Green Cleaning... What a Great Scam!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anthony-fors/green-cleaning_b_3794540.html
Crown Capital Management: GreenCleaning...What a Great Scam!
Many ideas and theories behind "Green Cleaning"are great. I truly believe most people's and even company's hearts are in thethe right place. But, just because you put the word "Green" on thelabel and throw up a picture of a leaf (don't look at our logo) doesn't meanit's environmentally friendly.
I believe our best plan for minimizing our carbon footprint,from the cleaning side, is to use common sense more and cleaning products less.
1. Use the leastamount of cleaning product possible
Most green cleaning products have the "green"title because the chemicals they use or don't use are supposed to bebiodegradable and/or less harmful if they find their way into the ground. I'msure that is true, but our goal shouldn't be to find the most ecologicalproduct, it should be to use as little cleaning product as possible.
Recommendation: Buy only concentrated cleaning products inthe largest size you can ormake your own.
2. Be more concernedabout the plastic bottle than the chemical inside
The negative environmental impact of the plastic bottle,even if you recycle it, may be far greater than the chemicals inside. Thebottles needs to be made, stored, shipped and recycled. Each one of these stepsrequire energy and fossil fuels.
Recommendation: Buy good quality trigger sprayers (the goodones will last a long time) with your favorite sized bottles and reuse them.Use 1- to 5-gallon containers for storing large quantities or mixingconcentrated cleaning products.
3. Buy only theproducts that you need
Recommendation: A glass/all purpose cleaner and adisinfectant should be your main products. These products should be used in 90percent of your cleaning tasks. Use specialty products sparingly and as needed.
4. Use microfiber andwater as often as possible
Switching Absolute Clean to microfiber cut our product usageby over 50 percent and allows us to do a better job. Use the magic ofmicrofiber to save money, waste less, and accomplish more.
Recommendation: Have at least 24 microfiber towels and 10mop pads for your floors and follow the care instructions carefully.
5. Try homemadecleaning solutions
There are some outstanding homemade recipes to make your own cleaning products.
Recommendation: Tinker with ratios to meet your needs andavoid residue on your surfaces.
6. Use the righttools and techniques. Elbow grease has no environmental impact
Using microfiber, with the correct tools and equipment, canminimize the amount of time and cleaning products used.
Recommendation: Buy the more expensive tools, brushes,vacuums, etc. Not only do the cheap ones not work as well, but their disposaland repair can be wasteful. The better tools almost always save you money inthe long run.
As I try to live by this at home and in my business, thereis one rule of thumb to help in making decisions that are actually better forthe planet.
"If it creates unnatural waste, then it's bad for theenvironment."
Crown Capital Management: GreenCleaning...What a Great Scam!
Many ideas and theories behind "Green Cleaning"are great. I truly believe most people's and even company's hearts are in thethe right place. But, just because you put the word "Green" on thelabel and throw up a picture of a leaf (don't look at our logo) doesn't meanit's environmentally friendly.
I believe our best plan for minimizing our carbon footprint,from the cleaning side, is to use common sense more and cleaning products less.
1. Use the leastamount of cleaning product possible
Most green cleaning products have the "green"title because the chemicals they use or don't use are supposed to bebiodegradable and/or less harmful if they find their way into the ground. I'msure that is true, but our goal shouldn't be to find the most ecologicalproduct, it should be to use as little cleaning product as possible.
Recommendation: Buy only concentrated cleaning products inthe largest size you can ormake your own.
2. Be more concernedabout the plastic bottle than the chemical inside
The negative environmental impact of the plastic bottle,even if you recycle it, may be far greater than the chemicals inside. Thebottles needs to be made, stored, shipped and recycled. Each one of these stepsrequire energy and fossil fuels.
Recommendation: Buy good quality trigger sprayers (the goodones will last a long time) with your favorite sized bottles and reuse them.Use 1- to 5-gallon containers for storing large quantities or mixingconcentrated cleaning products.
3. Buy only theproducts that you need
Recommendation: A glass/all purpose cleaner and adisinfectant should be your main products. These products should be used in 90percent of your cleaning tasks. Use specialty products sparingly and as needed.
4. Use microfiber andwater as often as possible
Switching Absolute Clean to microfiber cut our product usageby over 50 percent and allows us to do a better job. Use the magic ofmicrofiber to save money, waste less, and accomplish more.
Recommendation: Have at least 24 microfiber towels and 10mop pads for your floors and follow the care instructions carefully.
5. Try homemadecleaning solutions
There are some outstanding homemade recipes to make your own cleaning products.
Recommendation: Tinker with ratios to meet your needs andavoid residue on your surfaces.
6. Use the righttools and techniques. Elbow grease has no environmental impact
Using microfiber, with the correct tools and equipment, canminimize the amount of time and cleaning products used.
Recommendation: Buy the more expensive tools, brushes,vacuums, etc. Not only do the cheap ones not work as well, but their disposaland repair can be wasteful. The better tools almost always save you money inthe long run.
As I try to live by this at home and in my business, thereis one rule of thumb to help in making decisions that are actually better forthe planet.
"If it creates unnatural waste, then it's bad for theenvironment."
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2 comments
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I agree with you. The average household has more toxic chemicals in it that we are all breathing in on a daily basis than if you were to go outside your home and stand on the street corner and breath in the traffic fumes. Never mind what all this does to our oceans when it gets into the waterways via our sinks, baths and toilets and dishwashers and washing machines. Even new furniture and carpets is full of chemicals that are not good for us. I don't have the answers, but it pays to be aware of what we are doing not only to ourselves, but to the planet and everything else on it. Sometimes less (in this case chemicals) really is more.
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ive been going the natural root, and i find that home made really works. i dont buy any of those "green" products, because they are made by the same people who make the regular products. sorry, i find it hard to believe they can call themselves green and yet not change the old products. i dont even use Drain-o anymore, because now i use Baking Soda and Vinegar!!
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