When you do regular business with a janitorial company, you may have noticed an uptick in advertising for green cleaning solutions and sustainable practices. Even in your personal life, you’ll likely see eco-friendly cleaning products on display at various pharmacies, grocery stores, and hardware stores.
Why has there been a shift to green cleaning?
Can commercial cleaning companies deliver the same results with environmentally friendly products and technologies?
To answer these questions, the cleaning experts at ABS Janitorial LLC have created this article to explore why janitorial services embrace eco-friendly cleaning. We clarify what constitutes green cleaning, discuss industry trends, and highlight the upsides of sustainable sanitation and disinfection practices.
What Is Green Cleaning?
In recent years, green cleaning has become a bit of a buzzword in the janitorial industry.
In general terms, green cleaning refers to using non-toxic, sustainable cleaning products to reduce the impact chemical cleaning agents have on personal and environmental health. In a commercial cleaning context, green cleaning similarly involves using methods and products that minimize the ecological footprint of traditional cleaning practices.
Green cleaning is a larger philosophy that highlights a company’s commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility and involves strategies to help other businesses do the same.
Since it’s become an industry-wide trend, let’s examine why you might see janitorial companies embracing a shift to green cleaning below.
Eco-Friendly Products Minimize Environmental Harm
The most significant reason for the shift to green cleaning products and practices is the reduction of harm to our environment.
With a growing awareness of the detrimental, long-term impacts of cleaning practices, waste, and harsh chemicals on local ecosystems, janitorial services are recognizing the importance of adopting new practices.
Eco-friendly products and practices reduce pollution, conserve natural resources, and prevent harmful chemicals from being released into the air and water. Many companies are successfully embracing green practices to minimize the cleaning industry's impact on the environment.
Technological Innovations: Commercial-Grade Green Cleaners Are Effective
Although eco-friendly products and practices, particularly DIY cleaners, have existed for a long time, there haven’t always been viable options for maintaining commercial cleaning standards.
That’s no longer the case.
Recent innovations in cleaning equipment, products, and best practices have made it possible to achieve top-quality results without harsh chemical cleaners. It’s now possible for janitorial companies to meet commercial hygiene standards while using equipment and products that have a minor impact on the environment.
Some recent innovations in commercial-grade green cleaning include the following:
- Improved education and training programs
- Microfiber technology and reusable cleaning equipment
- Plant-based and biodegradable cleaning agents
- Natural disinfectants
- Water-efficient cleaning equipment
- Battery-powered cleaning equipment
- Automated and smart cleaning systems
- Closed-loop dispensing systems
- Reusable packaging
Non-Chemical Cleaning Agents Create Healthier Indoor Spaces
Another significant upside to green cleaning is the positive impact that non-chemical agents have on indoor spaces. Traditional cleaning products with harsh chemicals effectively kill germs and bacteria but can worsen indoor air quality and leave a harmful residue on surfaces.
In offices and business spaces with little airflow, traditional cleaning agents that contain common allergens and irritants can negatively affect your team. These can harm employees and clients with respiratory issues and sensitivities, increasing the likelihood of discomfort and sometimes resulting in more sick days.
Conversely, non-chemical cleaning agents can reduce irritants and toxins in the workplace, making the cleaning process safer for your team, clients, and hired janitors.
Commercial Cleaning: Green Strategies Are a Response to Demand
Successful companies in every industry respond to customer demand. Whether it’s through expanding services, modifying their approach to customer service, or developing new strategies, listening to what the customer wants is essential.
The same is true for the commercial cleaning industry. Green cleaning and eco-friendly strategies are beneficial in themselves but are also a response to demand.
More than ever, companies are investing in corporate responsibility, and opting for environmentally sound cleaning strategies is an easy step in the right direction. By recognizing this trend, janitorial agencies adapt their practices to meet client expectations and preferences.
Janitorial Services Are Adapting to Regulatory Requirements
When it comes to industry trends, customer demand isn’t the only factor influencing the direction of cleaning companies; it’s also the result of regulatory bodies and changing legislation. Industry standards are constantly evolving, and many governmental agencies favor implementing regulations that encourage and mandate the use of eco-friendly cleaning products.
Good cleaning companies adapt and embrace change, but the best ones anticipate it. Leaning into green cleaning and new technology is just one way that janitorial services stay ahead of the curve.
Green Office Cleaning Services Reduce Carbon Footprint
A carbon footprint is a standard metric for understanding how our actions and consumption habits impact the environment. With many companies looking to shrink their environmental impact, reducing their carbon footprint is one easy way to do this.
Green cleaning contributes to overall efforts to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change head-on. Cleaning companies that invest in green cleaning products and techniques reduce their footprint and can help other local businesses do the same.
Eco-friendly cleaning shrinks carbon emissions through the following:
- Sustainable ingredients
- Reduced manufacturing impacts
- Water-conserving/energy-efficient equipment
- Biodegradability
- Packaging reduction
- Local product sourcing
- Using carbon-neutral cleaning agents
Janitorial Companies Are Embracing Corporate Responsibility and Brand Differentiation
Janitorial companies also embrace eco-friendly practices to enhance their public image, promote sustainable business practices, and differentiate themselves in the market. Prioritizing environmentally conscious practices is a great way to demonstrate corporate responsibility and attract forward-thinking clients and stakeholders.
Your Janitorial Service Should Always Adapt to Your Needs
When you’re in the market for commercial cleaning services, it’s important to find a janitorial company that will adapt to your needs and support your professional goals. When it comes to reliable janitorial services, ABS Janitorial LLC is second to none. With years of experience and a proven track record of providing exceptional cleaning solutions, we’re here to deliver state-of-the-art services that satisfy your eco-conscious sanitization and disinfection goals.
Call (808) 285-1469 to discuss your commercial cleaning requirements with us today.