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Natural commercial cleaners avoid chemical cleaning agents that may affect ecosystems by contaminating soil and groundwater. They are also safer for custodial employees to use, resulting in fewer job-related injuries, and will protect the health of all employees by not polluting office air with toxic chemicals.

Find it! Commercial cleaning products

Natural commercial cleaners help you go green because…

• They avoid chemical cleaning agents that may affect ecosystems and wildlife.
• They do not contain chemicals that negatively impact indoor air quality and may be potential skin irritants or carcinogens, protecting the health of janitorial and custodial employees.

The cleaning of commercial buildings requires 6 billion pounds of chemicals and 4.5 billion pounds of paper products (representing about 25 to 50 million trees) every year.[1] Of the 3.5 million cleaning employees in the US, 6 percent experience an injury related to chemical exposure annually.[2] The concentrated nature of commercial cleaning products makes them more toxic than their household counterparts, resulting in a high incidence of injury. Companies that choose to purchase products that are safer for their employees and the earth generally see a decrease in injury rates and toxic outputs. It is possible to rapidly decrease the amount of toxic chemicals used in commercial buildings: through the efforts of the Western Region Pollution Prevention Network, custodial workers in southern California have reduced the use of hazardous cleaning ingredients by 19,000 pounds per year.[3]

Chemical cleaners pollute water and harm wildlife

Conventional cleaners often contain chemical cleaning agents that persist in the environment and can harm wildlife and human health. Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), which are common in all purpose cleaners and detergents, do not easily break down in sewage treatment facilities after they are washed down the drain. About half a million tons of APEs are produced annually.[4] The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified APEs as endocrine disruptors, which can affect the reproductive systems of birds and mammals and disrupt the ability of some fish to reproduce. Measurable levels of APEs and other cleaning product chemicals have been found in US lakes and streams. A 2002 US Geological Survey (USGS) study of contaminants in American stream water found 69 percent of streams sampled contained traces of detergents, while 66 percent contained disinfectants.[5]

Hazardous waste

The EPA lists drain cleaners, toilet cleaners, bleach, and shower cleaners on its list of common items containing potentially hazardous ingredients. If these products are improperly disposed of—including pouring them down the drain or toilet or putting them out with the trash—they are considered to be hazardous waste. The EPA recommends carefully monitoring the use, storage, and disposal of potentially hazardous substances in order to avoid the potential risks associated with HHW. Such products should be kept in their original containers and their labels should be consulted for instructions on proper disposal. Your local environmental, health, or solid waste agency can also give instructions on proper use and disposal of HHW products and provide information about local HHW drop-off programs and upcoming collection days.

Indoor air quality and employee health

Commercial cleaning products pose health risks to all office employees, not just custodial staff. They emit Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter that contribute to poor indoor air quality. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cites indoor air pollution as one of the top five public health threats in America. In a recent study, the Berkeley National Laboratory concluded that 40 percent of all office sick days are related to poor indoor air quality (IAQ).[6] Their findings suggest that improved IAQ could increase productivity and reduce the occurrence of Sick Building Syndrome by 20 to 50 percent, with potential savings between $10 and $100 billion nationwide annually.[7]

Very few buildings in the US are free from poor IAQ, and since adults spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, the term Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is being volleyed around with increasing frequency. SBS (alternately referred to as Tight Building Syndrome (TBS), Building-Related Illness (BRI), and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) occurs when a building’s occupants exhibit illnesses such as dry, irritated eyes, nose, throat, and skin; fatigue; shortness of breath, coughing, and sneezing; dizziness and nausea; as well as headache and sinus congestion.

Glossary

• particulate matter (PM): A mixture of dry solid fragments, solid cores with liquid coatings, and small droplets of liquid of varying shape, size, and chemical composition that pollute the air.
• Poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ): The result of mounting air pollution, both inside and out, from substances which are either biological or chemical.
• volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Gases released by a wide variety of products, including cleaning products, furniture, and dry-cleaned clothing,that cause several health problems, ranging from headaches and respiratory inflammation to central nervous system diseases.