Green Washing

What is this “green” thing anyhows? Just about everyone says they are green or going green. Even Clorox has made the blasted statment. How on earth can we tell who is right and who is wrong? Depends on what you believe “green” is.

To me (I am biased) Green defines living in a way that does no harm to the environment. In other words leave no trace. Ask questions about the products you are about to use, the service you may already use, or the daily habits you have.

For example lets look at the recent craze for bottled drinking water. It takes about 3 gallons of water to create one 12oz bottle of water. Most of the time that drinking water is not filtered. Yup just straight old tap water. But back to the point. The amount of toxic waste and use of water to produce the 12oz package is shameful. This to me, is the epitome of “green washing”. And probably brain washing. It is cheaper and better for the environment to install a water filter in your home and use some of those portable stainless steel H2O bottles.  Additionally how many of these bottles do you see on the roadside on a daily basis? Yuk!

The other major point is when a big chemical company suddenly announces they have gone green. We must ask ourselves the age-old questions; who, what, when, where, how and why? If these are applied (with a little web searching) answers can be found.  For example how have they gone green? If they are still manufacturing dangerous chemicals, how is that going green?

Othe ways to question green-ness can be; Is it considered green to manufacture automobiles?  When did that company or service go green? Why did they decide to go green?  Where is the evidence of going green?
Asking these questions about yourself and the companies you do business with can help clear-up the green washing phenomenon.

To end this rant let me say I am glad more people are aware of the environment. I remember the marches and protests in D.C. in the 70’s.  It wasn’t cool to be Earth friendly. Now that it is I feel somewhat vindicated. And I can eat my alfalfa sprout sandwich with pride!

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About Green Cleaned

Green Cleaning isn’t something we do, it’s all we do. We don’t use any products that we feel would jeopardize your health or the health of our family. We have children and use all the same products in our home. Our passion and dedication to protecting the environment begins at home.  We know yours does too, that’s why we look forward to working with you to help our planet survive and thrive.

Our employees are thoroughly trained and screened to give our customers peace of mind. We are licensed, bonded and fully insured. As a matter of policy we do not hire illegal workers. We want our customers to feel secure knowing we are taking care of your home as if it were ours.

Did you know that conventional cleaning chemicals are linked to the increase in many health problems such as allergies, asthma, ADHD, autism, reproductive problems, birth defects, immune system disorders, or even cancer? Labels often don’t reveal the ingredients, making it difficult for most people to avoid exposing their families to serious health risks linked to known and suspected carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxins and other hidden dangers in many household cleaners and pesticides.

The EPA has found that the air inside a typical US home is 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside, and in extreme cases up to 100 times more contaminated, largely because of household cleaners and pesticides. These products are supposed to make our homes cleaner, faster and yet ironically, conventional house cleaning products actually increase indoor pollution and promote health problems. If you suffer from headaches, backaches, stiff joints, fatigue, mood swings, nausea, diarrhea, asthma or allergy attacks, dizziness, memory loss, stuttering, premature puberty, low sperm count, reduced motor skills, dyslexia, ADHD, anti-social behavior, autism, birth defects or tumors, toxic cleaning products may be the cause. Poor indoor air quality is a leading driver in many human health issues.  Common house cleaning products typically contain carcinogens, neurotoxins, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors and other ingredients that can damage human and pet lungs, liver, kidneys, blood, skin, eyes and noses. Exposures can occur through the mouth, nose and skin and may be retained indefinitely in the body. Thus little, recurrent exposures can add up to bigger problems. The healthiest way to clean your home is with green cleaning.

Conventional vacuums release many particulates back into the home.  Green Cleaned  uses the ProTeam 4-stage filtration vacuum, to remove 99.9% of all air particulates 1 micron and larger for maximum indoor air quality. Also, our vacuums are proven to remove 3 times more particulate matter from indoor air than leading competitors. ProTeam is partnered with the American Lung Association to educate the public about the importance of healthy indoor air quality. Our ProTeam vacuums are recommended by the Carpet & Rug Institute, for meeting their Green Label Program standards for soil removal, dust containment and carpet appearance retention. ProTeam vacuums are also approved by the US Green Building Council for LEED credit. 
 
We use microfiber mops instead of cotton. Microfiber uses a scientific weave that is more effective at removing dust, dirt, germs, grease and lime safely and effectively, reducing chemical use. Microfiber cloths last longer than traditional cloths, reducing environmental impact.

Why Green Cleaned?

If you go to your cupboard and pick up a cleaner, any cleaner, you might see it contains chlorine, phenol, ammonia or formaldehyde. These—and more—may be toxic: According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside a typical home is, on average, 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air just outside – and in extreme cases 100 times more contaminated – largely because of household cleaners and pesticides. The air in modern offices where windows cannot be opened may be even unhealthier.

Nine out of ten poison exposures are suspected to be from household products.

We hope you will agree with us that using non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning products in the home and office is important for our health and the health of our planet. Green products are also healthier, in the long term, for the cleaning teams that use them every day (that’s us).