Keep it Green When You Make it Clean

Print This Page

Affordability

Non-toxic cleaners are available at health and natural living stores and some hardware stores and conventional grocers carry them as well. Non-toxic janitorial services are becoming more common, but if you cannot find one in your area, work with a local service to only use cleaning agents that you supply, as well as to minimize the use of night lighting and water they use while cleaning.

Cost savings

Ecological cleaners and specialized janitorial services can cost more upfront, however lost productivity from unhealthy or absent staff is an even greater expense. Making energy and water efficiency part of your green cleaning plan will help to reduce your costs and may make up the price difference in changing cleaning products and services. Employee pride and morale may improve.

Environmental considerations

Toxic cleaners and detergents are not really cleaning your office. They might pick up visible dust and dirt but the pollutants they leave behind pose a risk to the health of employees and to local ecosystems when the residues are washed down the drain. Look for cleaners with low or no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), no chlorine, pH levels close to 7.0 and Eco-Logo certification. In B.C., we have the best workplace compensation regulations in North America. If your cleaning service is using a product with known carcinogens, they have to replace it.

What you need to know

• The chemicals in conventional cleaners can make indoor air quality two to five, (or in severe cases much higher) more polluted than the local outdoor air.
• In Canada, manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients on their cleaners. However, companies that use non-toxic ingredients usually want to make it known. A good rule of thumb is if it does not say it is non-toxic and biodegradable, it likely isn’t.  The Labour and Environmental Alliance Society produced a comprehensive guide to carcinogenic ingredients and the products that contain them. Get a copy for your workplace.
• You can also use the Eco-Logo list of cleaners to find certified ecological alternatives.
• As well, Toxic Nation has a downloadable pdf titled Guide to Spring Cleaning, which lists various chemicals in cleaning products and the risks they pose.
• Chlorine and chlorine compounds in detergents and other cleaners release Persistent Organic Pollutants into the environment. These chemicals persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in the food chain posing health risks to humans and to ecosystems.
• Replace your paper towels with rags, sponges, dishtowels and hand towels. Paper towel impacts our forests, requires energy in manufacture, and many towels contain chlorine bleach.
• If you must use paper towels in your workplace, use ones that are unbleached and contain a high post-consumer content.
• Work with your janitorial service to ensure they are using products that meet your purchasing and workplace health standards.
• Ask janitorial services to light only one area of the building at a time while cleaning, rather than having the entire building or floor unnecessarily lit. Take advantage of partial switching (such as turning on only one lamp of a three lamp fixture) to further reduce energy use during building cleaning. Write this agreement into their contracts. For more information on office lighting efficiency, check out our Business Lighting Guide.
• Dirt and dust accumulation on light fixtures can reduce light output by 30%. Have janitorial staff clean lamps and reflectors or assign this as a regular duty for other staff.
• Note that improperly selected or over-used cleaning compounds can deteriorate the surfaces of light fixtures, decreasing their efficiency. For best results, follow the manufacturer recommendations for each application. Here are some suggestions for cleaning:
  • Aluminum: Apply very mild soaps and cleaners followed by a thorough rinse with clean water. Never use strong alkaline cleaners.
  • Silver Film: Apply a 0.5% nonabrasive solution of mild liquid detergent and water using a soft, damp rag. Ultrasonic cleaning machines are ideal for multiple cell louvers.
  • Enamel: Use detergents, automobile or glass cleaners. Do not use alcohol or abrasive cleaners.
• Minimizing water use is an essential part of green cleaning. Only seven percent of our fresh water resources are renewable. In B.C. we are some of the highest consumers of fresh water per person per day in the world. Water use depletes water resources as well as requiring energy to heat hot water, and to treat water and sewage. Use water saving measures in your office kitchen and bathrooms to conserve this essential resource and to save energy and money.
  

FAQ

If we switch to cloth instead of paper towels in our office kitchen, how can we wash them?
If washing rags and towels is a concern, stock enough to last for a week or two, make a voluntary staff rotation of individuals who agree to take them home to launder each week, or have someone take them to a nearby coin laundry during the work week. You can also wash them by hand at the office and leave them hanging to dry over the weekend.