Cleaning &amp; Maintenance Management Online

Sustainability: Can Green Cleaning Play a Role?

February 25, 2011

Businesses should no longer question whether sustainability should be a priority in their cleaning practices; the question is how. The answer is to make naturally derived cleaners one component of a solution.

The path towards more sustainable cleaning practices is no different from other areas in which businesses have made great strides toward environmental responsibility. First recycled paper was adopted, then plastic and now many are composting. For energy efficiency, we turned the lights off in the beginning; now we''re restructuring devices and office spaces to consume less and conserve more.

Adding green cleaning into the mix is easy, and many business owners say they would prefer to use natural cleaners1, but why aren''t more companies already doing so?

There could be a variety of reasons, from the misconception of the effectiveness of green cleaners, to their cost-competitiveness, to not knowing how or where to incorporate naturally derived cleaners when there are regulations in place that govern the use of disinfectants, such as healthcare, lodging and food industries. Perception hasn''t quite caught up to reality.

The reality is naturally derived products such as Green Works® Commercial Solutions can be both cost-effective and strong enough to handle tough cleaning jobs and their benefits go beyond reducing the use of natural resources petroleum or oil-based cleaners rely on. Whether as substitutes for traditional cleaners or as part of a two-step solution, they can perform without harsh chemical fumes and residues. That can be a significant benefit both to janitorial workers and to the people who work in the spaces they clean who are concerned about indoor air quality.

Suggested steps in going greener:

  • Combine disinfectants with green: Naturally derived cleaning products can be one step in a two-part process: clean first and then disinfect surfaces that require it such as bathrooms. You don''t eliminate traditional cleaners but rather minimize their use where they are required.

  • All other areas: Use naturally derived cleaners in every other area including waiting rooms, offices, walls and floors.

Besides pleasing customers, employees and office workers, products such as Green Works® Commercial Solutions, which meet regulatory certification requirements, can gain buildings points toward Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Many businesses continue to only use conventional cleaners but it takes just one substitution to make the leap to a combination of traditional and naturally derived products. And when it comes to achieving sustainability goals, that''s the leap that counts.

Try the Green Works® Commercial Solutions bundle, click here for a free trial offer.

1 Vatoca Partners Survey, February 2009.

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