Posts Tagged ‘natural home cleaning products’
Use Green Cleaning Product At Your Office Building
Posted on
June 26th, 2010 by
Grace
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Facilities managers have double duty of keeping a clean, well-run facility and making sure the office environment is a healthy workplace. Rising awareness of “sick building syndrome” has added extra pressure to take steps to make sure the building is conducive to the wellbeing and productivity of their staff. Some offices have the option of using carpet & furniture that won’t off-gas formaldehyde, air & water purifiers, and no or low-VOC paint, but one of the most simple and cost-effective ways to reduce the toxins in your office environment day in and day out is to use environmentally-friendly cleaning products. Here are some tips for finding non-toxic, green cleaning products that don’t that have poisonous fumes and won’t leave harmful residues.
Avoid:
1. Volatile Organic Compounds – One of the things to avoid is something called Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs. What this means exactly is that toxic fumes are released from certain liquids and solids. The ratio of this release is consistently higher indoors (with the EPA noting this can be up to ten times higher) than outdoors. Many would be surprised to know that some of the most common and popular cleaning supplies, as well as the paint on the walls, plywood or pressed board used in walls, and paint and paint removers emit these fumes. Even more surprising would be that dry cleaned clothing and even air fresheners can prove toxic indoors. Greatly contributing to this is that the air inside buidlings does not provide good enough ventilation to disapaite the fumes.
In learning about Volatile Organic Compounds, one also learns of the detrimental health effects, both long and short-term, of exposure. Some of the most common include eye irritation, headaches, flu-like symptoms, dizziness, and the triggering of asthma attacks. The most severe can be life threatening, such as cancer. Does your office use a spot cleaning for carpeting or fabric cleaning? How about a floor cleaner or bathroom and kitchen cleaners or glass and multi-purpose cleaners? If the answer is yes and they are not non-toxic cleaners, you are exposed to VOCs. Reduction of these Volatile Organic Compounds is important for everyone, but even more so for the elderly, people with lesser functioning immune systems, and pregnant and nursing women.
Keep in mind that cleaning products that contain VOCs aren’t just affecting the people immediately after they are used. Unless there is an air purification or ventilation system that consistently cleans the air, the VOC fumes can stay in the air for hours. They are even off-gassed from the containers sitting in the cabinet or closet.
2. Solvents – Some of the chemical ingredients in solvents are dangerously toxic to the environment and the people exposed to them. These would include Propylene Glycol Ethers (PGEs), esters, alcohols, and Ethylene Glycol Ethers (EGEs). The toxic nature includes carcinogenic properties and would add to the Volatile Organic Compounds present in the air.
Things To Look For:
1. Neutral pH – The determination of what exactly is a neutral pH can be easily understood. Neutral has been given a value of 7.0 and is based on how the product reacts with the environment once it enters the water system, the effect on the surface being cleaned, and the outcome of usage on the skin. Acids, such as battery acid, has a value under 7.0, while the opposite – alkali – has a value of over 7.0 and would include such items as bleach. The 7.0 pH neutral is not reactive to surfaces.
2. Biodegradable – We all know how important clean water is. There are whole industries dedicated to reclaiming water to meet growing needs. Considering the environment when choosing cleaning products is the planet-wise responsible decision to make. The most commonly used products are some of the biggest contributors to pollution, as they do not dissolve into non-toxic components. Washed down the drain they retain their harmful effects. You might be surprised to know that even among biodegradable products, there are different rates as to how quickly they reach full level. The EPA has standards for what truly constitutes biodegradable and you should look for products that do so with 28 days.
Easily damaged surfaces, such as marble, are unaffected by neutral pH cleaners. Even the most sensitive skin is unharmed by neutral pH products that exclude all harsh chemicals. No matter how often a neutral pH product is used, there is no harmful residue buildup on the surfaces that are cleaned, such as countertops, conference tables, desks, and carpets.
3. Plant-Based – Returning to using the natural ingredients of the planet means using chemical-free and toxic-free ingredients to clean. With plant-based products, there is a much less chance of the emission of dangerous Volatile Organic Compounds as they are not included in this makeup. Plant-based brands ensure you reach the level of cleanliness you expect with the more harmful products, without synthetic chemicals.
The overall management of a building or facility requires many decisions, both easy and complex. Making the move to eliminate toxic chemical cleaners falls into the “easy” category. Simple to do, using natural multipurpose cleaner paves the way for a cleaner environment and healthier workers. Choosing to use natural home cleaner will put any manager at the forefront of those who care about the wellbeing of workers and the long-term health of the planet.
Natural Cleaning Products – Make Your Office Eco-Friendly
Posted on
June 25th, 2010 by
Grace
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Managers of buildings and other facilities where workers perform know that diseases can rapidly spread in an unclean environment. There are in place certain industry standards that require such things as daily cleaning of lunchrooms to guard against and prevent food contamination, and cleaning and sanitizing bathroom facilities to prevent the spread of E. coli and other pathogens. This would extend to the desks and meeting rooms where groups of people in various stages of health would gather, potentially spreading cold and flu germs in any season. While the term “sick building syndrome” is still making its way into the lexicon, the compromises to a worker’s health from such a building are becoming well known. Knowledgeable managers are beginning to consider and utilize products such as purifiers for water and air, carpeting and furniture that don’t emit toxic fumes, and low and no VOC paint. One step in the right direction is the use of cleaning products that are themselves environmentally friendly and not toxic. Some specifics about these products are provided for your information.
Thing To Avoid:
1. Volatile Organic Compounds – Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs are fumes that can be toxic when emitted from certain solids or liquids. According to the EPA, concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors.? This is because of the lack of ventilation of the VOCs that are off-gassed from many common products used to clean at home and in the office. Besides cleaning supplies, health-harming VOCs also come from paint and paint removers, air fresheners, dry cleaned clothing, and plywood/pressed board.
Once one is aware of the emission of Volatile Organic Compounds in a work environment, further exploration reveals the harmful side effects of exposure. These effects can be short or long-term and include everything from the simple, such as dizziness, headaches, eye irritation, flu-like symptoms and asthma attacks, to cancer as the most detrimental. While you may be wondering your current exposure level, consider in the equation if your office uses kitchen and bathroom cleaners, glass cleaner, a multi-purpose cleaner, floor cleaners, and spot treatment for fabrics and carpeting. If your answer is yes and these products are not a non-toxic product, then you too are experiencing exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds. While everyone would benefit from less exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds, there are certain segments of the population who are particularly sensitive. These people would include the elderly, pregnant and nursing women, and those who suffer from some sort of immune system compromise.
You may think that if you are not in the immediate area where VOC-emitting cleaning products are used, then you are not being exposed. This is not true, unless your building uses an air purification or ventilation system that is constantly cleaning the air. Although your nose may become used to the smell, the actual fumes last for hours in the air. Even less known is that the fumes are present just from the bottles sitting in the area where they are stored.
2. Solvents – Contributing to the Volatile Organic Compounds in the air are the chemicals found in solvents. Some of these are noted to have carcinogenic and toxic properties. A surprising number are in common usage, such as Ethylene Glycol Ethers (EGEs), alcohols, Propylene Glycol Ethers (PGEs), and esthers.
Things To Look For:
1. Neutral pH – PH determines the reaction of a cleaning product with your skin, the surface being cleaned and the environment when it is washed into the water system. A compound with a pH value under 7.0 is acidic, more than 7.0 is alkali and a pH value of 7.0 is neutral, neither acidic nor alkaline. Liquids that are either too acidic, such as battery acid, or alkaline like bleach, are very corrosive. A neutral pH is non-reactive to the surface that it touches.
A neutral pH cleaning product won’t harm even the most sensitive surfaces, such as marble, and you don’t have to worry about it throwing off the pH balance of your skin. Even with frequent use, a neutral pH product without any harsh chemicals will keep your cleaned surfaces, such as desks, conference tables, countertops and carpets free of harmful residue.
2. Biodegradable – All of the chemicals we wash down the drain get put into the water supply unchanged. This affects many levels of plant and animal life and ultimately must be removed from the water prior to consumption. How much better is it to use products that biodegrade within the shortest time as those meeting the highest standards of the EPA do? The most used cleaning products are also the ones that are so deleterious to the environment. Changing to products that biodegrade in under 28 days with no aquatic toxicity is the responsible, eco-friendly choice to make.
3. Plant-Based – The use of plants for medicinal and health purposes is a long-established fact. Add the cleansing properties and you have a complete arsenal, all non-toxic and organic. No synthetic chemical compound offers the non-toxic benefits of the plant-based products. Fortunately, the plant-based compounds clean as well as or better than their harmful counterparts, including less to no Volatile Organic Compounds in the work environment.
Managers of facilities and buildings have been given their position due to their level of experience and how they handle responsibility. Making the best decision for the health of the workers is easy when it comes to replacing toxic chemical cleaners with green multipurpose cleaning products. Healthier workers are more productive and using natural home cleaner can greatly contribute to this. Reducing the environmental impact is an added bonus that every smart manager can appreciate!
Natural Home Cleaning Products For Use In Your Office Building
Posted on
April 25th, 2010 by
Grace
Comments Off
Facilities managers have double duty of keeping a clean, well-run facility and making sure the office environment is a healthy workplace. Rising awareness of “sick building syndrome” has added extra pressure to take steps to make sure the building is conducive to the wellbeing and productivity of their staff. Some offices have the option of using carpet & furniture that won’t off-gas formaldehyde, air & water purifiers, and no or low-VOC paint, but one of the most simple and cost-effective ways to reduce the toxins in your office environment day in and day out is to use environmentally-friendly cleaning products. Here are some tips for finding non-toxic, green cleaning products that don’t that have poisonous fumes and won’t leave harmful residues.
Thing To Avoid:
1. Volatile Organic Compounds – In learning what to avoid, you will come across the term “Volatile Organic Compounds”, conveniently abbreviated as VOCs. In layman’s terms, this would the fumes released by certain solids and liquids, which according to the EPA are as much as ten times the density inside a buidling as outside. It will certainly be no surprise that the a lack of ventilation in enclosed buildings is a prime factor in the concentration of these VOCs. These compounds are released not only by common cleaning supplies, but by such surprising additions as dry cleaned clothing and air fresheners. Paint and paint remover and plywood and pressed board used on and in walls emit their own mix of VOCs and can contribute to sick building syndrome.
In learning about Volatile Organic Compounds, one also learns of the detrimental health effects, both long and short-term, of exposure. Some of the most common include eye irritation, headaches, flu-like symptoms, dizziness, and the triggering of asthma attacks. The most severe can be life threatening, such as cancer. Does your office use a spot cleaning for carpeting or fabric cleaning? How about a floor cleaner or bathroom and kitchen cleaners or glass and multi-purpose cleaners? If the answer is yes and they are not non-toxic cleaners, you are exposed to VOCs. Reduction of these Volatile Organic Compounds is important for everyone, but even more so for the elderly, people with lesser functioning immune systems, and pregnant and nursing women.
You may think that if you are not in the immediate area where VOC-emitting cleaning products are used, then you are not being exposed. This is not true, unless your building uses an air purification or ventilation system that is constantly cleaning the air. Although your nose may become used to the smell, the actual fumes last for hours in the air. Even less known is that the fumes are present just from the bottles sitting in the area where they are stored.
2. Solvents – Contributing to the Volatile Organic Compounds in the air are the chemicals found in solvents. Some of these are noted to have carcinogenic and toxic properties. A surprising number are in common usage, such as Ethylene Glycol Ethers (EGEs), alcohols, Propylene Glycol Ethers (PGEs), and esthers.
Look For:
1. Neutral pH – What exactly is meant by the term “neutral pH”? There are three factors involved: the reaction of the cleaning product with the surfaced being cleaned, the reaction with the environment when interacting with the water system, and the reaction of the product with your skin. A neutral pH means that when the product touches a surface it is non-reactive. For example, a pH value over 7.0 is considered to be an alkali, such as bleach. Battery acid, unsurprisingly, is acidic with a pH under 7.0. A product is determined to be neutral if the pH is 7.0.
The great thing about using a neutral pH product is that the surfaces that need the most cleaning, such as desks, conference tables, carpets and countertops, all avoid harmful residue that is so common with other cleaning products. Marble, one of the surfaces that require experience and the right product to clean, are never damaged by a neutral pH cleaner. Even more important, exposed skin is unharmed by such chemical free cleaners.
2. Biodegradable – While facilities managers are concerned about the internal surroundings of their buildings, it is also important to consider the effects of what they use inside on the outside environment. Our environment gets exposed to everything we wash down the drain. Cleaning chemicals commonly pollute our environment instead of dissipating into non-harmful co-factors, but even the amount of time it takes to biodegrade makes some cleaning products superior to others. Look for cleaners that meet the EPA’s highest standard of biodegradability within 28 days with no aquatic toxicity.
3. Plant-Based – The use of plants for medicinal and health purposes is a long-established fact. Add the cleansing properties and you have a complete arsenal, all non-toxic and organic. No synthetic chemical compound offers the non-toxic benefits of the plant-based products. Fortunately, the plant-based compounds clean as well as or better than their harmful counterparts, including less to no Volatile Organic Compounds in the work environment.
Building and facility managers are charged with making the best decisions for the overall safety and health of the workers in their buildings.? Removing harsh chemical cleaners while maintaining the same or better standard of cleanliness is the inevitable outcome of using natural multipurpose cleaner.? Contributing to an improved level of air and surface quality encourages healthier surroundings for workers.? Add in the large reduction in environmental impacts with the use of commercial natural home cleaning products and you have one smart manager!
Green Cleaning Product For Use In Your Office Building
Posted on
February 22nd, 2010 by
Grace
Comments Off
Everyone knows that to keep office workers healthy, standards of cleanliness must be met. Bathrooms must be cleaned and sanitized daily, lunchrooms must be maintained at a very high level as food preparation takes place there, and ordinary germs, both bacterial and viral, must be eliminated to avoid the spread of diseases. Added into this is the growing awareness of “sick building syndrome” and the potential complications and conditions to workers in such a “sick” building. Managers of these facilities and buildings are starting to take into consideration such steps as using water and air purifiers, low or even no VOC paint, and furniture and carpeting that don’t themselves give off toxic fumes. Simpler, yet as effective, is the use of products that are environmentally friendly. You will find information on these products in the following article.
Thing To Avoid:
1. Volatile Organic Compounds – One of the things to avoid is something called Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs. What this means exactly is that toxic fumes are released from certain liquids and solids. The ratio of this release is consistently higher indoors (with the EPA noting this can be up to ten times higher) than outdoors. Many would be surprised to know that some of the most common and popular cleaning supplies, as well as the paint on the walls, plywood or pressed board used in walls, and paint and paint removers emit these fumes. Even more surprising would be that dry cleaned clothing and even air fresheners can prove toxic indoors. Greatly contributing to this is that the air inside buidlings does not provide good enough ventilation to disapaite the fumes.
VOCs cause short and long-term health-harming effects, such as headache, eye irritation, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, triggering asthma, and even life-threatening conditions like cancer. These VOCs can be present in glass cleaners, multi-purpose cleaners, floor cleaners, bathroom & kitchen cleaners, as well as many products used for spot cleaning on fabrics, such as carpet and upholstery. Pregnant and nursing women, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are even more susceptible to the negative effects of breathing VOCs, but it is important to take steps to reduce them for everyone’s sake.
Keep in mind that cleaning products that contain VOCs aren’t just affecting the people immediately after they are used. Unless there is an air purification or ventilation system that consistently cleans the air, the VOC fumes can stay in the air for hours. They are even off-gassed from the containers sitting in the cabinet or closet.
2. Solvents – Contributing to the Volatile Organic Compounds in the air are the chemicals found in solvents. Some of these are noted to have carcinogenic and toxic properties. A surprising number are in common usage, such as Ethylene Glycol Ethers (EGEs), alcohols, Propylene Glycol Ethers (PGEs), and esthers.
Things To Look For:
1. Neutral pH – What exactly is meant by the term “neutral pH”? There are three factors involved: the reaction of the cleaning product with the surfaced being cleaned, the reaction with the environment when interacting with the water system, and the reaction of the product with your skin. A neutral pH means that when the product touches a surface it is non-reactive. For example, a pH value over 7.0 is considered to be an alkali, such as bleach. Battery acid, unsurprisingly, is acidic with a pH under 7.0. A product is determined to be neutral if the pH is 7.0.
A neutral pH cleaning product won’t harm even the most sensitive surfaces, such as marble, and you don’t have to worry about it throwing off the pH balance of your skin. Even with frequent use, a neutral pH product without any harsh chemicals will keep your cleaned surfaces, such as desks, conference tables, countertops and carpets free of harmful residue.
2. Biodegradable – While facilities managers are concerned about the internal surroundings of their buildings, it is also important to consider the effects of what they use inside on the outside environment. Our environment gets exposed to everything we wash down the drain. Cleaning chemicals commonly pollute our environment instead of dissipating into non-harmful co-factors, but even the amount of time it takes to biodegrade makes some cleaning products superior to others. Look for cleaners that meet the EPA’s highest standard of biodegradability within 28 days with no aquatic toxicity.
3. Plant-Based – The use of plants for medicinal and health purposes is a long-established fact. Add the cleansing properties and you have a complete arsenal, all non-toxic and organic. No synthetic chemical compound offers the non-toxic benefits of the plant-based products. Fortunately, the plant-based compounds clean as well as or better than their harmful counterparts, including less to no Volatile Organic Compounds in the work environment.
Building and facility managers are charged with making the best decisions for the overall safety and health of the workers in their buildings.? Removing harsh chemical cleaners while maintaining the same or better standard of cleanliness is the inevitable outcome of using natural multipurpose cleaning products.? Contributing to an improved level of air and surface quality encourages healthier surroundings for workers.? Add in the large reduction in environmental impacts with the use of commercial green cleaning product and you have one smart manager!
All Natural Cleaning Products For Use In Your Office Building
Posted on
December 18th, 2009 by
Grace
Comments Off
Facilities managers have double duty of keeping a clean, well-run facility and making sure the office environment is a healthy workplace. Rising awareness of “sick building syndrome” has added extra pressure to take steps to make sure the building is conducive to the wellbeing and productivity of their staff. Some offices have the option of using carpet & furniture that won’t off-gas formaldehyde, air & water purifiers, and no or low-VOC paint, but one of the most simple and cost-effective ways to reduce the toxins in your office environment day in and day out is to use environmentally-friendly cleaning products. Here are some tips for finding non-toxic, green cleaning products that don’t that have poisonous fumes and won’t leave harmful residues.
Thing To Avoid:
1. Volatile Organic Compounds – Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs are fumes that can be toxic when emitted from certain solids or liquids. According to the EPA, concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors.? This is because of the lack of ventilation of the VOCs that are off-gassed from many common products used to clean at home and in the office. Besides cleaning supplies, health-harming VOCs also come from paint and paint removers, air fresheners, dry cleaned clothing, and plywood/pressed board.
Once one is aware of the emission of Volatile Organic Compounds in a work environment, further exploration reveals the harmful side effects of exposure. These effects can be short or long-term and include everything from the simple, such as dizziness, headaches, eye irritation, flu-like symptoms and asthma attacks, to cancer as the most detrimental. While you may be wondering your current exposure level, consider in the equation if your office uses kitchen and bathroom cleaners, glass cleaner, a multi-purpose cleaner, floor cleaners, and spot treatment for fabrics and carpeting. If your answer is yes and these products are not a non-toxic product, then you too are experiencing exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds. While everyone would benefit from less exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds, there are certain segments of the population who are particularly sensitive. These people would include the elderly, pregnant and nursing women, and those who suffer from some sort of immune system compromise.
Keep in mind that cleaning products that contain VOCs aren’t just affecting the people immediately after they are used. Unless there is an air purification or ventilation system that consistently cleans the air, the VOC fumes can stay in the air for hours. They are even off-gassed from the containers sitting in the cabinet or closet.
2. Solvents – Solvents often contain corrosive chemical ingredients, such as alcohols, esters, Ethylene Glycol Ethers (EGEs), and Propylene Glycol Ethers (PGEs). These are carcinogenic and toxic to people & the environment. They would contribute to the VOCs in the air.
Things To Look For:
1. Neutral pH – What exactly is meant by the term “neutral pH”? There are three factors involved: the reaction of the cleaning product with the surfaced being cleaned, the reaction with the environment when interacting with the water system, and the reaction of the product with your skin. A neutral pH means that when the product touches a surface it is non-reactive. For example, a pH value over 7.0 is considered to be an alkali, such as bleach. Battery acid, unsurprisingly, is acidic with a pH under 7.0. A product is determined to be neutral if the pH is 7.0.
2. Biodegradable – We all know how important clean water is. There are whole industries dedicated to reclaiming water to meet growing needs. Considering the environment when choosing cleaning products is the planet-wise responsible decision to make. The most commonly used products are some of the biggest contributors to pollution, as they do not dissolve into non-toxic components. Washed down the drain they retain their harmful effects. You might be surprised to know that even among biodegradable products, there are different rates as to how quickly they reach full level. The EPA has standards for what truly constitutes biodegradable and you should look for products that do so with 28 days.
2. Biodegradable – While facilities managers are concerned about the internal surroundings of their buildings, it is also important to consider the effects of what they use inside on the outside environment. Our environment gets exposed to everything we wash down the drain. Cleaning chemicals commonly pollute our environment instead of dissipating into non-harmful co-factors, but even the amount of time it takes to biodegrade makes some cleaning products superior to others. Look for cleaners that meet the EPA’s highest standard of biodegradability within 28 days with no aquatic toxicity.
3. Plant-Based – The use of plants for medicinal and health purposes is a long-established fact. Add the cleansing properties and you have a complete arsenal, all non-toxic and organic. No synthetic chemical compound offers the non-toxic benefits of the plant-based products. Fortunately, the plant-based compounds clean as well as or better than their harmful counterparts, including less to no Volatile Organic Compounds in the work environment.
The overall management of a building or facility requires many decisions, both easy and complex. Making the move to eliminate toxic chemical cleaners falls into the “easy” category. Simple to do, using eco friendly multipurpose cleaning products paves the way for a cleaner environment and healthier workers. Choosing to use commercial green cleaning products will put any manager at the forefront of those who care about the wellbeing of workers and the long-term health of the planet.
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