How is green cleaning different from traditional janitorial services?

Green cleaning services use cleaning products that are less harmful to the environment and people than traditional commercial cleaning products. They also use different equipment and cleaning methods to further reduce allergens and dust from the air.

A comprehensive green cleaning program requires a change in habit from the top-down at companies, from introducing recycling programs to switching to plastic garbage bags and paper products that create less waste.

Why should I hire Green Cleaning Services, Inc.?

Because we think green and we think local! And we are proud to serve exclusively the Portland Greater Area, which has been America’s top Green City for many years now!

Because we’re a smaller green cleaning company, our management team knows our customers personally and we’re always willing to go the extra mile with personalized service that meets all of our clients’ needs.

And because we will never sell your account or hire other janitorial cleaning companies to manager our accounts. If you hire us to clean your building, our licensed and bonded staff will do the work. If we break that promise, we will give you a full refund on your monthly payment and allow you to break your contract with us.

We always strive to provide our clients with the best service possible. It is our high level of responsibility combined with our commitment to hard work and to always using the most innovative green cleaning products and techniques that has allowed us to deliver on that promise for a decade now.

We are able to deliver the most advanced green cleaning program to our clients through our strong leadership and by continually training and educating workers at all levels of our company.

What are your rates?

Guaranteed 10% or lower than franchise and national cleaning companies! Why?

Because we operate exclusively in the Portland Metro Area, and we do not have the overhead personnel expenses of our big competitors.

We do not pay for telemarketers, sales representatives, district and regional managers, multiple office locations, being able to pass those savings on to you!

Are your employees licensed and bonded?

Yes, we carefully screen our employees, checking references, running drug tests and requiring they be licensed and bonded. We don’t contract third party janitorial companies, so we always know who is cleaning your building.

Does Green Cleaning Services, Inc. works with LEED Certified buildings?

Yes. We have green cleaning programs for LEED-certified buildings and we also work with customers who are working to get their building green certified. We understand the certification process and what is required for a cleaning program.

Do green products clean as well?

Yes. Green cleaning products we use sanitize and kill bacteria as well as traditional janitorial products. Unlike traditional products, they won’t harm the indoor air quality, leading to health problems among employees, customers and other visitors to your building.

How does green cleaning work?

Environmentally preferable cleaning works in two ways. First, it relies on cleaning chemicals that do not contain many of the highly toxic constituents that are common in cleaning products. Second, it employs advanced technology, such as microfiber dust mops, that is more effective at gathering dirt, soil, and other particulate matter. By utilizing safer cleaning chemicals and modern equipment, “green” cleaning releases fewer harmful particulates and toxic substances into the environment.

Why is equipment important to a green cleaning program?

High-performance equipment is an important component of environmentally preferable cleaning because these tools—such as HEPPA filtration vacuum cleaners, microfiber mops and cloths, multilevel walk-off mats, and two-chamber mop buckets—are designed to prevent dirt and soil from contaminating surfaces, thus reducing the amount of chemicals required for cleaning.

Does a green cleaning program cost more?

No, implementing a green cleaning program costs the same, or in some cases, green cleaning services are even less expensive than traditional janitorial services. Many hospitals and medical facilities are switching to green cleaning services as a cost-saving measure, as well as for the health benefits.

Can conventional cleaning products really be dangerous?

Cleaning products are a major contributor to the poor air quality inside buildings.

One out of three cleaning products contains ingredients known to cause human health or environmental problems.

A study conducted by the Janitorial Products Pollution Prevention Project found that the average janitor uses 48 pounds of hazardous chemicals per year. Many commercial products contain high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can lead to headaches, breathing problems, and other symptoms in building occupants.

Some cleaning products contain cancer-causing carcinogens and other chemicals that have been linked to reproductive organ damage, birth defects, kidney damage and neurological problems. The detrimental health impact from harsh cleaners is particularly noticeable in janitors, who work with cleaning products daily on the job.

Janitors tend to experience rates of occupational asthma twice that of other professions. A study by Washington State showed that 6% suffer job-related injuries from exposure to chemical cleaners each year

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But they’re not the only ones exposed to unhealthy indoor air. The EPA has estimated that as many as 30% of office workers experience health problems from unhealthy air in buildings, also known as Sick Building Syndrome.

Switching to a green cleaning program can greatly reduce health problems and related costs.

The purpose of any green cleaning program is to lessen the impact of cleaners on people and the environment

. Using all-natural green cleaners keeps harmful chemicals out of the air we breathe and out of our rivers and streams, where it can cause ecological damage for years.

Health Benefits

Americans spend most of their time indoors. Yet, indoor air quality is rated worse than outdoor air quality. The Environmental Protection Agency rates indoor air quality as one of the Top 5 health risks to Americans, saying indoor air is 3 to 5 times as harmful as outdoor air. It’s estimated that poor air quality in office buildings and other work environments costs businesses $20 billion in workers’ compensation claims each year.

Cleaning products are a major contributor to the poor air quality inside buildings. One out of three cleaning products contains ingredients known to cause human health or environmental problems. A study conducted by the Janitorial Products Pollution Prevention Project found that the average janitor uses 48 pounds of hazardous chemicals per year.

Many commercial products contain high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can lead to headaches, breathing problems, and other symptoms in building occupants.

Some cleaning products contain cancer-causing carcinogens and other chemicals that have been linked to reproductive organ damage, birth defects, kidney damage and neurological problems.

The detrimental health impact from harsh cleaners is particularly noticeable in janitors, who work with cleaning products daily on the job. Janitors tend to experience rates of occupational asthma twice that of other professions. A study by Washington State showed that 6% suffer job-related injuries from exposure to chemical cleaners each year.

But they’re not the only ones exposed to unhealthy indoor air. The EPA has estimated that as many as 30% of office workers experience health problems from unhealthy air in buildings, also known as Sick Building Syndrome.

Switching to green cleaning can greatly reduce health problems and related costs.

Environmental Benefits

Harsh chemicals also take their toll on our environment. By doing something as simple as cleaning a sink or bathtub with Ajax, you’re sending chemicals into the sewer system and eventually into streams and waterways. Chemicals build up over time. Chemicals commonly found in cleaners such as nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) degrade slowly and actually become more toxic as they degrade. Other ingredients don’t break down at all and can harm organisms in our rivers and streams for decades to come.

Cleaning products with heavy chemicals and fragrances that are water-based pose threats in these vulnerable environments with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These emitted chemical gases from certain solids or liquids contain short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are sometimes up to ten times higher indoors than outdoors. These levels are dangerous for those who frequent the building as well as the users of the products containing VOCs, like janitorial staff. VOCs released from cleaning products also lead to smog in our outdoor air. Greg Norris, a professor at Harvard’s School of Public Health, has stated that “the amount of VOCs from a single waxing of a floor can equal or exceed the VOCs emitted from the flooring materials over the life of those flooring materials.” And when we consider that a floor could get stripped and waxed one, two or three times a year — that’s a lot of VOCs, especially when we are doing it over the next 50 years!

But this is all preventable by switching from harsh cleaners to all-natural green cleaners that sanitize and kill bacteria without harming people or the planet.

Unlike traditional janitorial services, green cleaning services use products and equipment that are safer for human health and the environment than comparable products. Products used by green cleaning companies are non-toxic, biodegradable and tend to be made from renewable resources.

According to United States executive order 13101, ‘environmentally preferable’ products or services have a “lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose.” This executive order has helped spawn the “green” movement and a growing preference for “green cleaning” programs.

In addition to U.S. government standards, many trade organizations have adopted widely recognized green cleaning standards. Certification programs and recommended green cleaning product lists help janitorial companies like Green Cleaning Services, Inc. strive to meet the highest standards, while also helping organizations like yours recognize the products and services available for establishing a complete green cleaning program.

Green Cleaning Services, Inc. actively participates in and recognize the green cleaning guidelines established by the organizations like Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Design for the Environment Label (DfE), Green Seal – GS-37 Certified Detergents, Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) – Green Label Certified, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) – LEED, Environmental Choice Program (ECP), GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI), ISSA Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS).

The purpose of a green cleaning program is to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink by using products that have a lower impact on the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency rates indoor air quality as one of the Top 5 health risks to Americans, saying indoor air is 3 to 5 times as harmful as outdoor air.

It’s estimated that poor air quality in office buildings and other work environments costs businesses $20 billion in workers’ compensation claims each year. A comprehensive green cleaning program can greatly reduce health problems and related costs.

Green cleaning services do more than simply switch out cleaning products containing toxic or hazardous materials that can be harmful to our health with safer ones. They employ a comprehensive system that includes using “greener” vacuums, mops and other equipment, and switching out paper products and trash liners with those that create less environmental waste.

Green cleaning services also employ different cleaning techniques than other janitorial services to improve the indoor air quality. That can mean focusing on entryways of office buildings to capture dirt and dust before it spreads inside the building, dust mopping with a water-based treatment to pull more dust and allergens from the air, and using a commercial-grade vacuum with a high-efficiency filter to pull more dirt out of carpets.

It’s all part of a comprehensive green cleaning program that improves indoor air quality and our health.

Green Seal

Green Seal is a non-profit, third-party certifier and standards development body in the United States. Since 1989 it has provided independent, objective, science-based guidance to the marketplace and to consumers. Green Seal is the largest US-based eco-labeling organization and meets the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Criteria for Third Party Certifiers, the requirements of ISO 14020 and 14024, and the standards of the Global Ecolabelling Network. Green Seal is the U.S. member of GEN which consists of 26 of the world’s leading ecolabeling programs.

United States Green Building Council (USGBC)

USGBC is a standard-setting organization focused on the rapidly growing green building industry. It was formed to address the significant impacts of building design and operation on human health and the natural environment

. It is a coalition of leaders from all segments of the building industry, including building owners and managers, architects and engineers, builders, building service contractors, product manufacturers, insurance companies and all levels of government. Currently there are over 10,000 members in the USGBC.

Environmental Choice Program (ECP)

The Environmental Choice Program (ECP), Environment Canada’s Ecolabeling program, helps consumers identify products and services that are less harmful to the environment. A key aspect of the certification process is the requirement for third party verification of compliance to ECP certification criteria as a condition for certification and licensing. This process ensures the Program’s credibility.

Design for the Environment (DfE)

The DfE Program is distinct from all other product recognition or Ecolabeling programs. The DfE program reviews each product component, starting with the chemical component’s structure to determine its key health and environmental characteristics. Then ingredient characteristics are compared to other chemicals in the same use class and consider any possible negative synergies between the ingredients.

GREENGUARD

GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) is an industry independent, non-profit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification Program. As an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accredited Standards Developer, GEI establishes acceptable standards for indoor products and testing protocols. GREENGUARD’s goal is to improve public health and quality of life by helping manufacturers build better and safer products.

ISSA Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS)

The Cleaning Industry Management Standard is designed to assist cleaning organizations (in-house and service contractors) in setting up a management system that allows an organization to meet specific goals. The Standard is a management framework that can be used to develop customer-centered, quality organizations.

Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) – Green Label Certified

To qualify for Green Label, vacuums and sweepers must go through stringent testing that measures soil removal, dust containment, and carpet appearance.

Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) – Seal of Approval

To qualify for seal of approval, extractors must undergo stringent testing that measures soil removal, water removal, and texture.