What makes a cleaning service "Green"?

The Requirements to Be a Green Cleaning Service

You hear about how green cleaning is important all the time. However, what does it even mean to be a "green cleaning service".  We did some research to find out.

WHY SHOULD YOU EVEN WANT AN ECO-FRIENDLY CLEANING SERVICE?

A green cleaning service comes with many advantages, the most obvious are air quality, safety, and environment responsibility.

1. Air Quality

The US Environmental Protection Agency says that indoor air pollution is up to 10 times more harmful than outdoor air pollution. This means any health issue that air pollution can cause could be the result of poor air quality from within the home.

2. Safety

Many cleaning products contain harmful ingredients. Some common examples include ammonia, bleach, and phenol. These are all things you'll want to keep off the floor if you have little kids. It's way better to use a natural floor cleaner, since it isn't toxic if you ingest or touch it.

3. Environmental responsibility

Bio-Vert.com reports that 82,000 barrels of oil could be saved annually by switching away from petrol based cleaning solutions. All it takes is for each household in the US to trade out a single chemical cleaner for a plant based one. The result would be enough oil saved to fill a year's worth of gas for approximately 7,500 drivers.

WHAT MAKES A CLEANING SERVICE GREEN?

There is no one definition here.  One definition is a service that uses exclusively "Green Seal Certified" products, which are considered to be healthy for the environment. Green Seal started up in 1989 as a way to distinguish natural and man-made chemicals. The best cleaning companies use products that contain this label. Some companies even make it a requirement that their cleaners use only products with that symbol.

GREEN SEAL CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The requirements can differ for everything from transport truck cleaners to toilet paper. You can check for specific Green Seal-certified cleaning products on the Green Seal website.

There are more than 50 categories to choose from. The Green Seal Standard Development Procedures guide will walk you through the process. You'll be shown the labeling standards worldwide for maintaining eco-friendliness in a product.

The specific standards are created by going through numerous steps. First, a product category is selected through a specific process. Then a feasibility assessment will be held and criteria will be determined. After this, an outreach will be made to the stakeholders. This is followed by a public commenting period and a chance for revisions. Then all the paperwork can get published as needed.

If it meets all the requirements, a product will get a certification seal. It will either say ISO 14020 (General Principles) or ISO 14024 (Type 1 Environment Labeling).

HOME MADE OR NATURAL CLEANING OPTIONS

An alternative approach is to use natural products around the home to clean, such as lemons or vinegar.  Many of these kinds of products are very safe, and meet most people's standards of "Green".  They are literally edible and friendly to the environment.  Other common natural cleaning products are plant-based products, such as body and hair cleaners that contain argan oil or coconut oil.  What a natural cleaner won't contain is often more obvious — you'll never see products with acid, ammonia, or solutions that can irritate the eyes or lungs.

USING A GREEN CLEANING SERVICE

Many companies purport to be a "green cleaning service", but many are not.  What is a good definition of such a service?  We believe it is pretty simple.  They use green products.  TIDY only certifies products for use that are previously certified green and have gone through TIDY's own screening process.  This process includes the "smell" test - confirming there aren't strong odors, testing for safety in the home, and testing for product efficacy.

For a more tranquil living environment, clean your home with eco-friendly products. You may think this will prevent your home from getting as clean as it should. But, an eco-friendly cleaning service will be able to use cleaning solutions that are both safe and effective.

CONCLUSION

A green cleaning experience does not have to be stressful or expensive. With a little research, you can easily hire a professional green cleaning service in your area.

If you plan to clean between maid visits, read up on eco-friendly cleaning products. There are many DIY recipes with natural ingredients that work great. You can also check out the EPA's list of Greener Products to find out what is safe to buy.

Whether you do it yourself - or hire a green cleaning service - cleaning your home the eco-friendly way is a great choice. It will reduce the risk of many serious health issues and it won't harm the environment

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