The Buildings Site

The Advantages of Green Cleaning

In an increasingly competitive economy, more and more companies are taking the heart the need to protect their most valuable asset: their employees. Helping them work in a healthy operating environment is becoming even more vital as climate change and global warming are beginning to impact businesses around the world.

It's a fact that buildings that go green, or ones that are sustainable, have reaped financial awards that can actually be measured. These include better employee health, increased productivity and better overall employee retention, not to mention lower operating costs and certain government incentives. And, as more and more businesses benefit from green cleaning, their individual impact grows exponentially to reach a global scale.

John Pletz, CEO of ServiceMaster Clean by Pletz, based in Crystal Lake, Illinois, likes to point out to his clients that the benefits of green cleaning are far-reaching. Recent research has shown that facilities that switch to green cleaning have:

Healthier employees as green products contain no volatile organic compounds (VOCS) which can contribute to asthma etc
Lower operating costs and greater access to governmental financial incentives
Positive environmental impact which is almost immediately visible
Suffer from less detergent residue, which keeps carpet and fabrics clean for longer
Have products which have no odor and are solvent-free

A green cleaning process is generally considered one of the easiest and quickest ways for building managers to make their facilities healthier. That means they are also safer for employees, and better for the environment as a whole. Another value of green cleaning is if you're working toward a LEED-certified building, which is a rating system by the US Green Building Council. Green cleaning will give you points towards LEED certification, which means you're on the journey toward sustainability.

Taking the first step toward going green often starting on a journey that will help everyone, one that will benefit your business, your employees, and the entire planet. It's one that we all should be taking ' so take the first step by going green in the workplace.