By: Eric Corey Freed
This week, Freed tackles the problem of how to green-clean commercial spaces, how to maintain a "green" lawn, and answers the question, "Where do green and historic preservation intersect?"
Q: Are there green cleaning products for commercial spaces, such as: day spas, baths, or gyms? Given the more stringent health requirements for these spaces, are these products approved for this use?
A: Cleaning one's home or office is often considered a healthy thing to do. After all, it feels kind of good and self-satisfying to remove all of the inevitable dust, food crumbs, fallen hairs, and other gross remnants of daily life from our home.
Ironically, we typically clean our homes and offices with chemically intensive and potentially toxic cleaning materials. Did you ever wonder why you have to wear gloves (and sometimes even masks) to clean?
The chemicals used to clean are adding to the already overloaded toxic soup we have in most indoor spaces.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers ranks household cleaners as the leading source for acute human exposure to toxic substances. In addition, these caustic cleaners, pesky pesticides, raucous removers, and other potent products with their toxic ingredients also damage our environment through their production, use, and disposal.
Fortunately, a number of commercially available healthy alternatives exist:
Ecover: established in 1980, Ecover is one of the global leaders in healthy cleaning products. Not only are the products healthier, the company is incredibly dedicated to sustainable business. Their solar powered factory features green building features such as passive solar and water efficient methods.
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