Commercial Green Cleaning Products

1. Volatile Organic Compounds - One of the things to avoid is something called Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs. What this means exactly is that toxic fumes are released from certain liquids and solids. The ratio of this release is consistently higher indoors (with the EPA noting this can be up to ten times higher) than outdoors. Many would be surprised to know that some of the most common and popular cleaning supplies, as well as the paint on the walls, plywood or pressed board used in walls, and paint and paint removers emit these fumes. Even more surprising would be that dry cleaned clothing and even air fresheners can prove toxic indoors. Greatly contributing to this is that the air inside buidlings does not provide good enough ventilation to disapaite the fumes.

Once one is aware of the emission of Volatile Organic Compounds in a work environment, further exploration reveals the harmful side effects of exposure. These effects can be short or long-term and include everything from the simple, such as dizziness, headaches, eye irritation, flu-like symptoms and asthma attacks, to cancer as the most detrimental. While you may be wondering your current exposure level, consider in the equation if your office uses kitchen and bathroom cleaners, glass cleaner, a multi-purpose cleaner, floor cleaners, and spot treatment for fabrics and carpeting. If your answer is yes and these products are not a non-toxic product, then you too are experiencing exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds. While everyone would benefit from less exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds, there are certain segments of the population who are particularly sensitive. These people would include the elderly, pregnant and nursing women, and those who suffer from some sort of immune system compromise.

You may think that if you are not in the immediate area where VOC-emitting cleaning products are used, then you are not being exposed. This is not true, unless your building uses an air purification or ventilation system that is constantly cleaning the air. Although your nose may become used to the smell, the actual fumes last for hours in the air. Even less known is that the fumes are present just from the bottles sitting in the area where they are stored.

2. Solvents - Contributing to the Volatile Organic Compounds in the air are the chemicals found in solvents. Some of these are noted to have carcinogenic and toxic properties. A surprising number are in common usage, such as Ethylene Glycol Ethers (EGEs), alcohols, Propylene Glycol Ethers (PGEs), and esthers.

1. Neutral pH - PH determines the reaction of a cleaning product with your skin, the surface being cleaned and the environment when it is washed into the water system. A compound with a pH value under 7.0 is acidic, more than 7.0 is alkali and a pH value of 7.0 is neutral, neither acidic nor alkaline. Liquids that are either too acidic, such as battery acid, or alkaline like bleach, are very corrosive. A neutral pH is non-reactive to the surface that it touches.

A neutral pH cleaning product won't harm even the most sensitive surfaces, such as marble, and you don't have to worry about it throwing off the pH balance of your skin. Even with frequent use, neutral pH green cleaner without any harsh chemicals will keep your cleaned surfaces, such as desks, conference tables, countertops and carpets free of harmful residue.

2. Biodegradable - All of the chemicals we wash down the drain get put into the water supply unchanged. This affects many levels of plant and animal life and ultimately must be removed from the water prior to consumption. How much better is it to use products that biodegrade within the shortest time as those meeting the highest standards of the EPA do? The most used cleaning products are also the ones that are so deleterious to the environment. Changing to products that biodegrade in under 28 days with no aquatic toxicity is the responsible, eco-friendly choice to make.

3. Plant-Based - These cleaners use Mother Nature's best ingredients to clean naturally. There are some brands that are just as or even more effective than their synthetic chemical counterparts. Plant-based ingredients are less likely to contain harmful VOCs.

Managers of facilities and buildings have been given their position due to their level of experience and how they handle responsibility. Making the best decision for the health of the workers is easy when it comes to replacing toxic chemical cleaners with eco friendly multipurpose cleaning products. Healthier workers are more productive and using natural home cleaning products can greatly contribute to this. Reducing the environmental impact is an added bonus that every smart manager can appreciate!