6 Easy Ways to Switch to a Green Cleaning Routine

Cleaning is a great way to keep your offices attractive for visitors and germ-free for your workers. But, did you know some cleaning chemicals can have serious adverse impacts on the environment and living beings? That is why the focus on green cleaning is increasing with time.

Green Cleaning refers to the practice of cleaning that has minimal adverse impacts on the environment and people. Basically, this type of cleaning involves the use of environmentally-friendly cleaning products, tools and methods that are both effective and safe.

In this article, we discuss top strategies to clean commercial properties and offices using green cleaning methods as well as talk about simple changes that can be made to add sustainability to your existing cleaning practices without affecting costs.

Let’s get started.

What is commercial property cleaning?

The cleaning of a commercial property can be extremely sensitive to the environment, as it involves the use of massive resources, chemicals and water.

This is why our primary focus at Clean Group is to make commercial cleaning as sustainable as possible by reducing the wastage of resources and promoting the use of green cleaning supplies and techniques.

Having a clear idea of what is included in office cleaning is another good way to switch to green cleaning by identifying and eliminating unnecessary or ineffective procedures to reduce the wastage of resources, including water.

The good news is that green cleaning is not nearly as difficult or costly as some might make it sound. In fact, you can even save some money by using homemade cleaning products, many of which are eco-friendly by nature.

Top Ways to Go Green in Commercial Cleaning

Cleaning is not a one-time task but a recurring thing, which is why sustainability in cleaning cannot be neglected. While following these simple steps and tips to reduce the cost of cleaning and avoid wastage, you can also help protect the environment.

1. Open Your Windows More Often

Keeping the windows at your place open will let fresh air in, which will help improve the air quality in your office. Over time, the air quality inside your commercial property starts degrading, especially when the windows stay closed for multiple hours straight.

Everything from your office surface, bad gases, pollen, mold and allergies will mix in the air, turning it toxic and not ideal to breathe.

Opening your office windows every so often will not just keep the air inside fresh but is also proven to be a great way to boost the mood and productivity of workers.

2. Use Eco-Friendly Cleaners

Eco-friendly cleaners are nothing but cleaning products that are made using natural products and are free of harsh chemicals, additives, preservatives and fragrances.

While the use of many of these harsh cleaners can be an effective way to clean hard surfaces and floors, the chemicals in these products may not be safe for people and the environment.

When using cleaning products, the cleaning person and those around them will have a higher chance of being adversely affected by any harsh chemical present in the product.

They can be affected either by inhaling fumes originating from the use of chemicals or by being in direct touch with acid-based cleaners. Either way, it’s not worth risking the health of your cleaners and/or workers.

Using eco-friendly cleaning alternatives such as green chemicals and homemade cleaners like baking soda, lemon, white vinegar, etc. will help keep your people safe, protect the environment from harsh chemicals and give you the best cleaning results without compromise.

Owing to the increasing demand for green cleaning products, there is now a wide range of eco-friendly supplies at retailers all over Australia. You can buy eco-friendly detergent, natural sponges, green floor cleaners, toilet cleaners and all other kinds of cleaning supplies that are made using natural or renewable ingredients to do the cleaning without harming the environment.

Alternatively, you can use a home-based cleaning product. Baking soda, for instance, can be a miracle for removing stains from carpets, cleaning junk and gunk from the oven, or even cleaning toilet bowls and urinals.

When used in combination with white vinegar, which is also a natural product, it can help remove all kinds of stains from surfaces, windows and carpets.

Lemons can be used as an all-natural sanitiser to remove germs from kitchen accessories. Rub it on surfaces like tabletops to remove germs or combine it with vinegar to form a strong, all-purpose cleaner.

Note: Only white vinegar out of all varieties of vinegar is considered suitable for green cleaning.

3. Avoid Using Air Fresheners

While store-based air fresheners may seem like the best product to help keep your indoor air fresh and aromatic, they may have all kinds of side effects. Most of the air fresheners you find in retail stores are nothing but mixtures containing unnatural additives and harsh chemicals that will not just reduce air quality but also may be harmful to people, especially those with respiratory diseases like asthma.

The best way to keep your office air fresh naturally is routine cleaning of all parts, areas and corners of the property, especially toilets and bathrooms which should be cleaned multiple times a day depending on traffic.

Alternatively, you can use a natural air freshener like plants. Make a solution by boiling lemon and cinnamon together with water and use it to refresh your office environment naturally.

4. Grow Plants

In-house plants are good not just for their beautiful appearance but they can also act as a wonderful natural air cleaner by keeping the indoor air quality fresh at all times.

Some plants are said to have the capabilities to neutralise the impacts of toxins and can keep bad gases and smells away from the air. Moreover, they keep transmitting fresh oxygen in the air, keeping your office environment fresh and healthy at all times.

Many plants and herbs are used as natural cleaning agents. They can help reduce the need for chemical-based cleaners.

5. Opt for Dry-Cleaning Alternatives

One way to save the environment and increase sustainability in cleaning is to reduce the use of water or opt for dry cleaning methods. Cleaning happens to be one of the major areas of water consumption.

Not just washing machines and dishwashers but almost all other types of commercial property cleaning methods involve massive use of water for washing floors, mopping, toilet washing, manual dishwashing (by hands) and more.

The use of dishwasher machines instead of manual dishwashing by hand can help save up to 10 gallons of water per cycle.

Other areas of commercial cleaning, such as car washing, floor washing, over-watering of lawns and car-park are other major areas where water consumption can be reduced by switching to eco-friendly alternatives.

Carpet washing can be replaced with dry carpet cleaning, which is in fact a more efficient cleaning method. Daily mopping can be replaced with daily vacuuming plus occasional mopping to save water. Re-use excess water left after cleaning to water plants and gardens (but not contaminated water).

6. Opt for Reusable Cleaning Products

In the commercial property cleaning industry, the use of reusable products is growing. These include reusable cleaning cloths, glass bottles, plastic bottles and other items that can be reused again and again, which can help reduce a lot of wastage in cleaning.

For one, you can swap single-use bottles for reusable glass containers to store cleaning solutions to avoid buying new containers again and again and limit wastage.

Opting for reusable cleaning cloths, rags and microfibre clothes in place of single-use cleaning towels or wipes is another great way to reduce wastage in cleaning.

Microfibre cloths can be used multiple times and are great for trapping dirt, dust and germs on surfaces. They can even be used for cleaning without water.

At Clean Group, we use microfibre cloths and reusable containers only.

Bonus tip:

Repurpose old items, clothes, etc. around your place for cleaning. Instead of throwing away water bottles, toothbrushes, and old clothes after you’re done using them, they can still be used for cleaning.

For instance, plastic bottles can be used for storing cleaning solutions. You can use old toothbrushes to clean surfaces, inside of bottles, shoe bottoms, grout lines and other hard-to-reach spots in your office.

Old clothes like t-shirts can make good cleaning clothes. There may be many other types of old items lying around your place that can be repurposed for cleaning.

Hire Top-Quality Green Commercial Cleaning Services from Clean Group!

Clean Group has been the flag-bearer of sustainable cleaning in the NSW region for many years now. In fact, we were one of the first cleaning companies in Sydney to adopt an all-green and natural cleaning practice.

We only use certified green and eco-friendly cleaning products and our cleaning techniques are driven by reduced use of water and chemicals in commercial office cleaning.

Clean Group provides cleaning services to commercial properties, offices, gyms, shops, schools, childcare centres, medical centres & many more. Get in touch with us to hire the best quality eco-friendly cleaning service for your property in Sydney. If you are wondering what is included in office cleaning, feel free to contact us to talk to our experts to get your answers.

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