Cleaning chemicals can negatively impact on the environment as well as people’s health. Following are tips to help you decide which products to buy; it does not provide guidance on HOW to use the products, which should be supplied by the distributor.

If choosing cleaning services for your office, then ensure the contractor uses the safest, least damaging products. Include the following points in your contracts:

Since cleaning crews are frequently exposed to chemicals in cleaning products, preference should be given to products that minimise risks to human safety, e.g. avoid products containing ingredients (harsh solvents) that are:

• Highly toxic,
• Cancer-causing,
• Flammable, or
• Prone to cause serious skin irritation, respiratory problems or damage nasal membranes.

The chemicals in many cleaning products end up in local wastewater systems, and eventually in waterways, therefore choose products that minimise the environmental impact. Cleaners should be:

• Free of phosphates, Nitrilotriacetic acid, Ammonia
• Free of substances that contribute to ozone depletion (Volatile Organic Compounds.)
• Made from plant-based ingredients, a renewable resource.

The environmental impact of packaging can be significantly reduced by:

• Choose cleaners sold in reusable and/or recycled content packaging;
• Buying in bulk and as a concentrate;
• Avoid aerosol containers (which are flammable and may contain ozone depleting substances);
• Seek and use good consumer information on safe use and disposal options

Many cleaner contain unnecessary synthetic dyes and fragrances. In some cases these are added for safety reasons, but some may create allergic reactions or skin irritations.

There are cleaning systems that do not require any cleaning compounds and rely on the action of special cloths. These systems completely reduce the need for cleaners.