‘Why Greener Cleaning?’
Although we are not ‘tree huggers’, we care deeply about our environment and see that there is a need for change. We have therefore thrown off the general attitude of ‘clean at any cost’. As a result, we vet all our cleaning solutions and equipment to make sure they are truly ‘green’ before we use them in your home or workplace.
Does This Mean a Second Rate Clean?
No! Powerful, harmful chemistry doesn’t necessarily do a better job; it just speeds up the process and makes it easier for the cleaner. Actually, green cleaning gives excellent results. How is that possible? Well, let me explain some fundamentals from the cleaning industry. We call it ‘TACT’. This is the amount of time, agitation, chemistry and temperature that we use.
During conventional cleaning, time is a priority, temperature is expensive to produce and agitation is hard work, so the easiest way to decrease these three things is to increase the amount and strength of chemistry.
On the other hand, with green cleaning we want to reduce the amount and strength of the chemistry. With ‘TACT’, to reduce one thing means increasing the others. However, temperature has a high cost, not only to our customers but also to the environment. Therefore, we choose to increase agitation and time. Yes, this means we need to work a bit harder when using ‘green’ cleaning solutions, but the end result is just as good. We think hard work is a small price to pay for a greener planet.
On the other hand, with green cleaning we want to reduce the amount and strength of the chemistry. With ‘TACT’, to reduce one thing means increasing the others. However, temperature has a high cost, not only to our customers but also to the environment. Therefore, we choose to increase agitation and time. Yes, this means we need to work a bit harder when using ‘green’ cleaning solutions, but the end result is just as good. We think hard work is a small price to pay for a greener planet.
Is It More Expensive?
In a word, no. Our prices are very competitive for 3 reasons. First, greener chemistry is generally more concentrated, so we use less of it. Second, as time and energy are expensive, we use machines to agitate more effectively, this saves time. Third, our extraction machine heats water by harnessing the wasted heat from its motors and pumps, saving energy. This means that 'Greener Cleaning' benefits the environment and your wallet!
Genuinely Green?
How do we know that what we use is genuinely green? It’s easy. Powerful cleaning chemistry is often petroleum or phosphate based and contains substances that are toxic. We search for products that contain none of these harmful chemicals. In fact, the cleaning solutions that we use contain ‘food grade’ ingredients, which means that they are safer and rapidly biodegradable when disposed of. Finally, we insist our cleaning solutions have a certificate proving that they are eco-friendly. We look for certificates from organisations like Envirodesic, Canada Environmental Choice, Green Seal Certified, Ecoflower and Wool-safe Standard.
Moreover, we choose machinery that uses less water. This provides two main environmental benefits. First, we don’t waste this valuable resource. For instance, where possible we use a combination of deep dry cleaning methods. The first process cleans from the bottom up, and the next cleans from the top down. Cleaning a carpet this way still uses water, just a lot less of it! This means we can do the same area of cleaning as other companies but use only a fraction of the water. Second, this means we also use less cleaning solution, which keeps the cost down. Furthermore, when we dispose of the wastewater there is much less of it to take care of. It's a win win!
|
In Conclusion
Green cleaning is not just about using special solutions or buying a new machine. It’s a process that involves everything a company does. We have tried to take all this into consideration in the way we run our business, from the treeless paper that we use all the way to our choice of vehicle. For example, our tow-a-van was selected, not because of the cool green picture; rather, because the towing car replaced two vehicles. Now we can use our one business vehicle for everything!
On a concluding note, please understand that no cleaning process is 100% environmentally friendly. Even pure water causes erosion! However, please be assured that we will always do our utmost to care for our environment.
On a concluding note, please understand that no cleaning process is 100% environmentally friendly. Even pure water causes erosion! However, please be assured that we will always do our utmost to care for our environment.