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 Green Cleaning Why should religious institutions care about toxic cleansers? Well, on one level it has to do with the opportunity for houses of worship to model proper stewardship of God's creation of which we all are a part. It also has to do with the serious threat toxic cleansers can pose for the people who work and pray in our houses of worship, especially children. Toxic cleansers contain volatile organic compounds--VOCs--that are significant contributors to indoor air pollution. (Did you know that indoor air is 2-to-5 times more contaminated than outdoor air?) And studies show that exposure to them can increase childhood learning disabilities, hyperactive behavior, as well as asthma and cancer. VOCs also don't break down in the environment; their run-off leads to the pollution and eutrophication of our waters, while their fumes contribute to smog and the breakdown of the ozone layer. The good news is that safe, healthy alternatives exist. Understanding your Cleaning Products An important resource to help you understand the safety of the products you choose is what's called a "material safety data sheet"--or, MSDS. There are several free MSDS search sites on the web. (Just Google MSDS.) You then enter the name of the product you want to learn about. For instance, look at part of the MSDS for this well known brand name: 3M All Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser "Target Organ Effects: Central Nervous System (CNS) Depression: Signs/symptoms may include headache, dizziness, drowsiness, incoordination, nausea, slowed reaction time, slurred speech, giddiness, and unconsciousness. Central Nervous System Depression can occur by inhalation with a single exposure above the recommended guidelines or through ingestion. Pulmonary Edema can occur by inhalation after prolonged or repeated exposures above the recommended guidelines."
Aren’t Green Cleaners More Expensive? No. Here are hints to keep costs down…
Know if You Are Required to Use Green Cleaners Increasingly, state governments require the use of green cleaning products. For instance, New York State has made the use of
green cleaners mandatory in public buildings and schools, while all
of New Jersey ’s state properties and authorities must now purchase
and utilize green cleaning products (Executive Order #76, Governor Codey, 2006). Some General Rules-of-Thumb for Choosing and Using Cleaners
These simple steps can help you to "green" the
cleaning products you use. "Our two main concerns, as we explored going green were: do the products work as well as traditional products and what about the additional cost? [The certified products] proved to us that the chemicals work just as well or better than traditional cleaning products and we are not spending any more money to be 'green'.” - Michael Rinderknecht Business Administrator
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