From tax incentives to a healthier workplace, there are so many benefits to becoming an eco-friendly business. As a business owner, you’re in a special position! You have the potential to play a huge role in improving the environment by implementing as many green initiatives as possible–whether that means using more eco-friendly products, recycling more, reducing your usage of paper, or turning toward eco-friendly office cleaning.

Going green with office cleaning can have an enormous positive impact on the world around you. If you’re ready to get started, read on for five tips on eco-friendly office cleaning. Or, let the professionals take care of it for you. Contact our team at 360clean for a free quote and more information on our green-friendly cleaning service!

1. Know What Products You’re Using

The first step to eco-friendly office cleaning is knowing what cleaning products are being used to disinfect your office. After all, if you don’t know what products your commercial cleaning company is using, it’s nearly impossible for you to know whether you’re being eco-friendly or not. Some business owners may be concerned about whether green cleaning products do a good enough job of disinfecting offices, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Yet when it comes to disinfection, eco-friendly office cleaning products have proven to exceed the performance of traditional cleaning products.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of marketing ploys that companies use today to make people think that they are environmentally friendly or health conscious. Some of these marketing phrases include “eco-friendly” and “all-natural.” Yet, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are completely safe and organic products.

To get started with your green-friendly cleaning, take a look at the specific products that are being used in your office. Once you know the products, take a look at the ingredients you can research the ingredients found in those products.

If any ingredients or harsh chemicals scare you, look them up to see if they are considered green or not. Products that are given the “Green Seal” in the U.S. are certified green products. If you or your commercial cleaning company use products with that seal, then you have nothing to worry about.

Other phrases to look for are bio-based (meaning they’re made from plant enzymes or oil) or phosphate-free (meaning they don’t contact harmful phosphates that could negatively affect your health and local waterways.)

2. Hire Experienced Green Cleaners

Many commercial cleaning companies today claim that they are eco-friendly or that they can provide green cleaning services. After all, green-friendly cleaning is in demand. For this reason, essentially, cleaning services must offer it or risk falling behind the competition.

If you want to ensure you’re truly receiving eco-friendly office cleaning, it’s wise to check that you’re working with an experienced green cleaning company. Start with researching potential cleaning companies and narrow your list to a select few. Afterward, let the interview process begin. When interviewing your top candidates, your goal is to learn more information about their experience with green cleaning. Here are a few questions you might ask:

  • How long have they been using eco-friendly products?
  • What steps do you take to ensure that your services are as green as possible?
  • Can you give suggestions for other ways our office can become more environmentally friendly in between cleaning visits?

An experienced green cleaning company will work with you as a partner rather than just treat you like a client. They are often very passionate about green cleaning, and they’re excited to share their knowledge and passion with you. If a commercial cleaning company you’re considering doesn’t have that passion, it may be a sign that they’re not as eco-friendly as you might like.

3. Reduce Your Waste

One of the biggest ways that you can play a part in being greener is to reduce the amount of waste that your office creates. Fortunately, there are so many ways that your business can reduce its carbon footprint in this regard–from the simple things to the more complex. Your commercial cleaning company can help you in this regard, too.

Start by doing away with all single-use items in the office. Don’t provide employees with plastic or Styrofoam cups, plastic utensils, and anything else they use to consume food and drink. Instead, purchase reusable coffee mugs, glasses, and utensils. In the end, running a dishwasher once a night is much more eco-friendly than creating extra waste.

You could go a step further, too, and ban the use of all plastics that are single-use in your office. This would mean doing away with vending machines that dispense soft drinks in plastic bottles. Bottleless water coolers are a popular option for offices in this regard. Not only do they have a reduced environmental impact when compared to plastic water bottles, but they also help to reduce the cost of drinking water in your office.

If you aren’t quite ready to do away with your vending machines, there are plenty of other ways you can reduce your waste, too. Set up extra recycling bins around the office for paper, and consider bringing in safe and locked bins for any paper that must be shredded. These small steps can have a huge impact on your office’s ability to go green.

4. Don’t Ignore the Air

If you want a truly healthy environment, pay close attention to the air quality of the office. So much attention is typically paid to cleaning floors and surfaces that the things that affect the air quality often go by the wayside.

Truly, you can’t be eco-friendly with your office cleaning if you aren’t paying attention to the air quality of the office. Clean air is a vital part of protecting the well-being and health of your employees and the people who frequent your office. The two places that need your attention are the HVAC and the windows.

For the HVAC, make sure that you are using top-of-the-line filters that take out the most harmful chemicals from the air. Also, remember to change these filters regularly. After all, clogged filters won’t do their job properly.

Next, keep the air vents and ducts clean of dirt, dust, and debris. Wipe and vacuum these areas regularly to stop harmful particles from circulating around the office. Windows fall into the same category, too. Window sills and screens are magnets for various small dirt and dust particles. When left unattended, these nasty particles circulate into the air and throughout your office, too. It’s important that your green cleaning company constantly wipes the windows, sills, and screens clean to prevent this from happening.

To takes things a step further, you can also consider purchasing a separate air filtration system for your office. This extra step adds another level of protection against harmful particles that circulate in the office. Should you find that not necessary, too expensive, or too cumbersome, you could go a simpler route and buy some beautiful plants for your office. Not only do plants work as natural filters, but they also make your office a happier and more inviting place to be.

5. Educate Your Employees

Education is key to any effort to go green. While implementing new measures at the top of the organizational chart is a good start, it won’t be effective without communicating those measures to your employees. If your employee base is particularly food motivated, we recommend scheduling a lunch-and-learn! 360clean can help you with the clean-up afterward.

Communicating new green-friendly policies to your employees isn’t enough. You must also educate your staff on why you are implementing the green measures, what impact it has on their lives, and how their support will make a difference. When people can see how these small steps benefit them and also make an impact on the world, they are more likely to welcome your initiative and be a bit more passionate about it, too.

Buy-in among your employee base is essential if you want your eco-friendly cleaning efforts to be successful. If you can get your office staff to be as passionate and excited about going green as you are, it’ll be much easier to accomplish everything you want.

Go Green with 360clean

Creating a healthier environment in your office is one initiative that benefits everyone. And with these eco-friendly office cleaning tips, we know that your business is well on its way to becoming a bit more green! Your commercial cleaning company will also play a huge role in helping your eco-friendly initiative, too, so remember to choose an experienced green cleaning company.

At 360clean, our team is passionate about eco-friendly cleaning and sharing this knowledge with our customers. If you’re ready to take the next step in becoming a greener business, remember to contact us today for a free quote. We can’t wait to help you create a cleaner, safer, and happier workplace!

Looking for more ways to keep your office clean? Read our blog on how to create an office cleaning schedule!

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