Tennant Co. Ech2o Floor Cleaning System

The Tennant Co., a well-known name in commercial floor cleaning systems, unveiled in the Fall of 2007 a new technology dubbed Ech2o (pronounced "echo") that may revolutionize floor cleaning.

The company claims that Ech2o will save money, be easier to user, make operators safer, and provide an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional floor cleaners.

"Ech2o's cleaning effectiveness is proven to be the same or better than general purpose cleaners, without the negative environmental impact and health issues associated with producing, packaging, transporting, using and disposing of traditional cleaning chemicals," the company stated.

The Ech2o secret is nothing new. The system uses nothing but water. Water in, water out. How is that supposed to clean as well as traditional chemicals?

As Tennant explains it, the system works by unlocking the energy trapped in every H2O molecule. Inside the Ech2o unit embedded within a Tennant floor cleaner, two main steps occur. In the first step, the water passes through electrified screens in an oxygenation chamber. This step results in highly oxygenated micro-bubbles. In the second step, the oxygenated water is sent through a cell where an electric current is applied.

What comes out of the cell is highly charged acidic and alkaline water, which has many of the properties of commercial chemical cleaners, according to Tennant.

"The electrically charged water attacks the dirt, breaks it into smaller particles and suspends it off the floor's surface -- enabling the scrubber's pads or brushes to easily remove the soil," the company states.

About 45 seconds after the energized water is created, it reverts back to plain neutral tap water. What's left is just water and dirt trapped in the system's tank. It can be handled and disposed of in perfect safety.

The Ech2o system reduces water use by 70 percent compared with traditional chemical cleaning systems, the company says. Since no detergents are used, there is no slick film left behind on the floor. No hazardous chemicals are discharged into the sewer system. Eliminating the need for chemical cleaners enhances worker safety and reduces costs for purchasing, transportation, storage, mixing, and disposal.

"While similar technology is currently in use in some niche applications within food processing, water purification, medical device and other industries, Tennant Company is the first to introduce it for commercial cleaning," stated Chris Killingstad, Tennant's president and chief executive officer.

Tennant's Ech2o technology won the Innovation Award 2007 at the ISSA/Interclean USA trade show in October, 2007. "We're pleased to receive this award -- an award that undeniably validates our position within the industry," says Killingstad.

How much longer will it be before Ech2o floor cleaning system technology becomes available in a consumer floor cleaning machine? Not long, I hope.