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Recent studies have shown that sustainable buildings, or buildings that go green, have measurable financial gains due to employee health, productivity, and retention as well as lower operating costs and certain government incentives.

Green cleaning is one of the easiest and fastest ways for building managers to make their facilities healthier and safer for employees, not to mention their contribution to the overall environment. Plus, it offers the ability to easily earn quick LEED® points in the process.

Cleaning for health (green cleaning) is a practice that addresses toxic substances contained in cleaning products. The chemicals contained in traditional cleaners can cause a range of health effects from numbness in the extremities and lung irritation to severe burns and neurological damage. Some chemicals and fragrances in cleaners can also cause or exacerbate asthma.

The chemicals contained in cleaners are particularly worrisome because using cleaners exposes custodial staff, children and other building occupants to these chemicals. (With other products, exposure to the toxic substances occurs primarily if the product is misused; with cleaners, some level of exposure is nearly unavoidable.)

Green cleaning substitutes traditional cleaners with those that contain fewer or less-toxic substances. (No product is entirely toxic free.) Green cleaning also requires a change in cleaning practices and equipment; for example, floors in low-traffic areas are cleaned less frequently than those in high-traffic areas, or vacuums with high-performance filters are used to prevent dirt from reentering the atmosphere.

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