Posts Tagged ‘commercial green cleaning products’

Everyone knows that to keep office workers healthy, standards of cleanliness must be met. Bathrooms must be cleaned and sanitized daily, lunchrooms must be maintained at a very high level as food preparation takes place there, and ordinary germs, both bacterial and viral, must be eliminated to avoid the spread of diseases. Added into this is the growing awareness of “sick building syndrome” and the potential complications and conditions to workers in such a “sick” building. Managers of these facilities and buildings are starting to take into consideration such steps as using water and air purifiers, low or even no VOC paint, and furniture and carpeting that don’t themselves give off toxic fumes. Simpler, yet as effective, is the use of products that are environmentally friendly. You will find information on these products in the following article.

Thing To Avoid:

1. Volatile Organic Compounds – In learning what to avoid, you will come across the term “Volatile Organic Compounds”, conveniently abbreviated as VOCs. In layman’s terms, this would the fumes released by certain solids and liquids, which according to the EPA are as much as ten times the density inside a buidling as outside. It will certainly be no surprise that the a lack of ventilation in enclosed buildings is a prime factor in the concentration of these VOCs. These compounds are released not only by common cleaning supplies, but by such surprising additions as dry cleaned clothing and air fresheners. Paint and paint remover and plywood and pressed board used on and in walls emit their own mix of VOCs and can contribute to sick building syndrome.

In learning about Volatile Organic Compounds, one also learns of the detrimental health effects, both long and short-term, of exposure. Some of the most common include eye irritation, headaches, flu-like symptoms, dizziness, and the triggering of asthma attacks. The most severe can be life threatening, such as cancer. Does your office use a spot cleaning for carpeting or fabric cleaning? How about a floor cleaner or bathroom and kitchen cleaners or glass and multi-purpose cleaners? If the answer is yes and they are not non-toxic cleaners, you are exposed to VOCs. Reduction of these Volatile Organic Compounds is important for everyone, but even more so for the elderly, people with lesser functioning immune systems, and pregnant and nursing women.

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.

Look For:

1. Neutral pH – What exactly is meant by the term “neutral pH”? There are three factors involved: the reaction of the cleaning product with the surfaced being cleaned, the reaction with the environment when interacting with the water system, and the reaction of the product with your skin. A neutral pH means that when the product touches a surface it is non-reactive. For example, a pH value over 7.0 is considered to be an alkali, such as bleach. Battery acid, unsurprisingly, is acidic with a pH under 7.0. A product is determined to be neutral if the pH is 7.0.

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, a neutral pH product without any harsh chemicals will keep your cleaned surfaces, such as desks, conference tables, countertops and carpets free of harmful residue.

2. Biodegradable – While facilities managers are concerned about the internal surroundings of their buildings, it is also important to consider the effects of what they use inside on the outside environment. Our environment gets exposed to everything we wash down the drain. Cleaning chemicals commonly pollute our environment instead of dissipating into non-harmful co-factors, but even the amount of time it takes to biodegrade makes some cleaning products superior to others. Look for cleaners that meet the EPA’s highest standard of biodegradability within 28 days with no aquatic toxicity.

3. Plant-Based – The use of plants for medicinal and health purposes is a long-established fact. Add the cleansing properties and you have a complete arsenal, all non-toxic and organic. No synthetic chemical compound offers the non-toxic benefits of the plant-based products. Fortunately, the plant-based compounds clean as well as or better than their harmful counterparts, including less to no Volatile Organic Compounds in the work environment.

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 all natural multipurpose cleaning products. Healthier workers are more productive and using all natural cleaning products can greatly contribute to this. Reducing the environmental impact is an added bonus that every smart manager can appreciate!

Keeping a clean home also means keeping a toxin-free home. One key way to do this is by using non-toxic household cleaners that don’t emit Volatile Organic Compounds, have a neutral pH, don’t contain solvents, and are biodegradable. That doesn’t mean that you can’t wash with anything but vinegar and water, but you do need to watch out for ingredients that have poisonous fumes and leave harmful residues. Here are a few cleaner characteristics to look for:

Avoid Volatile Organic Compounds – There is a name for the dangerous and health-affecting fumes that are emitted from certain liquids and solids, Volatile Organic Compounds.  These fumes tend to build up in a enclosed environment and according to the EPA can be as much as ten times higher in density in a home than when used outside.  Lack of ventilation is the prime culprit in the accumulation of these fumes which can come from such common household items as cleaning supplies, air fresheners, dry cleaned clothing, plywood, and paint and paint removers.

Oftentimes after cleaning, you may notice you have a headache or your eyes are irritated.  These symptoms and other side-effects of Volatile Organic Compounds, such as dizziness, asthma attacks, and flu-like symptoms.  These short-term and the longer term effect, such as cancer, are linked to VOCs.  While this is not healthy for any individual, there are certain groups who seem to be more affected.  These would include babies and children, the elderly, pregnant and nursing women, and those individuals without fully functioning immune systems.  As the fumes linger in the home for hours after use, it is important to eliminate as much VOC causing products as possible.

If you are like most people starting to learn about this subject, you could go to where you store your cleaning supplies right now and you would find that every product emits Volatile Organic Compounds.  Unless you already buy pH neutral and biodegradable, the cleaners you use for your floors, tubs, carpets, countertops, grill, and windows all produce Volatile Organic Compounds.  You know now that using them produces these fumes that last for hours, but even sitting there, unused, they emit gasses.

Neutral pH – Another new plus in your cleaning arsenal is going to be the use of products that have a neutral pH.  A compound with a pH of 7.0 is considered neutral, being neither alkaline or acidic.  This means it will be non-reactive to when it touches a surface, when it touches your skin, and when it reacts with the environment when it exits your home through the drainage system and gets into the water.  When a compound has a high pH (over 7.0) it is alkaline, such as bleach.  A lower pH (under 7.0) means it is acidic, such as battery acid.  Quite expectantly, both of these are highly corrosive to surfaces and skin.

Burns to your skin from caustic products are no joke.  Nor is damage to a sensitive surface, such as certain tiles and marble.  Using a neutral pH product is the way to ensure that neither of these happens to you.

No Solvents – Solvents often contain corrosive chemical ingredients, such as alcohols, esters, Ethylene Glycol Ethers (EGEs), and Propylene Glycol Ethers (PGEs). These are carcinogenic and toxic to people & the environment.

Biodegradable – Our environment gets exposed to everything we wash down the drain. Cleaning chemicals commonly pollute our environment instead of dissipating into non-harmful co-factors, but even the amount of time it takes biodegrade makes some cleaning product superior over the others.

Making the move to replace your existing toxic chemical cleaning products to all green multipurpose cleaning products is easy to do.  As each current product begins to run out, simply exchange that one for an eco-friendly one.  You will be delighted with the effectiveness of the green cleaning product.  The reduction of harmful impacts to you, your family, and the environment make using all natural cleaning products the wise short and long-term decision!