Category: News

I'm just back from a "green" expo in Phoenix, AZ titled The Green Summit.  It was organized by this 23-year-old dynamo Arizona State University grad student, Chris Samila.  In its second year, The Green Summit brings both consumers and professionals interested in green living together with companies that offer green products and services.  The un-official theme of the show was "Just Change One Thing."
As a green house cleaning service, Maid Brigade exhibited at this event, and even brought our Green Living Expert and nationally acclaimed author, Annie Bond, who delivered the closing keynote address titled "Reality Check".   Her talk was about giving yourself permission to go green and then, after doing so, sharing various ways that consumers can go green and helping consumers find products and services that actually ARE green.  Even well-intentioned businesses market green products or services that may, in fact, not be all that green. For example, the folks in the booth next to us were selling bath products that they claimed were organic, vegan, vegetarian etc etc yet the products were laden with artifical fragrances and dyes.  Fragrances are a prime factor, however, making products NOT green! 
Artificial fragrance is a major contributor to poor indoor air quality.  Fragrances have chemicals that actualy suspend an artificial odor in the air and these chemical additives can trigger allergy and asthma attacks as well as other ailments.  We all had headaches by lunchtime since the fragrances coming off their products was SO strong. 
My point is that if companies selling products and services, and even green exhibit organizers, are having trouble understanding what is truly "green", how is a consumer going to know?  It's especially hard when it comes to green cleaning because certain formulas are protected as proprietary and consequently, not all ingredients are disclosed in the label of household cleaning products.  Fragrances are a good example, but not the only one. 
Maid Brigade uses cleaning solutions that are certified by Green Seal, an organization that establishes standards for green products in several categories, to help protect consumers from false marketing claims about green products and services. In fact, they are now writing a green standard for house cleaning services.  Maid Brigade has been participating on a panel to advise them, from our experiences in literally thousands of customer homes with our exclusive Green Clean Certified(TM) system, on practical considerations related to what products, equipment and functions we use to effectively clean our customers' homes.  As the first house cleaning service to go green on a national scale, it's exciting to be recognized by Green Seal for our market leadership and to be part of this process.

Maid Brigade Adds Video to Green Clean TV™

My last posting was about green "washing" - housecleaning companies that make false or exaggerated claims about the health and/or environmental benefits of their green cleaning service or product.  These days it can be confusing for consumers to distinguish between truly green cleaning companies and those who just claim to be.  Those who want to hire a green service may benefit from Maid Brigade’s latest addition to our Green Clean TV web series, “How to Hire a Housecleaning Service that is TRULY Green”.  Green Living expert and Maid Brigade spokesperson Annie Bond gives consumers five essential questions they can ask prospective housecleaning services to identify whether they are truly green cleaning, or merely “green washing”. 

Visit maidbrigade.com/ or www.greencleancertified.com/GREENTV to access the video. Additionally, consumers can download our "How to Hire a Housecleaning Service that is TRULY Green" checklist to use when comparing green cleaning services at maidbrigade.com/choosingahousecleaningservice

More and more “green” products and services have been introduced on the market lately, as more consumers become concerned with global warming and the environment.  That’s great – except when the product or service claims to be green when it really isn’t.  Green "washing" is when companies use exaggerated or inaccurate claims that can’t be substantiated with proof.  Green washing is on the rise, so much so that the FTC has accelerated their timetable for reviewing their marketing guidelines for green terms.  Ultimately this will help consumers make more informed choices for themselves and their families about green housecleaning and maid services but in the meantime, Maid Brigade can help clear up some of the confusion. 

“Green” housecleaning means using products, equipment and methods that are safer for human health as well as the environment while still being effective.  A common misconception is that cleaning products labeled “environmentally friendly” and even “non-toxic” are green.  Traditional cleaning products often contain harmful chemicals that may put you, your family and your pets at risk for health problems.  Products labeled non-toxic may not kill you, but many contain ingredients that are known or suspected carcinogens, neurotoxins, reproductive toxins, mutagens, or other harmful substances that can affect short or long-term health.  In short, non-toxic does not always mean not harmful.

For example, the consumer product Simple Green advertises that their product is non-toxic and biodegradable and according to widely recognized standards, it meets the stated criteria for both terms.  However, the main ingredient in Simple Green is 2-butoxyethanol, commonly known as butyl or 2-butyl.  According to Barry Rosenthal, category manager for Betco’s Green Earth cleaning product line, Butyl is listed as an OSHA Table Z Hazardous Substance.  He goes on to say that according to the National Toxicology Program (NTP), animal testing indicates chronic exposure could result in blood disorders, liver damage, and nervous system effects.  The EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) program has identified 2-butoxyethanol as having potential effects on blood, the central nervous system, kidneys and liver.  It may be green in color, but it’s not “green” by recognized standards.  That’s the simple truth about Simple Green.

Consumers looking for green housecleaning products to use in between Maid Brigade visits are advised to look for products that bear the Green Seal certification.  Alternatively, consumers can visit the Household Products Database (www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov) to learn which products and chemicals to avoid based on potential health hazards.