As there currently is no standard set for the concept of “green cleaning”, it’s important to research the “green” practices of your office cleaning company if this issue is important to you. Green cleaning can mean much more than just using environmentally-friendly cleaning products; this article details some of the other green techniques and issues that you may not have considered when it comes to your office cleaning services.
Green and disease free
Keeping surfaces clean in order to reduce or prevent the spread of disease has always been an important concern. Today most environmental scientists believe cleaning to be our principal defense against infectious disease, so green cleaning must remain effective enough to kill these germs without harming the environment. A truly healthy office is free of bio-pollutants and toxic chemicals.
Touch-free cleaning
One of the most promising advances in cleaning technology in terms of green cleaning that prevents cross-contamination of surfaces and areas is touch-free cleaning. This technique combines pressure-washing with chemical injection and wet vacuum to eliminate the need for mops and wipes. Mops and wipes and the rinsing they require lead to dirty rinse water and cross-contamination between areas such as bathrooms and kitchens.
The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association (ISSA) states that cleaning consists of three interrelated components: agitation, chemicals, and time/temperature. These components are usually referenced by the acronym ACT. Because the three components are directly related, any time one is altered the other two must be adjusted as well to balance out the cleaning system. Effective green cleaning must take this balance into consideration, preferably also preventing cross-contamination by avoiding the need for dirty rinse water.
Shiny Floors
Shiny floors have become an obsession in the office cleaning industry, and for good reason; a shiny floor makes an outstanding first impression for customers. However, it’s important for green-friendly cleaning companies to keep this preoccupation under control. A cleaning company can easily spend far too much of their budget on floor finishes, buffers, strippers, high speed equipment, and pads, not to mention the exorbitant costs of paying labor to perform the stripping, burnishing, scrubbing, recoating, and finishing. This leads to neglect of other areas all in the name of super-shiny high-gloss floors, and even promotes unhealthy byproducts such as airborne particles and vapors that go against green-friendly ethics. Even worse, a shiny floor is not necessarily clean and free of contaminants.
Ideally, your office cleaning company will strive for a truly clean, environmentally-friendly floor cleaning procedure that results in a little less shine and lot more health.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality is another key issue often overlooked when considering green cleaning and overall health. Improving the quality of your office air will reduce allergies, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses among your employees, as well as promoting a sense of well-being. Dust itself is the greatest enemy of clean air; microbes, bio-pollutants, dust mites, pollens, hair, skin cells, and even food particles all reside in the dust you breathe. Unfortunately, if green cleaning doesn’t keep air quality in mind, harsh cleaning by-products will also contribute to air pollution in your office environment. So again, make sure the cleaning company you choose keeps harsh cleaning to a minimum, while at the same time using methods that genuinely remove dust rather than just displacing it.
Commercial Buildings Maintenance Inc
carpet cleaning, janitor service, restaurant outsourcing
1519 W Patrick St
Frederick, MD 21702
Phone: 301 965-9655
Fax: 301-695-0455
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