Public interest in green cleaning products in Australia is rising, not just because they are better for the environment, but also because they are better for human health too.
As a result, more cleaning companies are turning to earth-conscious cleaning chemicals and commercial cleaning equipment in response to the demand from customers.
If you are thinking of switching to eco-friendly professional cleaning products, you probably have many questions like what earth-friendly chemicals are and how to ensure that the products you are choosing are truly earth-friendly.
Here is a guide to choosing earth-friendly commercial cleaning supplies for your business.
What Are Eco-friendly Cleaning Chemicals?
Earth-friendly cleaning solutions, unlike their traditional counterparts, are made with safe components for humans, animals, and plants. They are also biodegradable and non-toxic.
These green cleaning products assist in minimizing water and air pollution while also minimizing damage to the ozone and fighting climate change. It is essential to understand what components of traditional commercial cleaning supplies are harmful to the environment.
What to Watch Out for When Selecting Eco-friendly Alternatives
Knowing what components to avoid in professional cleaning products is the key to choosing eco-friendly cleaning supplies for your commercial cleaning business.
Phosphates
Many hazardous materials have been employed in the production of commercial cleaning products and industrial-grade solvents. Phosphates are one such example. These chemicals are routinely utilized in the production of these products.
They are particularly harmful to the environment, commonly ending up in wastewater systems, causing harm to the animals that live there. Phosphate poisoning can lead to significant health problems, including damage to organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys.
Chlorine Bleach
Households and large corporations alike have utilized chlorine bleach to tackle a variety of cleaning and disinfection issues for many years. Bleach is a chemical that is used to clean and kill the majority of bacteria and viruses. It is made up of sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite.
Products that contain bleach release chlorine gas, along with an acid known as hypochlorous acid (HOCl), which can build up to deadly amounts in homes and closed spaces.
Secondary organic aerosols, or SOAs, are formed when these two gases react with light and citrus compounds found in popular household cleaning products. SOAs have been related to a variety of medical complications that range from respiratory to gastric complications.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde, a popular ingredient in cleaning products, is not only a recognized carcinogen, but it can also cause inflammation and irritation of the skin and allergic reactions. Furthermore, formaldehyde can be released by a combination of substances, so it isn’t easy to find on labels.
These are just three of thousands of compounds that are harmful to the environment, so how do you assure customers that the commercial cleaning equipment you are using is truly eco-friendly? Here are a few tips to help you choose green cleaning supplies.
How to Choose Green Commercial Cleaning Supplies
Choosing green cleaning supplies can be incredibly confusing. There are thousands of components in cleaning solutions to avoid. Most suppliers sell traditional and green commercial cleaning supplies under one roof, so determine if what you are buying is genuinely earth-friendly, non-toxic, and safe.
The truth is that commercial cleaning equipment manufacturers often promote their product range as green and non-toxic when they are still loaded with toxic components, adding to the confusion. They also make the labels on cleaning solutions confusing and hard to read.
If you are selecting cleaning supplies for home use, it may be okay to choose products with fewer toxic components than traditional ones. However, when running a cleaning business, you promise customers that the range of cleaning supplies and commercial cleaning equipment you use are earth-friendly.
Therefore, choosing these supplies by trusting the label alone can have your customers terminating their contracts if they discover toxic substances in your cleaning supplies.
Use Online Resources
Fortunately, there are resources available to help you tell green cleaning supplies from traditional ones. One such resource is the Environmental Working Group’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning. This tool contains a database of more than 2,500 different eco-friendly commercial cleaning supplies to choose from. While browsing the range of cleaning supplies, you can check to see whether the “green” products before you appear on this list.
No Label?
Another way to tell that a product isn’t truly green is if they omit the ingredient label altogether. Manufacturers who falsely promote their products as earth-friendly often do this, so if you notice that a product doesn’t have a list of ingredients on the bottle, it is best to steer clear of it.
Check the Safety Data Sheet
Cleaning supplies made by reputable manufacturers often include safety data sheets. This is a great way to tell whether cleaning supplies are environmentally friendly, as safety data sheets provide a list of a product’s chemical makeup and other additional information about its safety.
You can use this to determine what components make up the solution and their toxicity. Another advantage to having a safety data sheet is that you can provide it as proof to customers that you are indeed adopting an environmentally-friendly approach to cleaning as promised.
Choose Biodegradable Products
Once you use a product, it doesn’t just disappear but instead ends up in wastewater treatment facilities, rivers, and oceans where it can kill animals and plants.
Additionally, the packaging is just as important when adopting an eco-friendly approach, as plastic is often used to store these products. Choosing biodegradable alternatives ensures that all waste can be safely decomposed in a shorter time and with minimal environmental damage.
What About Commercial Cleaning Equipment?
Most commercial cleaning companies are aware of the environmental impacts of cleaning solutions. Still, many do not realize that the commercial cleaning equipment they choose can also impact the environment.
Commercial cleaning equipment includes mops, wipes, rags, cloths, and any other such tool used in maintenance or cleaning. Many of these items are not biodegradable and contain plastic.
Stay Away from Plastic
Plastic takes a very long time to degrade and often ends up in landfill sites and oceans where animals ingest them and die or suffer as a result. If that were not bad enough, plastic releases toxic substances into the soil as they degrade in the presence of heat from the sun. They also give off poisonous fumes that cause a host of health problems when inhaled.
Therefore, when selecting cleaning equipment, it is best to avoid any commercial cleaning equipment containing plastic.
Gas or Diesel-powered Commercial Cleaning Equipment Machinery
Machinery such as high-pressure hoses or carpet cleaners, often a necessity for larger commercial maintenance, are available in diesel or gas alternatives.
While these commercial cleaning tools are convenient, they are bad for the environment because the gases they release are toxic and have been linked to a range of environmental and health effects, including greenhouse gas emission, cardiovascular and respiratory complications, and the development of cancer.
Choosing electrical alternatives is advised in an earth-friendly approach, as they do not emit these gases.
The Benefits of Choosing an Eco-friendly Range of Products
Green cleaning isn’t just the latest craze. More people are switching to eco-friendly cleaning supplies in response to information and studies becoming available.
This information reveals the harmful effects toxic cleaning supplies have on plants, animals, and humans. Below are some of the benefits of going green.
1. It Is Better for the Environment
Eco-friendly products are made to be non-toxic and safe for animals, plants, and humans. They are also non-toxic and do not pollute the air or water if they make their way into wastewater treatment facilities or oceans. These products are also designed not to cause harm to animals if ingested.
2. Health Implications
Traditional products can have grave consequences on human health. Many studies have shown that the components of several cleaning supplies, such as chlorine bleach, cause considerable damage to the human body when their fumes are inhaled.
When these substances get in contact with the skin, they can cause a range of health concerns, including burns and skin cancer, so it is advisable to switch to a range of green products instead.
3. Going Green Can Help Drive Revenue
The cleaning industry is competitive, so when you go green, you are likely to stand apart from your competition. More people are becoming environmentally conscious and are constantly looking for contractors who share their philosophies, so going green can get you hired by customers, too!
4. Green Products Are Free of Allergens
Most traditional products contain allergens that irritate the sinuses and respiratory system. These allergens are often released into the air, so you may not even release that you are exposed to them.
However, eco-friendly alternatives exclude these allergens, so you, your employees, and your customers are less likely to suffer allergies when using green products for cleaning and maintenance.
The Bottom Line
Eco-friendly products are increasing in popularity. If you are a newcomer to the cleaning industry or have been in the industry for a long time but are hoping to switch to a more earth-friendly cleaning approach for your business, there are several ways to do so.
Public interest in green cleaning products in Australia is rising, not just because they are better for the environment, but also because they are better for human health too.
As a result, more cleaning companies are turning to earth-conscious cleaning chemicals and commercial cleaning equipment in response to the demand from customers.
If you are thinking of switching to eco-friendly professional cleaning products, you probably have many questions like what earth-friendly chemicals are and how to ensure that the products you are choosing are truly earth-friendly.
Here is a guide to choosing earth-friendly commercial cleaning supplies for your business.
What Are Eco-friendly Cleaning Chemicals?
Earth-friendly cleaning solutions, unlike their traditional counterparts, are made with safe components for humans, animals, and plants. They are also biodegradable and non-toxic.
These green cleaning products assist in minimizing water and air pollution while also minimizing damage to the ozone and fighting climate change. It is essential to understand what components of traditional commercial cleaning supplies are harmful to the environment.
What to Watch Out for When Selecting Eco-friendly Alternatives
Knowing what components to avoid in professional cleaning products is the key to choosing eco-friendly cleaning supplies for your commercial cleaning business.
Phosphates
Many hazardous materials have been employed in the production of commercial cleaning products and industrial-grade solvents. Phosphates are one such example. These chemicals are routinely utilized in the production of these products.
They are particularly harmful to the environment, commonly ending up in wastewater systems, causing harm to the animals that live there. Phosphate poisoning can lead to significant health problems, including damage to organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys.
Chlorine Bleach
Households and large corporations alike have utilized chlorine bleach to tackle a variety of cleaning and disinfection issues for many years. Bleach is a chemical that is used to clean and kill the majority of bacteria and viruses. It is made up of sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite.
Products that contain bleach release chlorine gas, along with an acid known as hypochlorous acid (HOCl), which can build up to deadly amounts in homes and closed spaces.
Secondary organic aerosols, or SOAs, are formed when these two gases react with light and citrus compounds found in popular household cleaning products. SOAs have been related to a variety of medical complications that range from respiratory to gastric complications.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde, a popular ingredient in cleaning products, is not only a recognized carcinogen, but it can also cause inflammation and irritation of the skin and allergic reactions. Furthermore, formaldehyde can be released by a combination of substances, so it isn’t easy to find on labels.
These are just three of thousands of compounds that are harmful to the environment, so how do you assure customers that the commercial cleaning equipment you are using is truly eco-friendly? Here are a few tips to help you choose green cleaning supplies.
How to Choose Green Commercial Cleaning Supplies
Choosing green cleaning supplies can be incredibly confusing. There are thousands of components in cleaning solutions to avoid. Most suppliers sell traditional and green commercial cleaning supplies under one roof, so determine if what you are buying is genuinely earth-friendly, non-toxic, and safe.
The truth is that commercial cleaning equipment manufacturers often promote their product range as green and non-toxic when they are still loaded with toxic components, adding to the confusion. They also make the labels on cleaning solutions confusing and hard to read.
If you are selecting cleaning supplies for home use, it may be okay to choose products with fewer toxic components than traditional ones. However, when running a cleaning business, you promise customers that the range of cleaning supplies and commercial cleaning equipment you use are earth-friendly.
Therefore, choosing these supplies by trusting the label alone can have your customers terminating their contracts if they discover toxic substances in your cleaning supplies.
Use Online Resources
Fortunately, there are resources available to help you tell green cleaning supplies from traditional ones. One such resource is the Environmental Working Group’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning. This tool contains a database of more than 2,500 different eco-friendly commercial cleaning supplies to choose from. While browsing the range of cleaning supplies, you can check to see whether the “green” products before you appear on this list.
No Label?
Another way to tell that a product isn’t truly green is if they omit the ingredient label altogether. Manufacturers who falsely promote their products as earth-friendly often do this, so if you notice that a product doesn’t have a list of ingredients on the bottle, it is best to steer clear of it.
Check the Safety Data Sheet
Cleaning supplies made by reputable manufacturers often include safety data sheets. This is a great way to tell whether cleaning supplies are environmentally friendly, as safety data sheets provide a list of a product’s chemical makeup and other additional information about its safety.
You can use this to determine what components make up the solution and their toxicity. Another advantage to having a safety data sheet is that you can provide it as proof to customers that you are indeed adopting an environmentally-friendly approach to cleaning as promised.
Choose Biodegradable Products
Once you use a product, it doesn’t just disappear but instead ends up in wastewater treatment facilities, rivers, and oceans where it can kill animals and plants.
Additionally, the packaging is just as important when adopting an eco-friendly approach, as plastic is often used to store these products. Choosing biodegradable alternatives ensures that all waste can be safely decomposed in a shorter time and with minimal environmental damage.
What About Commercial Cleaning Equipment?
Most commercial cleaning companies are aware of the environmental impacts of cleaning solutions. Still, many do not realize that the commercial cleaning equipment they choose can also impact the environment.
Commercial cleaning equipment includes mops, wipes, rags, cloths, and any other such tool used in maintenance or cleaning. Many of these items are not biodegradable and contain plastic.
Stay Away from Plastic
Plastic takes a very long time to degrade and often ends up in landfill sites and oceans where animals ingest them and die or suffer as a result. If that were not bad enough, plastic releases toxic substances into the soil as they degrade in the presence of heat from the sun. They also give off poisonous fumes that cause a host of health problems when inhaled.
Therefore, when selecting cleaning equipment, it is best to avoid any commercial cleaning equipment containing plastic.
Gas or Diesel-powered Commercial Cleaning Equipment Machinery
Machinery such as high-pressure hoses or carpet cleaners, often a necessity for larger commercial maintenance, are available in diesel or gas alternatives.
While these commercial cleaning tools are convenient, they are bad for the environment because the gases they release are toxic and have been linked to a range of environmental and health effects, including greenhouse gas emission, cardiovascular and respiratory complications, and the development of cancer.
Choosing electrical alternatives is advised in an earth-friendly approach, as they do not emit these gases.
The Benefits of Choosing an Eco-friendly Range of Products
Green cleaning isn’t just the latest craze. More people are switching to eco-friendly cleaning supplies in response to information and studies becoming available.
This information reveals the harmful effects toxic cleaning supplies have on plants, animals, and humans. Below are some of the benefits of going green.
1. It Is Better for the Environment
Eco-friendly products are made to be non-toxic and safe for animals, plants, and humans. They are also non-toxic and do not pollute the air or water if they make their way into wastewater treatment facilities or oceans. These products are also designed not to cause harm to animals if ingested.
2. Health Implications
Traditional products can have grave consequences on human health. Many studies have shown that the components of several cleaning supplies, such as chlorine bleach, cause considerable damage to the human body when their fumes are inhaled.
When these substances get in contact with the skin, they can cause a range of health concerns, including burns and skin cancer, so it is advisable to switch to a range of green products instead.
3. Going Green Can Help Drive Revenue
The cleaning industry is competitive, so when you go green, you are likely to stand apart from your competition. More people are becoming environmentally conscious and are constantly looking for contractors who share their philosophies, so going green can get you hired by customers, too!
4. Green Products Are Free of Allergens
Most traditional products contain allergens that irritate the sinuses and respiratory system. These allergens are often released into the air, so you may not even release that you are exposed to them.
However, eco-friendly alternatives exclude these allergens, so you, your employees, and your customers are less likely to suffer allergies when using green products for cleaning and maintenance.
The Bottom Line
Eco-friendly products are increasing in popularity. If you are a newcomer to the cleaning industry or have been in the industry for a long time but are hoping to switch to a more earth-friendly cleaning approach for your business, there are several ways to do so.
Using online databases, checking the safety data sheet, choosing biodegradable alternatives, and analyzing product labels can help you select eco-friendly cleaning supplies for a successful, earth-friendly approach to business that your customers are sure to appreciate just as much as the environment does.
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