Benefits of Green Cleaning


Potential Benefits of Green Cleaning Products and Services


  • Reduces exposure to toxic chemicals
  • May reduce incidence of asthma attacks caused by dust and chemical allergens
  • Improves indoor air quality by reducing airborne dust and chemical gases

Safety


  • Improves training programs by stressing safety
  • Provides/recommends safer handling of chemicals using automatic dilution dispensers
  • Improves control of chemical inventory and storage locations
  • Improves maintenance of powered cleaning equipment

Cleaning Efficiency


  • Reduces amount of dirt/soil entering the building by using appropriately sized walk off mats
  • Improves training on cleaning procedures, which increases efficiency
  • Improves cleaning processes in the home
  • Promotes increased respiratory functions
  • Reduces frequency of labor-intensive tasks like cleaning floors by using less intensive cleaning and maintenance activities

Financial


  • Reduces chemical consumption and the number of cleaning chemicals needed
  • Reduces trips to medical offices for respiratory issues
  • Promotes a healthier environment for everyone (lowering sick days and absenteeism)
  • Promotes better inventory management of chemicals and equipment, resulting in more efficient and better-planned procurement of goods

Legal


  • Meets legal obligations under law. Under law, schools are required to procure and use environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products; however, schools will gain the full benefits of green cleaning by implementing an entire green cleaning program

Community


  • Provides a sense of community among homeowners with the same purpose in "Green"
  • Provides recognition of the efforts of companies as well as other stakeholders
  • Encourages the facility occupants to play a role in the success of the program and increases the sense of facility ownership by all stakeholders

Environmental and Sustainable


  • Lowers environmental carbon impact/carbon footprint of the facility
  • Augments other environmental efforts such as improving indoor air quality, reducing energy usage, and recycling
  • Incorporates many of the components of the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification program. The LEED certification program gives credits for various components of a facility green cleaning program, which can boost a facility's LEED certification level.