“Green.”
“Biodegradable.”
In the janitorial world, these are all words that reflect a value placed on using products that avoid negatively impacting the environment. While not new, the desire for ensuring the health-safety of those who come in contact with these products has swept through the cleaning industry like wildfire.
Commercial cleaning companies who catch on to this interest in their area should consider making some significant adjustments to accommodate for the different expectations of their customers. Being able to offer these specialized products as an option can often help keep your business quotes from being swept under the rug.
Green Cleaning Reflects Social Responsibility
With the ever-increasing American interest in climate change and recycling efforts, many businesses have begun promoting their dedication to these issues, as well. As such, they are often seeking ways to tangibly reflect this priority. The way they clean and maintain their facilities is one such method.
According to Leslie Reichert, author of Joy of Green Cleaning, the continual use of cleaning products means “harmful chemicals are being released into the environment.” Sara Snow, author of Sara Snow’s Fresh Living, agrees, saying that switching to greener methods “helps reduce pollution to our waterways and the air and it minimizes your impact on ozone depletion and global climate change with fewer smog-producing chemicals.”
When cleaning products are made in recyclable packaging, that detail also reduces contributions to landfills.
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Going Green Values Users’ Health
It’s not only the health of the environment that companies are taking into consideration. Some businesses are also recognizing that using green cleaning products reduces individuals’ risks for health issues as well, including:
- Eye irritations
- Respiratory difficulty
- Skin burns
- Allergies
- Headaches
- Chemical poisoning
- Nausea
- And more!
Studies have shown that using regular household-strength cleaning sprays, even just once a week, increases the user’s risk of developing asthma, one of today’s most common chronic illnesses! In addition, many conventional cleaning products come with warnings regarding chemical burns or other risks when they come in contact with eyes or skin.
Conversely, quality green products must meet high standards in areas such as inhalation toxicity, combustibility and skin absorption.
It is not only your customers who could benefit from your switch to eco-friendly cleaning products. Going green would also give you a leg-up on your hiring process, as it would allow you to promote the fact that your cleaners won’t have to worry about potentially harmful chemicals being absorbed into their skin or breathed in while cleaning. Making this investment into protecting your employees’ health and well-being could be a factor in their loyalty to staying with your company longer-term, as they may feel safer and more valued as they work for you.
Protect Your Bottom line with Green Products
Although some businesses may fear going green, thinking that the cost of the product switch will be too expensive, that is often not the reality. Many eco-friendly all-purpose cleaners are capable of doing multiple jobs with one product. This cuts down on the number of products that you are having to stock and repurchase for your clients as you run out of individual cleaners for individual tasks. Natural products are often competitively priced, and sometimes even cheaper, than their toxic counterparts.
Rather than paying out to purchase a full arsenal of products filled with carcinogens, neurotoxins, mutagens, teratogens, or endocrine disrupters, you may find that saving some green (in your bottom line) by buying green products is a better alternative.
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Don’t Get Swept Up in the Details
It’s fairly clear to see that going green with your cleaning products offers a number of important benefits, including:
- Making your company more competitive in a market that is getting increasingly more socially responsible.
- Offering the benefit of helping to guard your customers’ health, as well as your own employees’.
- Saving some money by reducing the number of cleaners in your stock, replacing them with safer alternatives.
However, when it comes to measuring the effectiveness of your green switch, it’s important that you’re able to easily track and control supply utilization. Attempting to create useful reports by hand can feel overwhelming, and with an increased number of customers wanting your eco-friendly cleaning services, you may have less time to spend crunching numbers!
This is where Janitorial Manager comes in.
This commercial cleaning industry software allows you to seamlessly manage your supply costs and quantities for each customer and supplier. An actual usage vs. budgeted usage tracker helps keep you in sync with your business, and an easy-to-read dashboard produces actionable, real-time reports.
To learn more about the competitive edge that this feature (and lots more!) that Janitorial Manager provides your commercial cleaning business, schedule a FREE DEMO, today!