Green Cleaning....Or not?

Being an owner of a cleaning company, I get asked almost daily what my opinions are on green cleaning products. Whether it is from clients, friends or family members, green cleaning has become a huge topic of discussion. Some ask, "Is this just a trend that will pass? Or is it here to stay?" "Do green cleaning products even work?" "Is there such thing as a 100% natural product?" "What are the best green cleaning products?"

While I don't have the answers to all of these questions, through experience I do have opinions on them. First and foremost, I believe that green cleaning is definitely here to stay. As we hear more and more about global warming and human footprint, consumers want to know what they can do to reduce their impact on our earth. Clearly, one way of doing this is to begin using environmentally friendly cleaning products that don't contain harsh chemicals. Green cleaning products do have a purpose and, in my opinion, so do chemicals. When you are dealing with a home that hasn't been kept clean and has a lot of dirt/grime and grease build up, your standard all purpose green cleaner isn't going to cut the mustard...or the grease :) When in these circumstances I feel it is best and most sanitary to use chemical based cleaners. Chemical based cleaners have the power to cut through build up and sanitize an area. There are green cleaning products out there that claim to be heavy degreasers but I have yet to use one that effectively works. On the other hand, if you are dealing with a home that is kept up with routine cleaning, green cleaning products work wonderfully and I would suggest using them in this case. If you don’t need chemicals to cut thru build up, save yourself and your family from breathing in harsh chemicals.

When it comes to the question of the best brand of green cleaning products out there; there are so many to choose from. I have used a lot of different brands of green cleaning products but can in no way say one is better than another. I have found that one brand might carry a really great all purpose multi-surface cleaner while a completely different brand has a really great glass cleaner. A glass cleaner that works very well in my home, might streak in another person's home. It’s really about personal preference and what works best in your home. I am in the process of trying out a few new green glass cleaners. I have tried about 3 different green glass cleaners and they have all streaked. Some green products, namely glass cleaner and stainless steel polish/cleaner, tend to streak more than the chemically based cleaners because they don’t have the chemicals that evaporate and leave that streak free look :)

Another issue to consider when choosing green cleaning products is smell. We are a society that has become so accustomed to associating the smell of Bleach or Lysol with clean. True story...we had a client who requested green cleaning products only in her home, no exception. After about 3 cleanings she called me and said she didn't feel like her house was clean. She said everything LOOKED clean, but it didn't FEEL clean. I told her that I would be at her home at the end of her next cleaning to do a walk thru with her. As promised, I showed up at the end of her next cleaning and she opens the door with a smile and says "It looks great and FEEL's perfectly clean! No need to do a walk thru." Somewhat surprised, I said "Ok, great. Can I ask what you think is different this cleaning as opposed to the previous cleanings?" She replied, "Well this time I asked the crew to use Bleach, Comet, Windex and Murphy’s oil soap instead of the standard green products. Now when I walk in the door I can SMELL the products and it FEELS much cleaner."
Hmmm...that got me thinking about myself and my own personal preferences when it comes to cleaning my home. Sure enough, I find that if I clean with chemically based products, I too feel that my home is much cleaner. It is a sensory issue more than a fact of the actual surface being cleaner with chemicals than with green products. I believe that as a whole we need to educate ourselves more about the use of green cleaning products to try and break down the association of chemicals and clean. There are some great green products out there that smell wonderful, but the smell tends to fade much quicker than chemicals.

So in conclusion, I hope I was able to shed some light on the Green cleaning….or not? dilemma that many families have faced when deciding what products to buy. Some find that a mix of both green cleaning and chemicals work well in their household; personally that’s what I use J

Make it a great day!