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Chemical-Free Cleaning

by | Jul 14, 2017 | Healthcare Services Cleaning Tips, School Cleaning Tips

Chemical-free cleaning is a scientifically-backed evolution of green janitorial services for homes, schools, and businesses.

As green janitorial services and products continue to evolve, based on scientific research and advancements in technology, a trend has developed that is moving the commercial and residential cleaning markets away from chemical based cleaners and delivery methods.

This is due, in part, to consumer education and purchasing that demands a safer and healthier living, working, and educational environment, free of disease causing chemicals that have damaged our personal health, our environment, and our economies.

Additional driving factors behind the emergence of chemical-free cleaning systems are the reduction of waste and pollution generated by the resource extraction, productandnbsp;manufacture, and transportation of, even green cleaning products.

Chemical-free systems use a combination of electricity, salt, air, and water, inducing an underlying chemical reaction, and creating what is referred to as ‘electrolyzed water,’ a process that studies have shown produces an agent capable of creating a level of clean comparable to more conventional, but toxic alternatives.

For More Information:

  • eWater Advantage – The Science

Why Use Chemical-Free Cleaning Solutions?

The volume of toxic chemical cleaners that have been absorbed into our bodies and the environment is appalling.

According to The Organics Institute;

More than 72,000 synthetic chemicals have been produced since World War II. Most have been derived from petroleum and coal tar. The majority of these synthetic chemicals have never been tested for their acute or long-term effects. Neither have they been tested for their combined or cumulative effects.

Cleaning Products

Electrolyzed water is currently used in numerous commercial applications, including food processing machine disinfection and surface cleaning, healthcare sanitation, as well as general cleaning duties in school and business kitchens and lavatories.

A recent study performed by the National Dairy Research Institute found that eWater;

[sic]…treatment may be used as an effective method for reducing microbial contamination not only on food processing surfaces but also on non-food-contact surfaces such as ceramic tiles, floors, stainless steel, laboratory glassware, or medical or dental facilities and raw fruits or vegetables for pretreatment with EOW to reduce microbial load.

Electrolyzed Oxidized Water (EOW): Non-Thermal Approach for Decontamination of Food Borne Microorganisms in Food Industry

Conventional Comparison

A significant factor driving the acquisition of chemical-free systems is the elimination of worker, student, and household exposure to toxic cleaning products, as well as the short and long-term health effects brought on by continued exposure–typically ranging from mild irritation to death.

For example:

  • Simple Green Concentrated All-Purpose Cleaner – Contains 2-Butoxyethanol, which damages red blood cells.
  • Spic and Span Multi-Surface and Floor Cleaner – Contains Nonylphenol Ethoxylate, which is banned in the State of California and the European Union for its persistent threat to aquatic life and its disruption of the human hormone system.
  • Mop and Glo Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner – Contains up to 15 times the level of Methoxydiglycol allowed by the EU, a chemical the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe suspects of causing damage to unborn children.
  • Tarn-X Tarnish Remover – Contains up to 7% Thiourea, a classified carcinogen in California, as well as being recognized as potentially damaging to the human reproductive and fetal system by the manufacturer after long-term exposure.

For More Information:

References and Resources

Takeaway

The demand for chemical-free cleaning systems is customer driven, and rising in demand on par with organic food and green product purchasing.

According to Food Safety Magazine;

Chemical-free cleaning in the greater context of green cleaning is becoming the rule instead of the exception. The demand for nontoxic and residue-free cleaning systems parallels the customer demand for genetically modified organism-free and organic foods.

Chemical-Free Cleaning: Revisited

While the upfront investment may be prohibitive for many organizations, the cost may be deferred through leasing programs via your local janitorial services vendor, or through government incentives and tax rebates.

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