Green…

‘Green Cleaning,’ Feather Dusters and Perfume.

We don’t offer ‘green cleaning’ because it is misleading and we know that it can actually diminish the environmental health effects in our customer’s homes. Instead, we use products and processes responsibly to benefit the environment and make our customers home more comfortable and safe… But you need to read the rest of this paper to understand our position for being more responsible.

First it is important to understand the difference between ‘Green Cleaning’ and ‘Green Washing.’ This can be difficult because in many cases they are the same. ‘Green Cleaning’ refers to cleaning that is in some way environmentally friendly and ‘Green Washing’ is advertising or cleverly worded public relations statements to make ‘Green Cleaning’ sound more beneficial than it really is. It is creating the perception that the environmental benefits are actually greater than they really are.

We don’t offer ‘Green Cleaning’ because we believe in truth in advertising.

We offer what is effective in eliminating the two biggest environmental threats in your home, mold and airborne dust and allergens.

Is Bleach Good or Bad?

For example, ‘Green Cleaning’ is using chemicals that are non-toxic and produced in a way that do not pollute the environment. This eliminates the use of bleach for treating mold. Bleach is effective at reducing mold growth and changing its color so that it looks like it is gone. However it is truly a product with real threats to your health and the environment. But the alternatives being used are not green either. Some cleaning companies are using products that are much safer for you and the environment but basically have no real effect on mold. Columbia House Cleaning Professionals uses a fungicide that was developed to kill mold, and disinfect. Over time, it is more effective and safer than bleach for people and the environment. We use a fungicide (a non-green product) because it provides environmental benefits to our customers of less mold spores to inhale. The fungicide does have a negative effect on the environment but it is very insignificant. You should be aware that no disinfectant meets “green” definitions, and all disinfectants were eliminated from “certified green cleaning” by Green Seal. Now they have come to realize that the hazards of mold to humans are greater than the hazards of disinfectants to the environment. “Green cleaning”
accepts the use of disinfectants as better for your health and acceptable for the environment. So, what was “non-green” became accepted as “green” because there is a conflict between your health and what is considered earth friendly.

What Is The Biggest Environment Threat In Your Home?

According to the experts, the two largest environmental threats that exist in your home are mold and airborne dust and allergens.

Eliminating anything that might have a miniscule effect on the environment also eliminates the use of anything that might effectively reduce the mold in your home. There are products with insignificant impact on the environment, which
can deter mold growth, but neither is considered ‘green.’ So, eliminating them from use is actually more damaging to your health and environment than using them.

The Public Is Misled To Focus On The Insignificant, Leading Them To Think They Are Helping The Environment.

It is not the public’s fault; most people are not educated in the relative dangers of chemical products on the environment and if it contributes to pollution. Driving a gasoline engine powered automobile, and switching to all ‘green’ household-cleaning chemicals is about the same as keeping your doors and windows wide open in the dead of winter but calking the crack around your kitchen window for heat efficiency. We can easily be led to focus on the most insignificant details instead of the problems that can really make a difference.

Exposure To Bleach Is Really Not Healthy.

Bleach is really unhealthy stuff and it is environmentally unfriendly. Most other household chemicals combined don’t create an environmental threat that matches bleach. However, many people toss out the chemicals that are excellent cleaners, cut down on bacteria in their home, and offer nearly no environmental threat and then use something like bleach because it is perceived
to offer some additional needed benefit.

Maybe It Is Time To Get Rid Of Cows.

Many people who are concerned about the environment and want to use only “green cleaning” techniques will use a Drain Cleaner when the drain is clogged, but they won’t use ammonia to clean the floor. Ammonia is an irritant in concentration, but exists naturally in our environment. It is not going to go away any more than the methane gas, which comes from burping cows. It has been determined that the largest source of methane gas in our environment comes from belching cows. If environmentalists want to seriously reduce global warming, we should stop raising cattle and eating beef. When cows are nearly extinct we will have less ammonia from their urine and less methane from their stomach gas.

The Feather Duster Perception

Many cleaning companies use feather dusters. This impacts how a particular item looks and how you feel. It looks and feels good but it doesn’t help get rid of dust. It makes it worse; it creates airborne dust, which creates additional environmental threats in your home. Feather dusters can be said to be earth friendly and ‘green.’ However, dust mites and bacteria are not friendly to you. Reducing dust mites and bacteria is better for your health.

Don’t be misled by advertising and public relation claims. Learn about the products that are available and how they can be used in an environmentally responsible way to take care of threats to your health. Use common sense, if you discover that you have termites, going green is just an invitation for them to stay until they are finished eating. Protect your home and your environment…but be responsible.

Perfumes Mask The Problem

We don’t spray perfumes to mask odors or use strong smelling cleaners that use perfume and leave a lingering smell because it is not a solution and adds to the problem. Bacteria cause most odors. Doesn’t it make more sense to get rid of bacteria rather than spray perfume?

Our Promise

We don’t offer ‘green cleaning’ because it is misleading and we know that it can actually diminish the environmental health effects in our customer’s homes. Instead, we do something better…we use products and processes responsibly to make our customers home more comfortable, safe and with a naturally clean smell—which is the absence of perfumes.