Cleaning: a solution to the sick building mystery?

The connection between health and cleanliness is, for most people, a matter of common sense. Office workers report higher rates of discomfort when they perceive a dirty, dusty environment. Research, not surprisingly, shows that certain cleaning methods are effective in reducing dust on surfaces and in reducing the levels of indoor air contaminants. Yet some cleaning practices, like the use of improperly diluted cleaning solutions, are themselves significant threats to good IAQ. As with everything else, there are right and wrong ways to clean. In this article and in the following issue, the BULLETIN discusses building cleaning and the relationships between cleaning and IAQ.