Effective Tips for Eco-friendly Office Cleaning

The past few years have seen a drastic rise in home and office cleaning owing to the pandemic. Without regular cleaning, workplaces can become breeding grounds for viruses, bacteria, and mold in no time.

Hence, we come bearing good news; today, you can find many office cleaning supplies that can make your workplace clean, safe, and hygienic without affecting the environment.

So, are you ready to get started?

What is Eco-Friendly Office Cleaning?

Green or eco-friendly office cleaning includes different ways to clean the work area while keeping the environment safe. That means our cleaning products should be safe, environmentally friendly, CFC-free, and biodegradable.

Most of the products you buy off the shelves come with clear labeling, showing us if they meet the environmental safety standards. However, you must check the labels thoroughly; sometimes, these just signify the CSR activities and use of recycled paper or materials. Meanwhile, the product still has traces of harmful chemicals inside. 

That’s why you need to know the key ingredients before putting these products in your cart. These include:

• Chlorine
• Artificial fragrance
• Phosphates
• Artificial colors

Why Do We Need Eco-Friendly Office Cleaning Products?

More and more businesses today are opting for environment-friendly practices. These include reducing waste, economizing the use of resources, and going green where possible.

However, many businesses still fail to look into the cleaning practices they follow in the office. As a result, many chemicals we frequently use, like odor neutralizers, air fresheners, etc., can adversely affect the environment.

Some of the chemicals in these cleaning products are so harsh that they can cause cancers and even congenital disabilities in newborns. Furthermore, the sanitizers and disinfectants get washed down once they do their job into the water pipes to our lakes and rivers. 

Despite several treatments, there are stubborn contaminants that do not leave and significantly impact our sea and wildlife. Hence that’s a cry for help and the need to go green where we can to save the planet!

Eco-Friendly Office Cleaning Tips

Today, we have multiple options to disinfect, clean, and sanitize our workplaces. Moreover, as technology advances, we can expand our lists to include green, sustainable, and eco-friendly cleaning products. 

This way, we can ensure our office stays clean and hygienic without adversely affecting the people or surroundings.

Make the Switch

If you are keen on switching to the right environment-friendly products, check the kind of supplies used frequently in the office. 

Make a list, ask around or liaise with professional eco-friendly office cleaning services and go through their cleaning products. 

Check if any of these on the list are already eco-friendly. Check for the eco-labels, verifications, certifications, or tests that can signify the product is safe for the environment.

For the rest, call the vendor or make a trip down the stores and find green and environmentally safe alternatives.

Ingredient Glossary

Many of the products we find are falsely labeled and designed to mislead the customers. Words like ‘green’ and ‘organic’ should be clear red flags, especially when there’s no backing to the claim on the packaging.

Before heading to the stores and standing confused in the aisle, you should know some key definitions.

Phosphate-Free

Phosphate-free products are generally safe for humans as well as the environment. 

Bio-Based

These are made from natural plants and do not release pollutants or dangerous chemicals into the environment. 

Non-Toxic

These products are usually certified and tested to be environmentally sustainable and safe.

Buy Refills

Instead of purchasing large plastic bottles every time you run out of cleaning supplies, it is best to buy refills. 

Not only are these more economical, but they also reduce plastic consumption. Similarly, purchase refills for dishwashing liquid, sanitizers, liquid soaps, and sprays instead of buying more plastic.

Use Eco-friendly Toilet Paper 

There’s a separate aisle for toilet paper and rolls at the stores. Fortunately, you can easily find many environmentally safe and hygienic options among these. Paper towels are a great choice as these are easy to dispose of and work just as effectively.

Talk to the Office Cleaning Services

Usually, non-routine, thorough cleaning is done by third-party contractors or cleaning services. So, you can easily get in touch with them and get them to make you a list of eco-friendly cleaning products to use for deep cleaning. 

If a company cannot provide such a listing, you may consider changing the vendor and finding better alternatives. However, many cleaning services come with green labels and meet the criteria for providing eco-friendly services.

Find Sustainable Cleaning Equipment

Just like the supplies, you must switch to eco-friendly office cleaning equipment. For instance, there are some heavy machines like floor cleaners that make use of water to clean the flooring. 

Robot cleaners, wall-mounted dispensers, etc., make the process more efficient and reduce energy consumption and pollution.

You can also talk with professional service providers to use steam for carpet, bathroom, and sofa cleaning.

Reduce Waste

Declutter, organize, and reduce litter where you can. For example, make the switch from plastic to reusable glasses and jugs. The same goes for the food containers; opt for glass and ceramicware instead of plastic. 

Then reduce paper usage where you can and work through organizing the waste leaving your premises. That way separating and recycling the materials can significantly reduce your waste pile and get you on the road to green living.

Replace Old Furniture

You may also consider replacing the old furniture with modern, easy-to-use, clean tables, desks, and chairs. It is best to find furniture that doesn’t need an extra amount of cleaning. Just a damp microfiber cloth should suffice to remove the stains and dust.

Train and Educate the Staff

Arrange training and open brainstorming sessions with your staff. Come up with new ideas to go green and tell them about the importance and relevance of eco-friendly office cleaning.

Conclusion

The key to making the change is shifting to green and eco-friendly office cleaning. Make sure to have everyone on board with the plan. That could have the dual benefit of more employees contributing to environmental safety in the office and at home. If you want to find commercial cleaning services for your office you can book our cleaning services online.

Since resistance to change is natural, it will not be easy to make the shift. However, once you take the time to go through the products and lists, it’s a great step forward to a greener, eco-friendly space for you and your employees.