| Looking Into the Future
April is an important month, and we’re not talking rain showers and spring baseball. During April, we recognize a date that most of us should do more to celebrate every day. Saturday, April 22nd, we’ll recognize Earth Day, a day observed by more than a billion people each year. It takes all of us to make a change, and we have the resources to adjust not only in our homes but in our offices and facilities as we move deeper into spring cleaning season. According to Kirsten Hochberg, Ph.D., “People expect that facilities and cleaning operations use products that are eco-conscious. In one survey, 83% of office workers said they would like to see their company use environmentally friendly cleaning products.” (Hochberg 2023) Thankfully, as the fight for a greener future grows, we can choose many more sustainable cleaning product options now with quality certifications.
Third-Party Certifications
There’s a fine line that categorizes a product as “green”; that’s why independent organizations have made it easier for consumers to choose the right products. Kristen Hochberg also claims in a recent study that “Products labeled as ‘Green’ that did not have an outside certification were not actually better for the environment than regular products.” (Hochberg 2023) The first third-party certification we’ll look at today is the EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) which is targeted towards disinfecting products that consider the whole lifecycle of a product, going beyond the use of recycled materials or packaging and disposal. The second certification I'll mention is EPA Safer Choice which looks at the ingredients in general cleaning products to ensure pollution is eliminated or prevented at the source. Both certifications consider the overall well-being of human health and the sustainability of our environment. In addition to choosing the right products, I was hoping you could pick the right ones for the job without accumulating an unnecessary number of products that could go unused. We will look at five product categories and examples we recommend most for eco-conscious spring cleaning this year: disinfectant, glass cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, floor cleaner, and degreaser. |
|
|
|
For general disinfecting, I recommend a household name in the hand sanitizer industry, PURELL. This GOJO Industries giant offers a professional surface disinfectant that kills Human Coronavirus, Norovirus, and MRSA within 30 seconds with no rinsing required, even on food-contact surfaces, a perfect match for frequently used surfaces, such as doorknobs and tables. In addition, this disinfectant is third-party supported with the EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) certification. This PURELL disinfectant sells in six per-carton, 32 fl. oz., ready-to-use spray bottles with a fresh citrus scent that gives us clean freaks of peace of mind. |
|
See clearly! Utilize a proper glass cleaner to clean windows, mirrors, and more! My recommendation is Clorox EcoClean Glass Cleaner Spray. This glass cleaner is made with 94 percent biobased cleaning ingredients and is EPA Safer Choice certified. This glass cleaner is great for commercial use and can clean up messes without harsh chemicals and fumes. The Clorox EcoClean glass cleaner spray sells in a 32 fl. oz. spray bottle made with SmartTube technology that gives you every drop of cleaner in every bottle. |
|
|
|
|
We’ll continue with Clorox for my all-purpose cleaner recommendation; my choice is the Clorox EcoClean all-purpose cleaner. Clorox’s new EcoClean product line stands out compared to most eco-friendly cleaning options. The all-purpose cleaner uses 99 percent biobased cleaning ingredients with an EPA Safer Choice certification and is safe to use in schools, hospitals, veterinary clinics, athletic facilities, and more! The Clorox EcoClean all-purpose cleaner sells in a 32 fl. Oz spray bottle made with SmartTube technology ensures you get the most value for your cleaner! |
|
One of the biggest underdogs in the cleaning industry is floor cleaners. It’s far too common to see the most used part of our home or office not get the attention it needs. Remove soils without harming finishes on the surface while deodorizing with confidence using Betco Green Earth daily floor cleaner. This floor cleaner is backed with an EPA Safer Choice certification and contains a neutral pH. Betco Green Earth daily floor cleaner sells in a 128 fl oz jug. |
|
|
|
|
Avoid toxic cleaners, bleaches, and solvents while cleaning heavy messes with Simple Green industrial cleaner/degreaser. Safe for all washable surfaces, including countertops, sinks, carpets, flooring, upholstery, and more! Simple Green has been known since 1975 for building a legacy of developing products perfect for a greener world. An EPA Safer Choice certification backs this degreaser. The industrial cleaner sells in many forms, but we recommend the 24 fl oz ready-to-use spray bottle. |
|
If you ask yourself, If I change my daily cleaner brand, will that be enough to change the world? It probably won't, yet it is a great start. Evolving how we clean and paying attention to the products we use is simply a stepping stone to a positive future. In addition to changing our sanitization habits, we can make other minor changes in our lifestyle to help as well. We should also consider hanging clothes to dry, carpooling to and from work, and recycling. In a previous blog (Are You Recycling Ink & Toner?), I explained how important it is to not dispose of your used cartridges in a landfill and how Office Solutions Northwest offers free recycling to all ink and toner cartridges. A small start is miles better than doing nothing. As our community becomes more educated regarding how important using sustainable products is to our future, more options and alternatives continue to evolve and become available. Don't stress out about the hundreds of choices; choosing one product per cleaning category is a great start. We all need to join together to create a better future. |
| “About Gojo.” GOJO US: About GOJO, https://www.gojo.com/en/About-GOJO. “Betco Commercial Cleaning: Products Detail.” Betco, https://www.betco.com/products/green-earth-daily-floor-cleaner/53604. “Clorox EcoClean All-Purpose Cleaner.” Product, Item Info, https://iteminfo.com/product/CLO63085. “Clorox EcoClean Glass Cleaner Spray.” Product, Item Info, https://iteminfo.com/product/CLO63086. “EcoClean™ Cleaning Products with Plant-Based Active Ingredients.” CloroxPro, https://www.cloroxpro.com/products/clorox/clorox-ecoclean/?upc=044600602769. “EcoClean™ Cleaning Products with Plant-Based Active Ingredients.” CloroxPro, https://www.cloroxpro.com/products/clorox/clorox-ecoclean/?upc=044600602776. “Everything You Need to Know about PURELL®.” KNOW-HOW, https://www.purell.eu/en/know-how/everything-you-need-to-know-about-purell. “Green Earth Daily Floor Cleaner.” Search Results: Bet5360400, Item Info, https://iteminfo.com/search/k_BET5360400. “The History of Earth Day.” Earth Day, 11 May 2022, https://www.earthday.org/history/. “Learn About Design for the Environment (DfE) Certification.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-labels/learn-about-design-environment-dfe-certification. “PURELL® Professional Surface Disinfectant Spray.” PURELL® Professional Surface Disinfectant Spray | 3342-06, https://www.gojo.com/Product/3342-06. “PURELL® Professional Surface Disinfectant.” Product, Item Info, https://iteminfo.com/product/GOJ334206. “Safer Choice.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice. “Simple Green Industrial Cleaner/Degreaser.” Product, Item Info, https://iteminfo.com/product/SMP13012?s1=ls. “Simple Green Industrial Cleaning Site.” Simple Green, https://simplegreen.com/industrial/environmental-commitment/. “Simple Green Industrial Cleaning Site.” Simple Green, https://simplegreen.com/industrial/products/industrial-cleaner-degreaser/. |
 |
|
|
|
|
