What Is Green Cleaning?
2015 Earth Day Series Vol. 3
Many of us have heard of green cleaning or seen products in stores that advertise green cleaning. But what does green cleaning actually mean? Green cleaning refers to using cleaning methods and products with environmentally friendly ingredients designed to preserve human health and environmental quality. I am sure that your next question is, why should I use green cleaning products? Here are just a few reasons why green cleaning can be beneficial to your family as well as the environment.
Chemicals May be UnregulatedEvery time you use a cleaning product, you could be ingesting fumes from the chemicals. Did you know that since World War II, 85,000 new chemicals have entered the mainstream through various products and oftentimes those chemicals aren’t approved by the EPA? That’s a scary amount of chemicals, but what’s even more scary is upwards of 70 percent of typical cleaning products often found in your home contain these harmful agents.
Keep Kids SaferWe can’t protect our kids from all the evil in the world, but we can limit their access to harmful chemicals. Using natural cleaning products will reduce the chance of an accidental poisoning. In fact, it’s shown that household cleaning products rank within the top 5 causes of childhood poisoning cases. So in addition to switching over to green cleaning products, be sure to keep the products stored in child-safe cabinets.
Breathe Deep. Breathe Clean.While they help make your clothes and rooms smell better, some fabric softeners and antibacterial spray cleaners contain quaternary ammonium compounds (a.k.a. quats), like benzalkonium chloride. These agents have been known to contribute to otherwise healthy people getting asthma. In fact, according to the Environmental Working Group’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning about 53 percent of cleaning products they tested contain ingredients that can harm the lungs while 22 percent can cause asthma.
Keep the Air CleanMany household products, especially sprays and aerosols, can contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can have short- and long-term health effects associated with your central nervous system, liver and kidneys. When you use a spray, the chemicals can linger in the air long after the initial mist dissipates. Time to ditch ‘em?
You May Be Poisoning the Water SupplyVarious household cleaning agents can contain toxic chemicals like ammonia, phosphorus, alkyphenol ethoxylates and petroleum. So when you wash your clothes, do the dishes and even flush toilet bowl cleaner you may be sending these chemicals back into the water system and nearby rivers, lakes and streams. This could make its way back into your water, but it can also have a negative impact on wildlife and the environment.
In our commitment to doing business the right way and turning ordinary tasks into extraordinary service, ServiceMaster Clean® offers environmentally conscious, green cleaning options. So follow our lead and try some of the green cleaning brands next time you are in the store. A few of the most popular brands are; Green Works by Clorox, Meyer’s, Seventh Generation, and Method. Today is Earth Day and what better way to celebrate than to make the switch and help protect the environment as well as your family!
Works Cited
"Commercial Green Cleaning." Professional Green Cleaning Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
"Green Cleaning." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
"6 Reasons to Use Green Cleaning Products for Your Home." Green Living Environmental Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
