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.

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.

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 – 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 – 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.

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 – 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.

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 natural multipurpose cleaning products. Healthier workers are more productive and using commercial green cleaning products can greatly contribute to this. Reducing the environmental impact is an added bonus that every smart manager can appreciate!