Green cleaning is, in essence, cleaning using products and procedures that are safe for the environment that do not emit any pollutants when used. Green cleaning is important not only for the environment and our planet, but for the health of the general public.
Why does it matter for your business?
From the health of your consumers and employees to your business’ ecological footprint, green cleaning reduces pollutants in the environment. It doesn’t cause the health problems typically caused by non-green cleaning products.
This can translate to a more productive, healthy workforce, clearer air for your consumers and an overall better space to do business in.
Why It’s Important
Synthetic fragrances / petroleum
If you go to a department or grocery store and buy the brand name cleaners, a majority of them will be not only toxic, but also contain synthetic fragrances. This is so commonplace that you might have a hard time finding a product that doesn’t contain some form of this, without going to a more health-conscious store.
Why does this matter? At first, synthetic fragrances hardly compare to the “toxic-when-ingested” substances. But synthetic fragrances can have some surprising side effects.
According to the Committee on Science & Technology, approximately 95 percent of chemicals used in fragrances are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum. According to Richard Pressinger and Wayne Sinclair, MD, petroleum-based chemicals have been shown to alter hormones and cause issues such as cancers, neurological disorders, weakening of the immune system, learning disabilities, allergies, infertility and more.
Using green products that are free of synthetic fragrances, you can reduce allergies in your workplace, not to mention the potential risks of cancer, neurological disorders and more.
Antibacterial
The FDA has stated that using antibacterial soap is not more effective at preventing diseases than regular soap and water. Antibacterials have been shown to contain substances that can cause hormonal issues, in addition to containing harmful chemicals.
What is the main take-away? Green cleaning products are less likely to contain the harmful chemicals that antibacterial chemicals contain.
Medical buildings and sanitation
Certain buildings may require stringent regulations for sanitation and germ killing, such as medical building cleaning or dialysis centers. In this case, there are ways to properly kill germs without further polluting the environment.
Pollutants
With non-green cleaning products, you get pollutants being released into the air. There are a myriad of synthetic compounds in cleaners that are toxic and harmful, and can be released in the air, water sources, human bodies, etc. Green cleaning products are made to not pollute and to be better for the environment. However, it remains important to check each product to find the best quality, least harmful product.
In summary, implementing Green Cleaning effectively:
● Reduces pollution in our water
● Maintains better air quality
● Reduces exposure to allergy-causing substances
● Reduces exposure to pollutants that have been found to cause cancer, neurological disorders, learning disabilities, infertility, hormonal imbalances and more
This article was written by Lauren Shriver on behalf of Los Angeles-based Clean Environment Janitorial Service.
