You see the labels in the supermarkets: toxic, poisonous, hazardous. All things that end up on countertops or poured down the drain, and these chemicals can put the health of you, your family, and your local ecosystem in danger. But is it possible to clean your house effectively without these hazardous chemicals?

Green Maids is a cleaning service based in York Harbor, Maine, that is making strides towards greener cleaning practices on a daily basis. Large name-brand cleaning products can be corrosive and damaging to humans and animals. Organicconsumers.org reports that these chemicals can cause both acute and chronic symptoms, ranging from respiratory irritation, headaches, and allergies to even contributing to the development of cancer. In addition, chemical cleaners that are washed down the drain often do not break down organically and end up in our water supply, affecting our drinking water and aquatic wildlife.

Owner John O’Brien said he is committed to providing a kid, pet, and earth-friendly cleaning service with Green Maids. “Dust, pet dander and things like that can aggravate allergies; I cannot stress enough the importance of a clean home when it comes to good health,” said O’Brien. “Keeping up with your home or cleaning it in a professional manner will really help to keep it maintained to improve the overall health of your family.”

O’Brien says that chemicals like 2-butoxyethanol, phosphate and ammonia, chemicals commonly found in traditional cleaning products, are linked to conditions like allergies, asthma, liver and kidney damage, blood disorders, and more. Green Maids uses products that employ the natural cleaning properties of fruits and vegetables. If the maids leave your home smelling like lemon or orange, you’ll know it’s not a chemically synthesized scent – the actual oils and peels of these fruits are in their cleaning supplies.

“Lots of our products are completely plant-derived, from corn, coconut, lemons or limes,” said O’Brien. “They’re hypoallergenic, they’re not tested on animals,  none of our products are going to contain anything that would harm you or your family in any way. Everyone who uses our service can rest assured of that.”

For the discerning homeowner who wants their living space to be free from dangerous chemicals that may be harmful to their pets or children, he said Green Maids has the right equipment and the right mindset to get it done properly. For O’Brien and his staff, this is all part of their environmentally-conscious mission. In fact, every facet of their business is  use all biodegradable, non-toxic cleaning products. Not only that, but its employees wear organic, recycled cotton uniforms, and rely on hybrid vehicles to get them from one job to the next. If you have a child that suffers from allergies or asthma, Green Maids makes the extra effort to eliminate those allergens with the intention that their cleaning service doesn’t just clean your house, it cleans the air you breathe every day in your home.

“A lot of people call me that say their kids have asthma or allergies,” said O’Brien. “They’ve tried other cleaning services, but most don’t eliminate allergens like we do, both with our hypoallergenic cleaning products and our focus on improving the general health of our clients.”

Green Maids does more than clean houses – it’s ready to help clean wherever there is a need. It recently teamed up with Portsmouth’s Blue Ocean Society on Earth Day to clean up Hampton Beach, collecting over 25 pounds of waste and properly disposing of it.

Green Maids partners with the Green Alliance and offers discounts for Green Alliance members. To find out how you or your business can save on cleaning services, go to www.greenalliance.biz.