The definition of Green requires that it is always connected to the health impact of anything we do. Primarily Green is a concern about improving the environment which also improves the health of those around us. It is primarily applied to the most local systems like homes, schools, offices, buildings, and even communities. It has other applications to the health of the world, but Green is best understood as what you are doing to improve the health issues within your area of influence.

Green cleaning refers to the products and practices applied in any location. Previous cleaning processes were primarily concerned about the strength of the cleaner and its ability to cut through dirt, corrosion, and grease with minimal effort. This attitude has lead us to a generation of “New and Improved” products using added ingredients that worked better but had a minor concern for the immediately or long term health issues.

Green cleaning is first about introducing products that have been proven to have minimal health concerns. It also includes a new generation of equipment such as microfiber tools and HEPA vacuums. Ingredients are now critical to Green cleaning, and yet we still look for an effective product to make the job more efficient. Aerosols are also a product of the past along with rag mops and feather dusters.

All this changes the game. Transition to a Green program means a service needs to understand basic principle about health such as indoor air quality, MSDS concerns, pH of solutions, and how to conduct a Green service. The Green issue will not go away like a passing fad, but promises to dominate the janitorial and cleaning industry. Federal, state, and municipal regulations will increase each year, health-related lawsuits will send shock waves through corporate America, and the public demand for social responsibility will drive Green to a standard of expectation for all business.

Going Green starts with the cleaning products and then the cleaning equipment. The more serious Green services will demonstrate their commitment to Green through training and certification. Regardless of the challenge, Americans do not want to go back to a time when the worker’s health was a non-issue or face the concern that they were made more susceptible to disease because of their workplace.

Finally, rising health costs and employee performance are also affected by providing a truly Green environment. Ignoring Green will be as unacceptable as allowing smokers in the workplace. The best advice to every cleaning service is that they should lead and not follow what will certainly be a dominant trend across every business they serve.