There are many harmful chemicals found in our everyday cleaning products. These chemicals are hazardous and can affect our health and planet immediately or over time.

 For example, chemicals such as Alkyl Phenoxy Polyethoxy Ethanol are found in laundry detergents, all-purpose cleaners, and hard surface cleaners. This chemical can activate estrogen receptors in cells which in turn alters the activity in certain genes. This can stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells.

 Another example of a harmful chemical is Ammonia. Ammonia is found in window cleaners. Ammonia may irritate the skin, eyes, and throat. Ammonia exposure may also cause burning of the eyes, nose, and throat. It may also cause headaches and nausea. 

 These chemicals are found in products that we use on an everyday basis. Exposure to these chemicals affects our health and we are unaware of this. Not only are these chemicals harmful to our health, they are also harmful to our planet. The chemical Aromatic hydrocarbon is found in heavy-duty degreasers and deodorizers. This chemical contaminates the air and groundwater. Chemicals in our everyday cleaning products affect us and our planet negatively. 

 Other natural green cleaning alternatives such as non-toxic baking soda, a mineral made from soda ash can be great for cleaning and deodorizing. Another example of a green cleaning product is white vinegar. It is another great non-toxic alternative that's great for removing mildew, odors, wax build-up, and some stains. It is also great for cutting grease. If one has concerns for their health, the health of their loved ones, and the planet, then green cleaning is a great alternative. You can find great green cleaning services here :  http://www.ijcsa.org/Green-Cleaning-Services

At Site Keepers we believe that the quality of service is everything and we always work to improve our service for customers, working on details is everything for us, so we inform ourselves in all possible ways to always offer the best customer service and cover all the needs of our customers.

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There are vast differences between using everyday common cleaners versus using natural green cleaning products, I will begin my discussion on very effective but harmful solvents that are used in many cleaners called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's). According to (Tox Town n.d.), “Many volatile organic compounds are commonly used in paint thinners, lacquer thinners, moth repellents, air fresheners, hobby supplies, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, degreasers, automotive products, and dry cleaning fluids”. These VOC's can virtually change from a liquid state into a harmful vapor, along with carbon, they contain elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, sulfur or nitrogen, and can react with nitrogen-oxides to form ground level smog.

Short-term exposure to volatile organic compounds can cause eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, fatigue, loss of coordination, allergic skin reactions, nausea, and memory impairment. Long-term exposure to volatile organic compounds can cause damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system.

According to (How Toxic Are Your Household Cleaning Supplies? n.d.) The most acutely dangerous cleaning products are corrosive drain cleaners, oven cleaners, and acidic toilet bowl cleaners. Corrosive chemicals can cause severe burns on eyes, skin and, if ingested, on the throat and esophagus. Ingredients with high acute toxicity include chlorine bleach and ammonia, which produce fumes that are highly irritating to eyes, nose, throat and lungs, and should not be used by people with asthma or lung or heart problems. These two chemicals pose an added threat in that they can react with each other or other chemicals to form lung-damaging gases.

According to (EPA, 2018, February 13) choosing less hazardous products that have positive environmental attributes (e.g., biodegradability, low toxicity, low volatile organic compound (VOC) content, reduced packaging, low life cycle energy use) and taking steps to reduce exposure can minimize harmful impacts to custodial workers and building occupants, improve indoor air quality, and reduce water and ambient air pollution while also ensuring the effectiveness of cleaning in removing biological and other contaminants from the building's interior.

By comparing and contrasting everyday common cleaners and natural green cleaning products, one can easily see that the risk versus the rewards of using cleaning agents containing VOC's and other dangerous compounds are quite obvious. Custodial workers and building occupants, should never be exposed to bad indoor air or risk a severe skin irritation. There are many positive environmental, safety, and health benefits associated with using natural green products, they should always be used for these reasons, especially when these green products are as effective as their harmful counterparts.

Locate us and order your Certified Green Cleaning Service today through the IJCSA Green Cleaning Directory located at: http://www.ijcsa.org/Green-Cleaning-Services

Tox Town - Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - Toxic chemicals and environmental health risks where you live and work - Text Version. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=31

How Toxic Are Your Household Cleaning Supplies? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/how-toxic-are-your-household-cleaning-supplies

Greening Your Purchase of Cleaning Products: A Guide For Federal Purchasers. (2018, February 13). Retrieved from: https://www.epa.gov/greenerproducts/greening-your-purchase-cleaning-products-guide-federal-purchasers

Nicole's cleaning are working on change the home cleaning concept to Green/Organic company.

After lots of research about best practices and products we choose to use HEPA Filter vaccum, and home made green cleaning products 100% chemical free. We are also having our team on intensive training on how to use and the benefits for they own health when use the new system.

When you choose to use green cleaning products, you are making a vote to protect the environment so to speak. Most ideal green cleaning products are made using sustainable manufacturing practices and naturally derived, safe, non-toxic, and biodegradable ingredients that don't negatively impact the environment. On the other hand, some conventional cleaning products contain ingredients that are toxic, hazardous, non-biodegradable, and from non-renewable resources like petroleum, so they adversely affect the earth's eco-systems.

The  results are being amazing and our team and clients are happy with.

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I'm so thankful IJCSA has made this so accessible for me. I took this step to ensure my clients that cleaning their spaces using my company will be met with my continued commitment to stay cutting-edge on green cleaning BEST practices. I vow to hold highly their satisfaction and heath in every detail. 

Why so thorough? This is my best fit; There's something so freeing and refreshing about relaxing in a clean house. It's also my niche. That, and, I'm an honest, hard-working, mom who totally gets how precious time is, that's why I'm fully versed on the latest, time-saving, cleaning solutions. Armed with green cleaning tips and tricks, I'll service clients using natural products to replace all the chemicals, a good sealed Hepa Vac, microfiber-cloths, and my newest edition, the steamer to ensure all surfaces are safe and properly maintained.

What I've learned through this class and my ongoing research will completely revamp how I used to clean. Now, instead of cleaning for appearance, those same spaces will be cleaner and sanitized. Safer for kids and pets, peace of mind for families. We get time back and we're healthier. Sounds like a win-win to me. Thank-you for this opportunity to help promote my business, it means a lot!

Find A IJCSA Certified Green Cleaning Service Here

When you love what you do it shows!  You're motivated, self-determined,  pro-active, customer-oriented, and always willing to learn, grow and improve!  Being a member of the multi-million dollar cleaning industry is awesome, and equally awesome is the satisfaction of specializing in the best products and services for our customers and for our employees--GREEN services!  

Becoming certified in green cleaning gives us greater pride in what we do and how we do it.  This certification will help to enhance our business and continue our reputation of excellence and commitment to quality cleaning.  It is an honor to be a member of IJCSA joining other professionals in the ranks as certified green cleaners.  Visit us at http://www.ijcsa.org/Green-Cleaning-Services.

When a customer requests a cleaning of their residence or office, we at SPRUCED! Cleaning Services, LLC understand.  We understand the customer already believes that living and/or working in a cleaner environment means living and/or working in a “healthier” environment.  What the customer may need help realizing is how using traditional cleaning products vs. “green” cleaning products may actually be jeopardizing their health in the process of cleaning.  Becoming a certified green cleaning service will set my company apart from others as professional, trained and knowledgeable cleaners dedicated to providing customers with excellent cleaning and healthier results.

As a certified green cleaning service, we can help our customers understand the pros and cons of green cleaning vs. traditional cleaning. Traditional cleaning products contain toxic chemicals that can cause chronic and acute health issues, including “irritation of the eyes, upper and lower airway mucous membranes, and the skin” (*online article: T.C.Yeomans, N. McKeon, J. McKeon and E.B. Mitchell).  In contrast, green cleaning products and services can significantly reduce these and other types of health risks, while providing effective cleaning results.  While the costs for green cleaning may be a little more—our educated customers will agree that their health is worth it. 

People are becoming more educated about improving the ‘true’ health of their environment. Consequently, they are increasingly seeking professional, “certified” cleaning services from companies who share a commitment to providing excellent cleaning results with the least toxic impact.  Many such green cleaning companies have chosen to become member affiliated with well-known associations like the International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association (IJCSA).  The IJCSA not only helps train and certify their member cleaning companies, but they offer a search engine for finding professional certified companies to perform customized cleaning at http://www.ijcsa.org/Green-Cleaning-Services?&tab=1.

As a professional cleaner, soon to be “certified” green cleaner, I personally benefit an improvement to my health as well as to the health of our employees.  Working day-to-day inhaling and using traditional cleaning products, we’ve begun to notice slight headaches, eye and nasal irritation.  As a result, we’ve already begun to purchase green cleaning products and are noticing a big difference!  GET SPRUCED! GO GREEN!!Green Cleaning Services

 

*The quote in the second paragraph above is extracted from the online publication "Cleaning Agents: The Divide - Human Friendly vs Environmentally Friendly" by T.C. Yeomans, N. McKeon, J. McKeon and E.B. Mitchell, which appeared in the cleaning technology journal Tenside Surfactants Detergents (issue 02/2010, pages 81 -86).

Green cleaning products and services are blooming and booming these days and with good reason.  Certified green solutions are free from carcinogens, fragrances, and other ingredients which can cause health problems.  Green equipment, such as vacuums designed to eliminate dust from circulating through the air, improve indoor air quality.  Yes, people are noticing the BIG difference between using greener methods of cleaning over more traditional cleaning methods.  Green cleaning products are safer yet still effective!    

While the demand for "greener" cleaning is growing fast for residential and commercial cleaning, it is still very important to understand best use practices.  Working with cleaning providers who are certified and who share a commitment to using a "green cleaning method" is quickly becoming a feature many more consumers are requiring when choosing their cleaners.   

Online search engines like that provided by the International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association (IJCSA)  provides easy access to hundreds of green cleaning services.  Go to http://www.ijcsa.org/Green-Cleaning-Service.  The directory provides a go to Simple Search as well as an Advance Search option which offers users the ability to choose values for narrowing the search by location, discounts offered, specializations, etc.  Users are sure to find what they're looking for:  green cleaning service providers committed to ensuring they provide the healthiest, most effective green cleaning services available.

GET SPRUCED! GO GREEN!

SPRUCED! Cleaning Services, LLC

Implementing green cleaning services into our business begins with our passion for contributing to an overall "healthier" world.  Yes, we've got big dreams but big dreams become fulfilled utilizing the step-by-step approaches taken toward reaching the goal!

We at SPRUCED! Cleaning Services, LLC, are less than two months old but we've already done some "green cleaning" research and are currently implementing the use of color-coded, microfiber cloths to prevent cross contamination from room to room as well as investing in "greener" vacuums to improve indoor air quality. 

Our most significant implementation to date and going forward has been becoming green cleaning "certified".  With green cleaning certification through our membership with IJCSA (ijcsa.org), we not only gain the knowledge we need to provide a holistic green cleaning method, but we now have access to continuous green cleaning information via email and course updates which will help us provide maximum health benefits to our customers, and the environment. 

GET SPRUCED!  GO GREEN!

Cheryl Jackson

  

We are a green company already, with a green cleaning program.

We are committed to protecting the environment by using earth friendly products that preserve health and environmental quality. 

Our technicians understand that eco-friendly cleaning is more than just a trend, is a crucial part of our commitment to the environment and our customers.

Using only green products we have obtained many benefits with our customers and employees since the products are less aggressive than others in the market for the closed spaces where we are mainly working.

Find Other IJCSA Certified Green Cleaning Companies & Us Here