Drastic weather and temperature changes have forced us all to look into every aspect of our everyday lives and see how we can all work towards a world with fewer chemicals, fewer pollutants and less impact on the environment.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the market size for household cleaning products has exceeded USD 165 billion in 2020. It is estimated that it will continue to grow from 2021 and 2027. With this growth in mind, it’s crucial more than ever to make conscious choices towards cleaning with safe products for the environment.
This is where green cleaning comes. Green cleaning is a system or method of cleaning that uses procedures and products that are safe for the environment and does not emit any pollutants. Not only is green cleaning aimed at reducing the effects of harmful chemicals on the environment, but it is also meant to promote general health for the public and the planet.
Green cleaning focuses on these elements:
- Uses cleaning methods and products that are environmentally friendly
- Cleaning products and materials have environmentally friendly ingredients, are cruelty-free
- Products are designed to preserve human health and environmental quality
- Cleaning products and procedures avoid the use of toxic chemicals
- They do not emit volatile organic compounds that could cause respiratory and dermatological issues
- Cleaning products and procedures are manufactured, packaged and distributed using materials and processes that have minimal impact on the environment (more recycled materials, higher biodegradability, fewer carbon emissions etc.)
Green cleaning is essential from the perspective of your home, clients, employees down to your business’ ecological footprint. It’s an effect that will benefit every section of the human entity and every aspect of the environment.
A healthy, clean and green environment leads to a happier individual, a productive workforce and a healthier community.
Are you thinking of switching to green cleaning? Here’s why it’s essential to make that switch now:
It reduces synthetic chemicals going into your system
Switching to cleaner and greener products means that you minimize chemical exposure, even in the tiniest of molecules.
Most brand-name cleaners and disinfectants are toxic. They contain not only chemicals but also synthetic fragrances. It may be a wonderful thing to walk into a freshly cleaned room and smell scents of lavender from the floor cleaner or that minty fresh smell from fresh laundry. However, these artificial fragrances don’t do much except make things smell nice.
While you may think that synthetic fragrances are not as toxic as ingested substances, they still carry some problematic side effects. At least 95 percent of chemicals used to concoct a fragrance are derived from petroleum. These petroleum-based chemicals have hormone-altering properties, and it causes health problems with prolonged use. Issues such as neurological disorders, cancers, weakening of the immune system, allergies, and infertility can happen with prolonged exposure to synthetic fragrances.
It cleans up your indoor air
Switching to green cleaning products or even employing cleaning services that do green cleaning, such as https://ouicleandmv.com/, means you are one step to creating a cleaner environment in your home. Conventional cleaning products contribute to higher pollution, both indoors and outdoors. VOCs or volatile organic compounds are known to be damaging to your kidneys, liver, and central nervous system. They can also linger in the air for a long-time causing damage to the environment.
You deal with fewer antibacterial
Non-organic and non-environmental antibacterial products may be doing more harm than good for your body. Triclosan, a common antibacterial agent in many industrial and consumer cleaning products, can mess up the body’s thyroid and hormonal system.
Plenty of products marketed as antibacterial may be a marketing gimmick, and consumers fall into this trap, thinking that antibacterial products are more effective than regular soap and water. If you read the labels of green or environmentally friendly cleaning products, they don’t have any form of antibacterial agent. The FDA has found that non-green antibacterial products can contain substances that cause hormonal imbalances, apart from harmful chemicals.
It’s financially savvy
It wasn’t easy for the environmentally friendly product market 20 years ago. Back then, not many consumers were aware of the hazards of non-green cleaning products and procedures. But with more and more research conducted, more learnings published, and more focus on green cleaning, the organic and green product market has flourished.
It has helped manufacturers and supply chains create better products at an affordable price, resulting in affordable green cleaning products. With more and more manufacturers entering the green cleaning scene, you get natural, organic products at competitive prices and fewer chemicals.
Not only that, but green cleaning brands also practice other ways to make the environment better all around. Some stores encourage you to bring your container, thereby reducing the need for packaging and reducing the price of the overall product.
Each purchase gives back to the community
Producers and manufacturers of the green revolution have also taken up social responsibility in their business. Apart from creating friendly products for the environment, they go further by contributing to the community. Some encourage customers to bring in their bottles and storage to eliminate the need for packaging, thus reducing waste and plastic.
Some only source from locally made ingredients to create their cleaning products, thereby helping small and local farms and businesses to flourish. Some green companies donate to various organizations that help protect and care for the environment. So, each time you shop at eco-friendly companies, you give a little back to the community.
You get to know your product
Nutritionists say that you need to know what goes in your food to stay healthy. It’s the same thing with everything else that you use and consume. Knowing what’s in your cleaning product is a journey of learning and discovering.
Reading as much information as you can on the ingredients and understanding where they are sourced and produced makes you an informed consumer. You also know where your money goes and how it supports green practices all around the globe.