Is Your Cleaning Green? The Best Ways to Protect the Environment While Cleaning

It’s common to be worried about the outside environment, but have you ever considered how your indoor environment could affect you and the outside world too? In your office, one factor that can have a major impact on both is the cleaning methods that are used. If you want to ensure your cleaning is green, follow these four essential tips:

1. Cleaning agents
The biggest potential health hazard from cleaning practices lies in the type of cleaning products that are used. Check which ones your office cleaning service uses. They should be products with no VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), no chlorine, a pH level close to 7.0 and preferably an EcoLogo certification. This means they will be products that aren’t toxic to humans if touched or inhaled or harmful to the environment when washed down the drain.

2. Lighting
Office buildings are notorious for consuming high amounts of energy. If your cleaning service works overnight, you might need to think about reducing the energy waste during this time. Ask your service to only light one area of your office building at a time while cleaning or to use partial switching that allows less lights to be turned on.  Also, consider asking your cleaning service to clean light fixtures where possible – dust and dirt that accumulates on them can reduce light output by 30%. Not only will these actions conserve energy and benefit the environment but they will help decrease utility bills too!

3. Recycling
Include recycling as part of your office-clean up routine. Place recycling bins near printing and copying machines so that paper can be recycled and have containers to collect glass bottles and aluminum cans in break or kitchen areas. If you are looking for a commercial cleaning service, ask if they provide recycling services which will help your recycling scheme run more efficiently.

4. Reduce waste
Stock cloths that can be washed and reused in your office kitchen or cleaning cupboard instead of wipes or tissues that are used once and then thrown away. If paper towels have to be used, consider purchasing ones that are already made from recycled materials.

Ensuring you use green cleaning practices in your office can have a major impact on employee’s morale, knowing they are contributing to a better world environment. It is sure to benefit their health too, leading to better productivity.  If you’ve made a commitment to keep your cleaning green, find a commercial cleaning company that is able to offer quality cleaning while providing environmentally-friendly standards such as recycling services and the use of green cleaning products.

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