Jean Hanson

There is a lot of confusion surrounding the question of using disinfectants and providing green cleaning services. The first thing to keep in mind is that there is no such thing as a safe disinfectant - they are all designed to kill organisms.

As a green cleaning service provider, your goal is to look for opportunities to reduce the use of disinfectants. In many cases, people are using disinfectants in areas where a general purpose cleaner would suffice. If you just need to remove soil from a surface, then use a general purpose cleaner. Disinfectants should only be used in areas of high risk. High risk means there is a possibilty that a disease causing organism could be transferred from an object or surface to a person.

There are manufacturers who sell environmentally friendly disinfectants like Rochester Midland's Envirocare Neutral Disinfectant. What makes these types of cleaners "green", is that they are a less hazardous alternative to conventional disinfectants. In other words, they cause less damage to the surface you're cleaning, they're less corrosive, and they cause less irritation to respiratory systems. They do kill the organisms they're intended to kill, but without killing aquatic life.

So if you're searching for a way to replace your conventional disinfectants and still provide green cleaning services, look for a product manufactured by a reputable company who offers many Green Seal certified or Eco Logo certified products. These companies have done extensive research and development of environmentally friendly products.

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Steve Hanson helps owners of small cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through his online community at TheJanitorialStore.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for weekly cleaning tips at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com.