Effective commercial and office cleaning depends on disinfectants, cleansers, and other chemicals that can be dangerous when people misuse them or are exposed to them improperly. This is true even for certain chemicals that are certified as green when they are used for commercial building cleaning. After all, many natural substances used in professional commercial cleaning chemicals may be harmless to the environment even if they are considered allergens.
A good commercial cleaning service recognizes this, and will take the proper precautions to always handle its chemicals properly. Here are some ways to ensure that any potentially harmful office cleaner and all other harmful cleaning chemicals are handled properly:
Professional commercial cleaning services have expertise with dangerous cleaning chemicals, so they are the best qualified to use them. A commercial cleaning service will make sure to store these chemicals properly at your business. They will also take the proper precautions to ensure that observers are shielded from the harmful effects of commercial cleaning chemicals when they are performing their office cleaning services.
Keeping Our Kids Safe
As risky as unintended exposure to cleaning chemicals can be for adults, it’s an even more threatening to children. Schools, daycare facilities and other institutions that serve children should be especially careful to keep dangerous office cleaning chemicals locked up in a secure location. Kids should never have access to these caustic office cleaners and chemicals that can cause great harm if ingested. Any janitorial employee or commercial cleaning team should be carefully trained to use any and all cleaning products in a manner that safeguards the health of children.
Cleaning Services, MSDS & First-Aid Information
Every chemical that is classified as a commercial or office cleaner will have a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and information on what to do for first aid in the case of chemical ingestion or injury. The MSDS data sheet lists the ingredients found in the chemical used by the office cleaning service, which keeps employees informed as to the possible allergens and other dangers associated with a particular cleaning product. The data sheet will also indicate the poisoning danger of the substance and potential adverse combinations to avoid. Since applying incorrect first aid can sometimes cause further injury, knowing precisely what to do in the case of an accidental chemical exposure is invaluable. A CIMS certified commercial cleaning company or janitorial service provider is well acquainted with all this information and will put it to use effectively. Cleaning companies that take shortcuts with training, labeling and storage of chemical cleaners put everyone at risk.
Is Green Cleaning For You?
If you are considering making the move to green cleaning or greener cleaning, there are many potential benefits. Traditionally, office cleaning services have employed the use of commercial cleaning products and tools that may contain chemicals, which can be harmful to you and your employees. Although on the surface they do clean, the chemicals from those cleaning products often result in poor indoor air quality within your office building. The worst culprits among the traditional caustic cleaners are a potential source of problems such as irritation to eyes, skin or lungs, and even health issues. Green cleaning or greener cleaning can offer an alternative to traditional cleaners. In addition to improving the health of employees, a green cleaning service creates a healthier environment for customers as well.
When you partner with a commercial cleaning service that offers green cleaning, you both provide a healthy work environment, you are increase staff productivity by reducing their risk of getting sick and you demonstrate your commitment to a greener workplace. When considering a green cleaning service, you should keep several things in mind. Any commercial cleaning company committed to their green cleaning program will have clear “green” policies in place. Green cleaning supplies should be as effective as they are safe insuring you don’t have to sacrifice a clean workplace to be environmentally sound.
How Can I Find A Commercial Cleaning Company That Operates With Safety & Health In Mind?
There are safety programs for chemicals used in commercial cleaning. The International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) certifies companies that implement these programs in their Cleaning Industry Management Standards (CIMS) program. This certification requires a building services company to implement best practices in order to help prevent accidental exposure to deadly cleaning chemicals. Commercial establishments who hire a CIMS certified company have additional verification that their cleaning company is operating by the highest industry guidelines designed with efficacy, safety and health in mind. The safety programs required for CIMS certification keep your employees safe from the harmful effects of the dangerous chemicals used in office cleaning services and commercial cleaning.
Finding a Commercial Cleaning Company That Really Cleans and Really Cares
Owners, managers and Facility Managers have a few tools at their disposal when it comes to finding an office cleaning company, commercial cleaning service or janitorial service provider that will make health and safety a priority. First, make any prospective cleaning company show you their commitment not just tell you. Any one can deliver a sales pitch that sounds good but a commercial cleaning company that is truly invested in health and safety will have the materials to prove it. Thing to consider and ask about that can have a real impact on your cleaning, safety and health:
If you are short on time or need to find a new commercial cleaning, office cleaning or janitorial service, using industry association certifications like the ISSA’s CIMS certification. These voluntary but stringent certification programs allow professional cleaning companies to demonstrate their commitment to industry best practices by opening up their methods to review and meeting specific benchmarks set by the ISSA. It isn’t easy to get certified but cleaning companies that pursue and earn certification are serious about their business and dedicated to offering their customers their best.