Questions to make sure your Greenville Green Cleaning company and ways we can slow climate change and protect the environment. We can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, curb our plastic usage, and eat plant-based meat. But did you know we can also hire green cleaning services?
A green commercial cleaning company takes the environment into account when they do their cleaning. They use better materials, dispose of waste more effectively, and conserve what they can. But you may be unsure how to tease apart green cleaning services from those that only claim to be.
Join us as we discuss the questions you should ask when hiring a green cleaning company.
1. Do They Have Any Green Cleaning Certifications?
It’s easy to slap a sticker on and take the credit for providing green cleaning services. In fact, people will seek out businesses that promise to be environmentally conscious. It’s a good marketing decision, and most folks don’t bother to verify the claim.
A true green cleaning company has to earn that honor. One of the best certifications to look for is the CIMS Green Building certification. CIMS is a prestigious organization, and to receive certification takes work.
Part of hiring a Greenville green cleaning service is to obtain a LEED score. LEED determines how green your building is on a scale system. It includes everything from water usage to cleaning standards.
Put simply, the only way to qualify for a LEED rating is with a CIMS-certified company. And that’s how you can tell if the company you plan to hire really does implement green cleaning services.
2. Do They Make Efforts to Minimize Their Waste?
There’s a lot of waste that goes into the average building cleaning. We’re not just talking about how they dispose of your waste out to the dumpsters. This includes how they use their cleaning products as well.
The thing to keep in mind is that the little things can add up fast. Here are just a few small ways your Greenville green cleaning company can reduce waste:
- Using microfiber cloths rather than single-use paper towels
- Reusing old bottles of cleaning solution rather than tossing them
- Using the minimal amount of cleaning products necessary to get the job done
- Using less water to get the job done
Waste is inevitable to get a good cleaning job, and you don’t want your building to get filthy. But the paradigm for many cleaning services is to overuse, wasting much in the process.
Identify the philosophy that your green cleaning company operates under. This will be key to understanding how they use their materials.
3. Do They Use Green Cleaning Products?
The sad reality is that many cleaning products are hard on the environment. These can be products that, when flushed out into the sewage system, are damaging to the environment. It also includes products that have environmentally-harmful processes when making them.
But it’s also important to avoid toxic cleaning products. These products may include the following:
- Phosphates
- Chlorine
- Ammonia
- Bleach
- Artificial fragrances and colors
There are a lot of natural, organic, and non-toxic alternatives to the above. Vinegar, baking soda, and others can clean just as well without harmful side effects.
Some of your employees may get sick as a result of the harsh cleaning chemicals that your janitors use. Switching to green products may keep them in the office so they use fewer sick days.
Those who are not your employees will appreciate this touch, as well. If you work with environmentally-conscious businesses, this will be a stamp of pride to show your dedication to the green movement.
4. Do They Reduce Their Environmental Impact in Other Ways?
A Greenville green company shouldn’t just provide green cleaning services. They should make efforts to reduce their carbon footprint elsewhere.
For example, they may use fleet management software to reduce the hours they drive. They try to reduce the amount of gasoline they may use. In some cases, they may have made the switch to green vehicles.
In their own facilities, they may source their products from less-polluting manufacturers. They may buy in bulk to reduce the strain on our global shipping infrastructure. They may have a procedure for dealing with and recycling things such as plastic waste.
Try to identify these earnest efforts to preserve the environment. All it takes are some small changes to the procedure to make huge changes for the environment.
5. Do They Train Their Employees With Green Cleaning in Mind?
Last but not least, do the green cleaning services you hire have their employees take part? It’s all well and good if they use organic products or minimize waste. But if their employees don’t care about any of this, that’s a problem.
The easiest way to determine this is if there is some sort of training procedure. Anyone that can push a broom or pull on a pair of gloves can clean. But not everyone knows they should reduce how much product they use and dispose of waste properly.
This isn’t to say that they need some fancy qualifications for their workers. What matters is that their hired hands do take green cleaning to heart on the job. What matters is policy and rules on the job that enforce green cleaning.
Hire Green Cleaners Today
Greenville green cleaning not only allows you to give your building a solid clean, but gives you the opportunity to protect the environment. However, anyone can claim to be a green cleaner despite evidence to the contrary. Know what questions to ask your green cleaning services before you commit.
TC Service is the leading green janitorial company. Check out their green cleaning services today.
