Don’t be a Grinch. This New Year, make a resolution to help save the Earth! With today’s advanced products, you can have it all – eco-friendly, affordable and no sacrifice in cleanliness. It no longer costs a premium to do the right thing for your home, your business and the Earth.
The janitorial industry has made huge strides to reduce the impact on the environment on a daily basis. The implementation and promotion of more environmentally-friendly chemicals, energy-efficient equipment, water reduction, chemical-free products, recycled paper, reduction of pollutants and microfiber all aid in the support of environmental initiatives. Green cleaning processes and procedures have contributed to sustainable goals. But Green cleaning isn’t just about being “natural.” After all, arsenic and uranium are natural but nobody wants to be anywhere near them. Certified green cleaners lessen their environmental impact at all stages of its life cycle including the packaging and methods of disposal.
1. Recycle. Put a soda can in a different bin for recycling and you are reducing pollution. Choose products with the least amount of packaging. By recycling all of its office paper waste for a year, the effort of an office of 7,000 workers would be equivalent to taking almost 400 cars off the road. (Source: EPA).
2. Conserve water. Little things make a huge difference to our environment. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth or wash your hands. The average bathroom tap runs at about 2 gallons of water per minute! Install a faucet aerator on each faucet. Inexpensive, but they conserve heat and water while keeping water pressure high.
3. Change light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) last ten times longer than a standard bulb, using two-thirds less energy.
4. Turn off the lights. Many janitorial services are switching to day cleaning to help lower business’ electric bills, no longer needing “lights on” while the building is cleaned each day. We can do the same in our homes. If we leave a room for any period of time, switch off the lights. If we’re only going to be in a room a short time, leave the lights off. Simple, but impactful.
5. Adjust your thermostat. Set it one degree higher in the summer and one degree cooler in the winter. Each degree either way can result in big savings each year! Save even more by cleaning filters, insulating around leaky doors and windows and planting trees to block the sun in summer and the wind in winter.
6. Use microfiber products. Microfiber mops and cloths capture dust and harmful microbes without the use of spray products or other chemicals. These clothes should be color coded for different tasks.
7. Staying environmentally responsible can even protect your health. Harmful chemicals to the environment are often harmful to people as well. Hospitals and restaurants, for example, both serve a variety of people, young and old. When they use a Green cleaning service, sensitivity to chemical products is less of a concern. Environmentally friendly products protect both people’s and the environment’s health.
