By Jon Crow, Owner of AZ Green Commercial Cleaning
You want your office to be as clean as possible when you run a business. Your workers will spend most of their week in your commercial space, so you want to ensure it is as pristine as possible. You want it to be a place your employees enjoy working in, and your clients enjoy visiting. However, properly cleaning your office should also mean cleaning with the environment in mind. Green cleaning is a great way to clean your commercial space because it is just as effective as traditional cleaning methods while conserving resources and creating a chemical-free work environment. Here are a few tips to help you clean green at the office.
Only use eco-friendly products
The best thing you can do to clean green is eliminate the traditional cleaning products full of harmful chemicals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and ammonia. Only use products that are biodegradable and non-toxic. The best way to check if a cleaning product is green is to look at the ingredients and look for certifications from environmentally friendly organizations. EPA-registered products are a great way to start and HEPA filters vacuum can remove at least 99.97 percent of dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria. You can also look for certified products from organizations such as Green Seal and EcoLogo.
Green cleaning products are typically alcohol and peroxide-based. A good rule of thumb for finding green cleaning products is to smell them. Environmentally friendly products tend to be odorless or have a very natural smell, like citrus. Any cleaners with market-tested scents like “beach breeze” are going to use chemicals. You can smell Lysol, but you can’t smell natural cleaners all that much.
Avoid disposable cleaning tools
Cleaning green requires limiting the amount of waste you create while cleaning your office space. Avoid using disposable products such as paper towels, disposable mop pads, and disposable cleaning wipes. Many of these products are required to clean your office properly, but most cannot be recycled. Clean with microfiber towels and washable mop rags. When they need to be cleaned, do so in an eco-friendly washing machine. Any Energy Star-rated washer and dryer will do. Put cleaning products in reusable bottles, and if you have to dispose of anything, make sure the product you are using is recyclable. A good rule of thumb is if you can avoid putting something in the trash then that is a good thing.
Clean the air vents
The main benefit of green cleaning is creating a workspace with cleaner air. Using chemical-free products means fewer carcinogens in the air, which means you aren’t breathing that material while you are at work. However, to do this effectively, you must ensure you are cleaning your vents. Your vents are the main entry and exit points for the air you breathe in the office, so you want to make sure bacteria and dirt are not building up in those spaces. Because air recirculates through your vents, if they are dirty, the air you breathe will be dirty, as well. Vents are one of the most neglected parts of an office when it comes to cleaning.
Creating a happy and healthy office space is a priority for any business owner and is simple to do. By using natural cleaning products and reusable cleaning tools, and keeping your vents clean, you can ensure you and your employees are breathing cleaner air and will help your company avoid creating waste our environment does not need.
