Mr Pattis, what exactly is meant by ‘green cleaning’?

Fritz Pattis: Green cleaning means cleaning and disinfecting without using any chemical cleaning products at all. Instead, only micro-dry steam is used, which is generated at almost 190 degrees and is very dry, with a water content of just five per cent. The high temperature automatically kills 99.99 per cent of all germs, and thanks to the low moisture content, all surfaces can be cleaned, even those that are very delicate.

Your book is called ‘Cleaning Chemicals – No, Thank You’. Why do you advocate doing without chemical cleaning products and opting for eco-friendly cleaning instead?

Fritz Pattis: For a whole host of reasons. For one thing, conventional cleaning doesn’t achieve true cleanliness, let alone hygiene. Every cleaning product leaves behind residues – just think of the streaks left after cleaning windows. And new dirt – and, above all, germs – very quickly stick to these residues. The next time you clean, new residues are added, and so surfaces are never left truly clean. The second point that clearly speaks in favour of chemical-free cleaning is the environmental factor. With green cleaning, I use a few litres of water and a little electricity – nothing more. This means no chemical substances end up in the waste water, I produce no waste in the form of cleaning product packaging, and I significantly reduce my water consumption. Finally, an equally important argument is one’s own health. Studies show that chemical cleaning products can be just as harmful to the lungs as chain smoking, not to mention the risk of skin irritation, allergies, asthma and so on.

How did you become a Green Cleaner yourself?

Fritz Pattis: I grew up as the son of a mountain farmer at an altitude of 1,200 metres – right in the heart of nature and, above all, at one with it. That is why I believe I have always carried within me this fundamental principle of living as sustainably as possible and in harmony with nature. As a father of three children, I became even more aware of these issues, particularly as my son had been allergic to house dust even as a small child. That’s how I eventually came across micro-dry steam, which has been used for many years in large-scale industry for cleaning purposes in the form of saturated steam or industrial steam.

Your book, and in particular the interviews with experts, focuses on specific sectors such as the catering industry, the hospitality sector and the healthcare sector, doesn’t it? Why is green cleaning particularly recommended in these sectors?

Fritz Pattis: In principle, green cleaning should be the first choice wherever cleaning takes place. But of course there are sectors and areas where true cleanliness and hygiene are particularly important. In the hotel and catering sector, these aspects have been crucial competitive factors long before the coronavirus pandemic. And in tourism in particular, the issue of sustainability now plays an enormously important role. Green cleaning could bring about even greater change across the entire healthcare sector – especially in view of the major threat posed by multi-resistant germs. Their development is, in fact, fuelled precisely by the vicious circle described above: cleaning, residues, more cleaning, and so on. But although the effectiveness of green cleaning has been scientifically proven and it fully meets the high hygiene standards of medical facilities, there is still a great deal of work to be done to convince people of its benefits.