Commercial Cleaning Products: Checklist for Selecting the Best

July 17, 2012 By Rae Ann Dougherty

Original article can be found here

There are so many things to consider when selecting the best commercial cleaning products for your building and business that it can be overwhelming. A common question today is does it need to be green janitorial supplies. To help you assess the products you want to use here is a checklist (in order) that Green Cleaning Products uses to select our offerings:

It works! (a.k.a., Quality) If the green cleaning product is not effective it is not worth having. Any excess product that goes unused is wasteful. Although environmentally preferable cleaners were once perceived as less effective, this is no longer the case. Fortunately, efficacy of the green janitorial supplies is a key criteria that must be met in securing a third party certification, such as Green Seal, EcoLogo, and/or US EPA Design for the Environment.

Health and Safety So many cleaning products  are toxic, impacting human health with both acute (immediate) and chronic (long term) implications. There are already so many harmful chemicals in our daily life that we do not need more. Health problems associated with cleaning chemicals include reproductive disorders, major organ damage, permanent eye damage, asthma and other respiratory ailments, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Custodial staff and others who spend time indoors, such as office workers, health employees (such as doctors and nurses) and students, are particularly susceptible to the health risks posed by these products. Even volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are an important consideration. Toxicity and the resulting health impacts of the green cleaning product is, in my mind, one of the MOST important criteria.

Cost Greener cleaners typically cost no more than conventional cleaners. If you factor in the total cost of the product, i.e., the cost of health degradation from the use of traditional chemicals green cleaning products will be lower. Additionally when green cleaning is combined with improved practices overall cleaning costs will be reduced further. For instance effective entry walk-off matts prevents dirt from entering facilities in the first place, thus reducing the need for cleaning. Likewise, reducing the number of cleaning products used in a facility can eliminate excessive and unnecessary applications.
Productivity Increase and Resource Conservation It is about time. The more time we save the more productive we are. Using the best commercial cleaning products will reduce the amount of time required to clean a surface, thus increase our efficiency and in turn productivity. Selecting green cleaning products that are super concentrated with effective chemical management systems that ensure proper dilution conserves both the product consumption and the packaging, thus waste.

Are Best Practices Leveraged? There are many innovations in every aspect of our life. This is true in the cleaning industry as well. Although many like to stick to what they have always known, some great strides have been made. Selecting cutting edge tools and technology that is designed to save you money makes a difference. For instance micro-fiber cloths have changed the cleaning industry. Additionally the single use, pre-measured, super concentrate packages ensures there is no chemical waste, matched with a reduced carbon footprint for those seeking sustainable solutions.

Socially and Environmentally Responsible Environmental problems associated with conventional cleaning chemicals abound. The ingredients found in one out of three commercial cleaning products are potentially harmful to human health and the environment. These chemicals can also find their way into lakes, streams, and other water bodies (some of which may serve as drinking water sources), presenting further environmental concerns. For instance one pound of phosphorous can grow nearly 700 pounds of algae!

In summary, so many commercial and industrial users now report that green cleaners are cost competitive, perform just as well as more toxic alternatives, and are widely available. As such your selection of the BEST commercial cleaning products will include GREEN Cleaning Products.