The Stigma of Green Cleaning Products

Green cleaning carries with it a dark shadow.

Of course I'm being dramatic, but there's usually a little truth in jest. Many green cleaners are reported not to work as well as normal cleaning products. And this is true. A green cleaner cannot do what bleach or ammonia does, but does it have to? No. You see, there is but one difference between normal, and green cleaning agents:

Time.

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Most people don't have time to clean their home everyday. I know this from experience, trust me. Hell, Budget wouldn't exist if it people had all the time and energy in the world to clean up their abodes. So, typically when someone cleans, the dirt, dust and grime of daily living can build up, and most people don't want to expel the effort to spend extra time cleaning with a green product. And I can understand that! But it's not the product's fault. It's what it's being used for.

 

Look Familiar? Source

Heavy duty cleaners, I'm talkin' the toxic, no nonsense cleansers, usually have no problem cutting through all sorts of nasty stuff. But green products, on the other hand, usually require a little time and elbow grease. And that's where the problem lies. Honestly, it would be best for one to maintain their home regularly with green products, opposed to just deep cleaning their home with them once every few weeks. The convenience of one stop shopping, multi-surface cleaning products is immense. But they come with a price.

So when someone goes to clean up their house with green agents, they might find that the product is working that well. Why? Two reasons. The product could literally be useless. Let's not discount that. Second, green products aren't meant (in my experience) for super tough, caked on, baked on grimy jobs. Sure they'll do the trick if you have the muscle and patience, but most people don't. Hence, they turn to harsh cleansers to do the job more quickly.

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You see, green cleaning products can disinfect. Vinegar, for example, can. Hydrogen peroxide too, but the harsher disinfectants found in more powerful household cleaners which contain monstrous disinfectants that slay bacteria and other undesirables from any surface. But, how much is too much? According to this article, too much disinfectant lead to the creation of "Superbugs" in some hospitals; anti-biotic resistant microbes that resist most forms of conventional treatment.

Evil Superbugs! Source

As we pound these bugs with harsh disinfectants, they start to...fight back.Natural cleaning agents, however,  simply don't pack the punch bleach, or ammonia does. They still clean surfaces and make them safe to use, yes, but they don't obliterate all germ on contact like bleach does. And this isn't a bad thing! We have an immune system for a reason, people! If we are killing all the germs around us, our immune system simply won't encounter and destroy dangerous microbes often enough. And when one does make it in, it is typically a Superbug that can make you super sick. Hell, you don't need a peer reviewed journal to tell you that. It's just common sense.

So don't give up on green cleaners. They work, they really do, and they are safer for your health in the long run. Of course, there are some situations (medical, handling raw meat, bio-hazards, etc) where total disinfection is needed. But around the house, do you really need to wage war with disinfectants, bleach, ammonia, and other toxic chemicals?

Think about it.

Is Green Cleaning Dead?

     All I ever here from companies trying to sell us janitorial products is that no-one is using hazardous chemicals anymore, everyone is going completely green. As far as I can tell, this is a lie. From personal experience, I can say that many customers do not prefer a complete green cleaning. Most of our customers are fine with a hybrid of both green and non-green products, and I've also noticed that a lot of green-friendly commercial cleaning products have been disappearing from the market. But this turned out to be false. Doing a basic search, I found numerous companies selling green products, but they are not well advertised. Many of them I have never heard of, and so. I thought they didn't exist. What else am I supposed to think? I was reading this article: Is Green Still Growing? and it states that everyone was rarin' to go a few years ago when it came to more Eco-friendly cleaning solutions. But now? With the current economy, many people aren't interested. Some companies charge more for green cleaning because of all the extra time involved, and that additional cost is what cripples companies that are wholly green.
     People are also becoming more conscious of their pets. I can't tell you how many green cleaning products I have seen that is geared towards pet messes. Here's an article: Green Pets. Which I find kind of funny. Don't get me wrong- I am all for green cleaning, healthier pets, people, and the environment, but the sheer concept of it when you break it down is sort of ludicrous. People are wary of their pets when it comes to what products we may use on their floor, but when we offer an all green solution, they are...underwhelmed. When we tell them that our green products disinfect work well, but ultimately cannot cut through mildew or soapscum, some customers lose interest right away. The same customers that were so involved with their pets' well being that they are allowing very powerful cleaning agents into a vulnerable area- the bathroom. Which brings me to the next point.
     Do people even care about green cleaning anymore? I'm not sure. This article even asked the question for me: Green Cleaning - Do We Care? They state that there are many green products out there. Hundreds. And a lot of the them claim all sorts of things, like being earth friendly, and biodegradable. And a lot of these products are. The ones we use are, we checked on it. But when green cleaning came into focus, a lot of companies tried to jump on the bandwagon with less than honest chemical solutions that were far from green. This practice is called greenwashing, and it's more common than you think. So common, that many people consume green products without any research, or knowledge about the environment, meaning that they wouldn't know if they were being duped or not! A survey conducted at this website states that many people consuming green products had NO concern of the environment at all, let alone knowing anything about environmental issues. A large percentage of the people surveyed said that Carbon Dioxide depleted the ozone layer.
     What a perfect segway into my last point. If people do care about green cleaning, it's a specific group of people, rather limited perhaps. I could be exaggerating, but maybe I'm not. I have, however, noticed an influx of people doing DIY green products. Limited batch, small amount, and for personal use. Here's a perfect example: Cleaning Product Recipes. If you noticed, these small batch green cleaning products also have scents added to them to make them more appealing to the nose. Strong fragrances are added to many cleaning products, and the matter of the fact is, green cleaning dosen't smell clean. Your house won't reek of course, but there is no telltale whiff of bleach, or powerful lemon scent. Pine. So, we would get complaints when we would clean only with green products. From the customers that wanted us to use nothing but green products. And it's not their fault, they didn't know. So we use a hybrid system of both.
     So. Back to square one. Is green cleaning dead? I don't know. To be honest, there are such mixed opinions about the issue that I don't know where to fall. I've found that companies should at the very least offer green cleaning. They don't have to be 100% green, but that doesn't mean they lose their conscience about their impact on the environment. Being more conscientious about our affect on the planet often requires more effort. And there are many people that might not be ready for that commitment. Like most things in life, it's silly to pick on side over the other blindly. It's best to research, observe, and understand both sides, and then make an informed decision to find out where you stand. As with most things in life, compromise is often best. And maybe, just maybe, it's best to ease into something new, opposed to just blindly opposing or standing up for it. If you're all for green cleaning, great. If you're not, that's fine too! Just make sure that whatever position you take, you've made an informed decision.

Quick Tips: Alternatives to Unsafe Cleaners

    

Hello there. I've been discussing a lot of opinions and views lately, and I want to try something more...practical. I've compiled a list of some common household items that are good to clean with, but still very toxic. I'm going to offer some alternatives to them that work quite well in their stead. Also, please be sure that the surface you are going to clean can handle ANY cleaning product you use, whether it's bleach or vinegar. Okay? Okay. We'll start off with just two really common, really useful replacements so I don't overload you with me green cleaning zeal.

 

1. Abrasive Bleach Cleaners (A.B.C.)- Kosher Salt

     A.B.C.s are used as an aid to scrub off stubborn dirt and stains. It is also quite harmful to be breathed in, as it's a powder, and to ingest. Instead of using A.B.C.s, use some kosher salt instead. Scrub the same way you would with an A.B.C., but use some more muscle this time. Pair the salt with a white distilled vinegar and water solution (1:2 parts should work fine) and you have yourself a powerful green cleaning agent. I use this method myself, and I tell you, it works. MAKE SURE THE SURFACE YOU ARE CLEANING CAN HANDLE THIS.

2. Bleach - Hydrogen Peroxide 

     Bleach, used as a disinfectant, works quite well in killing germs. However, when was the last time you used it to clean your toothbrush, or clean out a cut? God I hope your answer is never. Anyway, Hydrogen Peroxide works quite well in disinfecting most household surfaces (a 3% solution works well, you can also get 10, and 35% solutions too) and it can be used as toothpaste when paired with baking soda, and for disinfecting your hands. Try pouring some hydrogen peroxide on a surface you want to disinfect, like a cutting board, or kitchen countertop. See the fizz? That means germ death. Pour it on, wipe it off. Simple. MAKE SURE THE SURFACE YOU ARE CLEANING CAN HANDLE THIS.

    
Give em' a try. I know I hate using bleach. The smell, the danger of it, everything. A.B.C.s, too. I've inhaled the dust by accident, and it was not fun at all. Quite the opposite, actually. Basically, all I'm saying is that you don't need the overwhelming chemical fumes of bleach and ammonia to get your home clean. Stick to the basics, and see how well they work. I bet you'll be surprised.


Hydrogen Peroxide Picture obtained from this website.
Kosher Salt Picture obtained from this blog.