When it comes to keeping your humble abode nice and clean, it can of course be tempting to use the familiar brands and products we've known all our lives.
There is always someone who had a Grandparent who regularly doused their home in the most potent cleaning products known to mankind. I remember the smell of my Grandmother's cleaning when I was very young. The instantly recognisable aroma of bleach throughout, complimented by aerosol air fresheners and heavily fragranced cream cleaners. At times I would really struggle visiting my Grandmother's home due to the strength of the products she would use for cleaning as it would make me feel light headed and nauseous.
More recently, Laura and I worked a season for a camping and caravan park, one of the core roles being the cleaning of the site. The products we worked with were industrial strength and although they certainly got the job done, they were extremely toxic. Ourselves and our colleagues all experienced reactions to the products at our disposal, one common reaction was to our respiratory systems. We would all develop sore nostrils and throats along with the occasional bout of wheeziness when working with these products indoors. We enjoyed the seasonal job but certainly don't miss those symptoms!
During the set-up of Green & Simple we did some research and found that a lot of these products contained what are known as Volatile Organic Compounds. VOC's are found in a number of cleaning products commonly used within the home.
They can cause some very unpleasant reactions when exposed to them, some of which we had previously experienced ourselves at the caravan park. Going forward, we knew that the safest solution was to work with products that contain minimal to no VOC's. That way we could ensure our health was not at risk, as well as our customers health.
The products we use on surfaces are also safer for kids and pets, are less abrasive on household items and significantly less impactful on indoor air quality.
Finally the environmental risk is reduced as far fewer chemicals will find their way from your drains, into water treatment facilities and finally back into fresh water such as rivers and lakes.
Of course there is always a fine balance to be struck between a product being actually effective at cleansing your home, whilst making little or no negative impact on the environment.
Thankfully as awareness of the impact to health and environment grows, so does the need for kinder, safer cleaning products.