit can be one of the more challenging to achieve if your project is not currently using compliant cleaning equipment—and many projects are not, particularly those that are paying attention to green cleaning for the first time.

The credit requirements are actually fairly straightforward. You must use at least one piece of cleaning equipment in order to be eligible, 20% of all your cleaning equipment must comply with the equipment-specific criteria, and 100% of equipment purchased during the performance period must comply with the criteria.

Two things to watch

There are two things you have to pay attention to in order to comply with this credit:

1. Equipment inventory: A list of all equipment used in the building for cleaning, including equipment from outside vendors. 20% of this inventory must meet the applicable stainability criteria.

2. Buying new equipment: You may need to add equipment to your inventory in order to bump it up to the 20% threshold, or you may just need new equipment, but in either case, make sure it meets the applicable stainability criteria.

It’s fairly common to have a piece of equipment that meets some but not all of the criteria—the noise limit, for example, can be difficult to achieve. See the chart below for a list of equipment types addressed in this credit and the credit criteria for each.

Remember that this credit does not pertain to permanently installed cleaning equipment, such as dishwashers and washing machines. It regulates only the following portable equipment:

• vacuum cleaners 
• carpet extraction equipment 
• powered floor-maintenance equipment (including battery-powered floor buffers and burnishers)
• propane-powered floor equipment
• automated scrubbing machines. 

The other primary challenge for this credit is getting the right product information from vendors. Working with a knowledgeable, trusted vendor is good, but it’s not enough—you’ll still need to investigate their recommendations to make sure that the equipment is LEED-compliant.

Start with compliant vacuums

If you need to purchase more equipment to make your equipment fleet 20% compliant, you might try focusing first on purchasing compliant vacuums. Vacuums often make up a large component of the cleaning equipment fleet, are less expensive than most other types of floor maintenance equipment, and they need to be replaced more often.

Consider these questions when approaching this credit

• How is your project team currently sourcing equipment?
• Who can supply an inventory of equipment currently used in your building? 
• If your team is currently sourcing equipment through a vendor, does the vendor have access to credit-compliant equipment? If compliant equipment is not currently used in your project building, can you make the shift to compliant equipment?
• Is your project team willing, and authorized, to take over purchasing if the current vendor is not on board?
• How much of a cost premium is your team willing to pay to achieve compliance? This will vary according to how much equipment you need to purchase in order to meet the 20% threshold. 
• How obsolete is your current inventory of cleaning equipment? Have there been regular complaints about any particular pieces of equipment from either maintenance personnel or occupants? If obsolete equipment needs to be replaced anyway, that can present a good opportunity to earn this credit.