7 Ways To Keep Your Commercial Property Clean and Eco-Friendly

Cleaning methods differ for residential and commercial properties. You have to plan out the process for the latter, since more people are involved. For instance, you’ll need to clean your office at night when there are minimal people in the building. This way, you won’t disturb the normal daytime operations, since you’ll also be using heavy-duty equipment.

More than ensuring that your commercial spaces are clean, though, you also have to think about your property’s environmental impact. As much as possible, you should use cleaning methods that minimize your carbon footprint and do all that you can to save Mother Earth.

With that said, here are a few ways to keep your commercial property clean and eco-friendly:

1. Hire professionals for thorough cleaning

While you should definitely clean your office regularly, it’s still best to enlist the help of professionals to get those hard-to-reach places thoroughly. As much as you can, go for industrial pressure washing services to keep the cleaning process eco-friendly.

Most people think that pressure-washing is bad for the environment. On the contrary, it actually offers the benefit of speed, which means that less energy and water are wasted. Additionally, you can find a provider that uses gentle and non-abrasive cleaning detergents and chemicals. This way, you won’t have to worry about harming nature as the dirty water is washed away. (1)

Watch this video to learn more about commercial pressure washing services:

2. Determine areas that need regular cleaning

These days, cleaning your commercial space is less about eliminating dirt and grime and more about keeping everything hygienic. As such, you want to identify the areas that you should be monitoring and disinfecting regularly. These are some surfaces you should take note of:

• High-touch areas – Doorknobs, elevator buttons, and other surfaces, especially those made out of plastic or metal, should be cleaned and disinfected frequently throughout the day. Wiping and sanitizing them with alcohol should be enough to limit the spread of infections.
• Soft surfaces – Carpets, rugs, and drapes must be washed regularly. To disinfect these, make sure to use disinfectant products that are confirmed to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 and other deadly pathogens. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collated List N as a valuable resource to determine whether a product is effective against coronavirus.
• Laundry – If you run a hotel or rental, you should wash clothing, towels, and linens thoroughly. Make sure to dry the items completely before using them.
• Electronics – Tablets, computers, touch screens, keyboards, and remote controls must be disinfected regularly as well. If you can, place wipeable covers on these electronic devices to make the process of cleaning and sanitizing easier.

3. Track your waste

Waste from offices and other commercial spaces is something that gets easily overlooked by management unless you’re operating a restaurant or similar food business. Nonetheless, you must take note of the amount of waste that your workplace generates each day or week. Getting an accurate measurement of this aspect of operations can significantly affect your waste-reduction program.

4. Conduct waste management training

No matter how you create programs and strategies for waste management, its success depends largely on the willingness of your employees to implement them. That’s why you should conduct training to teach your team why they should protect human health and the environment. It’s also important to instill in them the practices for efficient waste management.

5. Upgrade your lighting

One of the ways to make your business sustainable and eco-friendly is by investing in light-emitting diode (LED) lighting. This type of bulb has a longer lifespan than compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which could also contain toxic substances like mercury. With LED lighting, you won’t have to replace your lights frequently. Plus, the bulbs don’t pile up and contaminate the environment by emitting toxic chemicals in landfills. (2)

Another benefit of LED lights is that they’re more energy-efficient. You can save as much as 80% of energy than traditional light bulbs. This is because LED lamps convert most of the energy it receives into light, with only 5% being converted to heat. (2)

6. Check your plumbing system

Water conservation is another aspect in business operations that you should focus on if you want an eco-friendly commercial property. If you haven’t done so already, you should check whether your building’s restrooms use low-flow toilets, which utilize only 1.6 gallons of water per flush. (3)

Additionally, you should also consider upgrading to a dual plumbing system. In this setup, water is categorized into two types. First, your property can have potable water, which is safe for human consumption, whether through drinking, cooking, and washing.

Second, you can also get reclaimed water, which is sourced from sewage. Although it might sound gross or borderline unsafe, this type of water has already been filtered and treated to ensure that it’s free from harmful bacteria. Plus, you’re only going to be using it for flushing, so you don’t need to worry.

One drawback of dual plumbing systems is that it can be expensive to maintain two separate pipelines. An alternative that applies the same concept is to save rainwater or the water that’s collected from hand washing to fill toilet tanks or irrigate plants.

7. Install solar window films

You can also reduce your property’s carbon footprint by installing solar window films. These fixtures allow natural light to come into your offices but prevent the rooms from heating up too much so that your AC won’t have to work extra hard to keep the place cool. In turn, this allows you to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions.

Conclusion

Keeping your commercial property clean and eco-friendly needs careful planning and strategizing. You should be deliberate in your efforts to lessen your business’s carbon footprint.

First, make sure to find cleaning service providers that are energy efficient and use gentle cleaning products. Next, identify the areas that you need to clean and disinfect regularly. Track your waste as well and conduct training to guarantee that everyone in your organization follows proper waste management practices.

Having an eco-friendly building doesn’t even have to be expensive. You can start by upgrading to energy-efficient lighting, plumbing systems, and window fixtures.

References

1. “Is Pressure Washing Environmentally Friendly?” Source: https://www.systemwash.com/blog/are-pressure-washers-environmentally-friendly 
2. “How Does LED Lighting Help the Environment?” Source: https://ukenergylighting.co.uk/how-does-led-lighting-help-the-environment/ 
3. “Eco-Friendly Toilets For Bathrooms”, Source: https://modernize.com/homeowner-resources/bathroom/what-you-need-to-know-about-eco-friendly-toilets