HOW TO CHOOSE A “HEALTHIER” CLEANING SERVICE
If by chance we haven’t convinced you by now that we’re everything we say we are, then we would certainly encourage you to shop around. And because we are so confident that you’ll eventually give us the opportunity to tackle your cleaning needs and create a healthier environment for those you care for most, we would like to provide you with a helpful checklist in order to better assist you in locating a cleaning service that best fits your needs.
If you're serious about creating a healthier lifestyle, then the following questions are a must for any cleaning service provider.
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Do the cleaning products in which they use contain ingredients that are harmful to people, pets and/or the environment?
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While most household cleaners do not have a complete list of ingredients, what they will have is a manufacturers "Warning" label regarding the product's hazards.
Most labels bear a signal word, such as Danger, Warning or Caution, which should tell you that there is an indication as to the product's toxicity, and products labeled Danger or Poison are typically most hazardous. For more information about these lables, please visit our article on "What They Truly Don't Want You to Know".
It is vitally important to your health and the health of everyone who enters your home, that a cleaning service provider be more diligent in finding out whether or not the cleaners they use are toxic. This information is oftentimes attainable from places such as MSDS’s (Material Safety Data Sheet), manufacturing company websites, EPA.gov, etc.- For a list of some of the harmful, toxic chemicals commonly found in household cleaners, please click here
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While most household cleaners do not have a complete list of ingredients, what they will have is a manufacturers "Warning" label regarding the product's hazards.
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If a cleaning service provider claims to use 'green' products, are these cleaning products considered “green” by an organization such as the EPA's 'Designed for Environment' program?
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According to Urvashi Rangan, an eco-product watchdog, “phrases like biodegradable, nontoxic, hypoallergenic and fragrant free technically don't have to mean anything.” While there has been an explosion of so-called green products hitting the market over recent years, some are safe while others still contain suspect chemicals and therefore they are no better for your health than their harsh chemical counterparts. Beware of terms such as "natural" or "eco-friendly" unless these claims can be proven by means of specifically labeled ingredients, such as "solvent-free," "no petroleum-based ingredients," "no phosphates," etc.
And don't believe "organic" hype! Most believe that so-called organic ingredients that are put into cleaning products are safer than other substances. This is simply not always true, due to the fact that some organics contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that release harmful fumes. Believe or not, the term "nontoxic" has no official definition, so unless an independent, third party such as Green Seal has verified this claim, it should not be considered relevant.
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According to Urvashi Rangan, an eco-product watchdog, “phrases like biodegradable, nontoxic, hypoallergenic and fragrant free technically don't have to mean anything.” While there has been an explosion of so-called green products hitting the market over recent years, some are safe while others still contain suspect chemicals and therefore they are no better for your health than their harsh chemical counterparts. Beware of terms such as "natural" or "eco-friendly" unless these claims can be proven by means of specifically labeled ingredients, such as "solvent-free," "no petroleum-based ingredients," "no phosphates," etc.
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Does the cleaning service providers 'green' products clean as well as traditional chemical cleaners? Have their 'green' products been tested by an independent entity as to the cleaning efficacies?
- Just as there are traditional household cleaners that clean better than others, there are also “green” cleaners that clean better than others, and even some “green” cleaners that clean better than traditional cleaners.
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Does the cleaning service provider claim that their green sanitizing products eliminate bacteria and viruses such as MRSA & H1N1?
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Please be aware that currently, no such product exists. All sanitizing and disinfecting products MUST be approved by the EPA prior to becoming a useable product, and according to the EPA, a 'DISINFECTANT' is considered a pesticide, and a pesticide is not to be considered 'green'.
However, the device in which we use to sanitize with is approved by the EPA.
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Please be aware that currently, no such product exists. All sanitizing and disinfecting products MUST be approved by the EPA prior to becoming a useable product, and according to the EPA, a 'DISINFECTANT' is considered a pesticide, and a pesticide is not to be considered 'green'.
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Do the vacuum cleaners in which the cleaning service provider uses trap 100% of allergens and respiratory irritants such as dust mites, pollen, mold spores, pet dander, fecal matter, bacteria and other nasties?
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It is very important that EVERY cleaning service provider uses a vacuum with the highest filtration capacity available since many dust particles are smaller than “one micron” in size - - - the size of many viruses.
Only the very best of vacuums (the ones we've chosen to use) will capture particulates as microscopic as 0.3 Microns in size. For more information on why they should use only these types of vacuums, please click here.
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It is very important that EVERY cleaning service provider uses a vacuum with the highest filtration capacity available since many dust particles are smaller than “one micron” in size - - - the size of many viruses.
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Is the cleaning service provider formally trained and certified through a credible independent, third party organization such as the “Green Clean Institute” or “Green Seal”?
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While any individual or cleaning service provider can merely purchase a few so-called green cleaners in order to clean your home and express to you that it's been made 'green', only those with the knowledge, training and expertise unquestionably know which green products are genuinely safe, healthy, and the most effective.
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While any individual or cleaning service provider can merely purchase a few so-called green cleaners in order to clean your home and express to you that it's been made 'green', only those with the knowledge, training and expertise unquestionably know which green products are genuinely safe, healthy, and the most effective.
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Does the cleaning service provider sanitize EVERY cleaning utensil, including their vacuum and their shoes prior to entering your home so as to not to cross-contaminate between homes or carry in diseases and fecal matter from the outside?
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It only makes sense to us to not only make you home healthy, but to keep your home healthy. If they claim they do, then ask them what they used to sanitize with.
Were you aware that one study shows that shoes alone harbor more than 420,000 bacteria with 27% of these bacteria being the deadly E. Coli and the largest percentage of bacteria found on shoes contained fecal matter?
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It only makes sense to us to not only make you home healthy, but to keep your home healthy. If they claim they do, then ask them what they used to sanitize with.
It’s your health! So be sure to do your homework and remember, any cleaning service provider that's truly 'green' should be able to verify each and every statement that you ask of them!
What They’re Saying
