The Benefits of a Green Clean

The business of cleaning can be dirty work, especially for commercial facility management vendors. Learn how your business can implement environmentally friendly cleaning methods, from multifamily dwellings and office buildings to storefronts and industrial yards.

Make the Switch

Commercially owned buildings and facilities often require intense cleaning due to heavy traffic. However, this doesn’t mean you need to use hazardous, odorous chemicals to clean.
Eco-friendly cleaning agents often use pure ingredients with no added fragrance or color to reduce lung and skin irritation traditionally caused by conventional cleaning supplies.
These ingredients can include white vinegar, bleach, baking soda, and essential oils – all working just as well to clean the facility while promoting healthier air quality. Not only this, but ingredient-based cleaning systems are often much cheaper than name brands and can be purchased in bulk – helping you save Mother Earth and your budget at the same time.

When you do choose to purchase cleaners, check to see if they are Green Seal Certified. This seal of approval means that the product has met high standards.

‍

Green Seal is a global nonprofit organization that develops science-based environmental leadership standards. Organizations can apply to be Green Seal Certified by having their solutions reviewed by Green Seal.
OpenWorks has a supplier agreement with Spartan Chemical. Therefore, we look at the company’s Green Solutions line as a fantastic example of what it means to be “green”.
These products hold the EPA’s Safer Choice seal, which helps consumers, businesses, and purchasers find products that perform and contain ingredients that are safer for human health and the environment.

In addition, Safer Choice is an EPA Pollution Prevention (P2) program, which includes practices that reduce, eliminate, or prevent pollution at its source, such as using safer ingredients in products.

Safer Choice helps consumers, businesses, and purchasers find products that perform and contain ingredients that are safer for human health and the environment.
This means the product was reviewed and approved by the US government. Products with the Safer Choice label help commercial buyers identify products with safer chemical ingredients, without sacrificing quality or performance.

Good to Know: Many insurance companies will reduce your rates if you use green chemicals.

‍

Reuse and Repurpose

A green clean goes beyond the products that are used to clean. It also means responsibly disposing of materials that could be repurposed and recycled. For example, is your office facility replacing existing desks with new ones? Speak with your local town or city board to learn how items like furniture or electronics can be donated to a school, library or shelter to be reused.

Items in high demand to be donated include new or used appliances, blinds, bricks, fans, doors, hardware, light fixtures, plumbing, and tools. Remember to ask for a tax donation receipt, when applicable.

Recycle Responsibly

Is your building upgrading old lighting to energy-efficient LED bulbs? Broken or used electronic materials can be properly disposed of through e-waste recycling events offered regularly by most local governments. Common e-waste includes televisions, monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, cables, phones, cameras, and non-working appliances.

Please note, these items cannot be recycled through a standard curbside recycling pick-up and must be collected separately. Consider utilizing a private bin within your facility to collect e-waste to make recycling easier for staff.

Properly Dispose of Hazardous Materials

Hazardous materials are sometimes necessary for businesses and must also be independently collected and disposed of to ensure their fumes and/or waste product(s) do not leech into the air, ground, or nearby water sources.
Hazardous materials often include oil, antifreeze, gasoline, paint, sludge, and solvents. Contact your local government office for a complete list of hazardous materials and how to dispose of them.

Request Eco-Friendly Products from your Facility Management Vendor

OpenWorks’ certified cleaning professionals work floor-to-ceiling to create and maintain a healthy environment for your facility. OpenWorks offers eco-friendly cleaning methods based on customer requirements.
Our unparalleled service and unrivaled network of service professionals have made us the commercial cleaning and janitorial industry leader we are today. Speak with an OpenWorks service consultant for your green cleaning estimate.

‍

‍