Any effective and professional commercial cleaning company will depend on a variety of different chemicals and procedures to get the job done. However, some of these chemicals, such as disinfectants, cleansers, and strippers used by these companies have been proven to be toxic and dangerous to both cleaning staff and building occupants. A good janitorial company recognizes the impact of using these chemicals and takes great precaution to avoid and mitigate the dangers associated with each.

One such danger of the use of cleaning chemicals, strippers, and disinfectants is inhalation. Aerosol is the process when a liquid turns into a gas and goes airborne [1]. An common example of this occurrence in regard to chemical utilization is spray bottles. When a spray bottle is filled with a disinfectant or cleaning material, lets say bleach or ammonia to be sprayed on toilets, the chemical is disbursed into the air, making anyone in the vicinity exposed through breathing it. Inhalation of toxic chemicals can lead to respiratory issues, lower IQ’s, memory problems, thyroid issues, and birth defects [2].

Another such danger of using toxic chemicals, and by toxic we mean anything containing, phthalates, perchloroethylene, or butoxyethanol [3] among others, is that these chemicals are susceptible to improper mixture. Since most companies must mix solutions manually, it takes a trained professional to properly measure, read the label, and adjust chemical concentration properly. Mixing the wrong type of chemicals together or too strong of a concentration of one chemical or the other, can lead to disastrous results, not only in terms of asset preservation but in terms of staff and occupant health. In most cases, dangerous and toxic chemicals will directly affect indoor air quality.

On a brighter side, there are many advantages and benefits to utilizing a green cleaning program. Companies today both commercial and janitorial, as well as many mainstream consumers, are waking up to the fact that they want safe, toxic-free, and sustainable environments both for their homes and for their business. The emergence of green clean technology and products on the market in the past 15 years is direct proof of this [4]. With a green cleaning program, there are many benefits to using safer chemicals and cleaning procedures. The biggest is that it will improves health and well being.

Reducing the exposure to toxic chemicals both for staff and occupants elevates health and well being. Symptoms and problems from the direct and indirect exposure of harmful chemicals is drastically reduced with safer, alternative, and green cleaning products. There are many facility managers today interested in the benefits of increase indoor air quality and the use of green chemicals and procedures helps them accomplish this goal. The use of safer chemicals also has many social impacts as well. Many customers demand a safer, cleaner, and healthier environment and companies want to avoid lawsuits created from mold or inhalation problems [5].

The use of green cleaning chemicals and technology is a superior method to ensure the health, wellbeing, and safety of all building occupants including janitorial staff. We have come a long way and many of the old methods are unsafe and seriously outdated. Organizations demand green facilities that will help improve their image and sustainability, and occupants demand higher standards in clean such as mold and allergen free environments as well as good air quality. The industry has come a long way and still has much technology and innovation to utilize in the future.

For a list of green clean service providers, go here: 

http://www.ijcsa.org/Green-Cleaning-Service

References:

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerosol

[2] https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/chemicals/toxic_substances.htm

[3] http://safemarkets.org/toxic-chemicals-in-products/cleaning-products/toxic-cleaning-products

[4] http://www.cleanconscience.com/blog/2015/02/rise-green-cleaning-industry/

[5] http://corporate.findlaw.com/business-operations/addressing-toxic-mold-risks-in-retail-and-commercial-property.html