BOSTON, MA — The Ionator EXP, a hand-held device that turns tap water into a chemical-free cleaning agent, has the become the newest green weapon against germs in the workplace for facilities services company UGL Unicco.

UGL Unicco announced this week that it is the first firm of its kind to take up the Ionator EXP, the professional-grade model in a line of cleaning and sanitizing tools by Activeion Cleaning Solutions LLC.

“We’re pleased to be out front on deploying the latest in cleaning technology to our customers’ sites,” UGL Unicco Vice President of Marketing George Lohnes said in his company’s announcement.

“Using the Ionator EXP is an extremely safe and effective way to neutralize the H1N1 virus ... the ionized water is absolutely safe for our workers and for building occupants; it doesn’t use any toxic chemicals; it’s completely non-allergenic.”

The Ionator EXP is 13-inches high. Fill it with water, pull the trigger and out sprays ionized water, which attracts and lifts the dirt from the surface being cleaned so it can be wiped away.

The trigger activates the ionization process that’s made possible by a rechargeable battery pack contained in the device. The Ionator EXP is good for three full eight-hour shifts before it needs recharging, Activeoin says.

The company’s website features an interactive diagram of how the product works and a video of the household model in use in various settings -- near food, a pet and a child and on surfaces ranging from a kitchen counter to a toothbrush. At one point, a little girl sprays herself with an Ionator HOM, a cameraman gets a shot in the face, too.