Beware of Greenwashing
With environmental consciousness on the rise, many people are choosing to use green options to products including cleaning supplies. The term “green” describes products that are environmentally safe and made from natural or recycled material. Many people are now requiring the use of green cleaning chemicals in their facilities and homes. With the rise to fill this specific demand also comes dishonest sources and a rise in greenwashing.
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There are many companies promoting their products as being green when they, in fact, are not. Designed to mislead buyers, these cleaning chemicals have labels that appear to be an environmentally friendly product. A common example includes having a product called “Orange Cleaner” and claiming it is all-natural and made from oranges. In some way, it could incorporate oranges but that doesn’t excuse all other harsh chemicals in the formula. These products can also lie to consumers by using green lettering and adding pictures of beautiful landscapes onto labels. The name for these faked techniques and untrue claims is “greenwashing”, used to trick buyers.
Studies show that after testing thousands of products roughly 95% of these “eco-friendly” products have been lying to their consumers. The only way to truly know a product is environmentally safe is by certifying it through credible third-party institutions, like Green Seal. Green seal, and other trusted sources, are reputable places that hold high standards and thoroughly test their products. By doing this these organizations can certify the environmental sustainability of these products before marking their stamp of approval. So next time when you are looking for green cleaning chemicals, make sure to read any labels or claims close and check the bottles to see for yourself what is in each product. If Green Seal or another similar group has approved the product, you’re sure to get something that is better for the environment and not just better for the company’s wallet.
If you are one of the many people interested in the green approach, please contact us at Greater Cincinnati Maids. We aim to provide the best house cleaning services in Cincinnati while using high quality, environmentally safe products!