What is Green Cleaning?

March 8, 2013

We all understand the importance of protecting the environment. In recent years, we have witnessed the emergence of many “green” technologies aimed at reducing our impact on our natural surroundings. From electric cars to energy-saving light bulbs, the environmental movement continues to push for progress when it comes to products, activities, and attitudes that damage our environment. Green cleaning is just one example of how an entire industry can change to meet the needs of the environment. Simply put, green cleaning involves using cleaning products and practices that protect our health without harming the environment.

Fifty years ago, the concept of “green cleaning” may have seemed like a radical idea; but as the idea of living green has come to dominate the way we do business, more and more home and business owners are looking for environmentally-friendly ways of keeping clean. Indeed, environmentalism today drives how we spend money and potentially influences billions of dollars worth of purchasing. Green cleaning involves not only choosing environmentally safe cleaning products, but also encourages us to conserve water and energy used during cleaning. Fortunately, green cleaning programs are not only good for the environment, but they’re good for our health as well. Through green cleaning we can limit our exposure to toxic chemicals thereby protecting our long-term health along with the environment.

An effective green cleaning program is one that uses environmentally-friendly and biodegradable products, as well as choosing more efficient cleaning equipment. Moreover, true green cleaning involves creating policies, procedures, and training in order to minimize the impact of cleaning on our health and the environment. Green cleaning can sometimes even save money. With reduced energy and water costs, green equipment is cost saving, and many environmentally-friendly cleaning products are even cheaper than their toxic counterparts. Certainly, competition in the green cleaning industry ensures that there are effective cleaning products that are cost-competitive with traditional cleaning supplies.

Still, green cleaning is about more than just changing the way we clean, but also about changing the way we think about cleaning. It involves a global shift in our attitudes about how we use products and supplies, so the policies surrounding green cleaning should encourage conservation practices as well. We need to use fewer paper products, utilize products that are free of dyes, inks, and fragrances, and even design offices with efficiency in mind. As we develop better cleaning technologies and better attitudes about how we clean, green cleaning practices will develop as well.

Finally, green cleaning is most effectively adopted in offices where the involvement of all staff and stakeholders is promoted. Managers need to communicate about green cleaning efforts and why they are important to the business, to the staff member, and to the environment.