The phrase "green cleaning" covers a range of product choices that vary significantly in their environmental impact, their cleaning performance, and their effect on indoor air quality. For office managers making purchasing decisions about cleaning contractors, it's worth understanding what the phrase actually means before treating it as a differentiator.
What "Green" Actually Means in Commercial Cleaning
In the context of cleaning products, "green" typically refers to one or more of the following characteristics: biodegradable ingredients, low volatile organic compound (VOC) content, plant-derived surfactants rather than petroleum-derived, reduced packaging, or third-party certifications such as EPA Safer Choice or Green Seal.
These are distinct characteristics that don't always travel together. A product can be biodegradable but have high VOC content. A product can carry a Green Seal certification and still require adequate ventilation. Understanding which characteristic matters to your office helps you ask the right questions of a cleaning contractor.
Indoor Air Quality and VOCs
Volatile organic compounds are chemicals that evaporate at room temperature and can accumulate in enclosed spaces. Conventional cleaning products — particularly disinfectants, degreasers, and floor finishes — often contain VOCs that dissipate during cleaning but may linger in spaces with limited overnight ventilation.
In a typical north metro commercial office, this is most relevant in buildings with limited overnight HVAC operation. If your HVAC shuts down at 6pm and cleaning runs from 7pm to 9pm, products with high VOC content can produce lingering odor detectable by the first staff members who arrive in the morning. Low-VOC product selection is the direct solution, and it's a reasonable thing to specify in a cleaning contract.
Disinfection Efficacy
The most important thing to know about green cleaning products is that "green" doesn't mean "not effective." EPA-registered disinfectants are available in formulations that meet Green Seal or EPA Safer Choice criteria and still achieve the kill claims required for commercial surfaces. The limitation is dwell time: some greener disinfectant formulations require longer contact time to achieve the same kill rate as conventional products. This has to be factored into the cleaning schedule if it applies.
For standard commercial office cleaning — as distinct from medical or food-service cleaning with specific regulatory requirements — green product choices are broadly compatible with required efficacy. The real trade-off is cost: green-certified products typically cost more per unit than conventional alternatives, and that cost is reflected in cleaning quotes.
Asking Your Cleaning Contractor About Products
Reasonable questions to ask: Which products do you use on floor surfaces? Which do you use on restroom fixtures? Do any of your standard products carry third-party green certifications? Can you accommodate a specific product restriction if we have a staff member with chemical sensitivities?
A contractor who can answer those questions specifically is one who has thought about their product selection deliberately. A contractor who responds with "we use all eco-friendly products" without specifics probably hasn't.
For questions about our product selection for Circle Pines and north metro offices, call (866) 958-8773.