ECO FRIENDLY CLEANING: A small step can lead to big leap in future to save our earth
( by Rachna Chandan and Sunita Badhwar: Lecturer BCIHMCT)

Abstract
The purpose of this conceptual paper is to outline the impact of cleaning chemicals on environment, eco- friendly practices followed by the hotels and about new initiative which can create positive impact on the environment condition. The study on eco friendly practices has experienced an explosive interest from last so many years. (Ito, 2007) However, little research has been done on commonly used chemicals for cleaning different surfaces. Accommodation is the necessary pre-condition for any tourism activity and in the face of further booming expansion, its impact on society is becoming increasingly visible. And this implementation makes the property more marketable and hopefully, more profitable.
However, the main involvement of the study concerned the highlighting of the need of using eco friendly cleaning agents and its impact on the human being and environment. Besides this, it was argued that consumers are the most powerful external factor that has the ability to influence and demand practices, since governmental control and legislation is mostly absent in the industry. Therefore, the research calls for more attention by different organizations as well as guest and work on environment friendly practices and to find stronger incentives for going green.
Key words: environment, cleaning chemicals, eco-friendly cleaning agents.
Introduction
Now a day, every country is trying to implement the green practices which will protect the mankind and nature from the diverse effect of synthetic chemicals either used at homes, offices and factories. Therefore, many hotels have already started to use the green chemicals like lemon juice, vinegar, etc for there daily cleaning activities and few are working, to opt for them at frequent level. Green chemicals comprise natural and biodegradable substances instead of alkali and acid and are made by techniques that do not harm the environment.
Green chemicals are plant-based and do not contain synthetic and harmful chemicals and to incorporate such practices little thinking is required. It is false to believe that eco-friendly cleaning agents cannot eliminate resistant spots and stains from hard or textile surfaces. There is no compromise from the efficiency of cleaning the stubborn marks too.
And if we talk about hospitality industry and there housekeeping department, the change-over to eco friendly cleaning practice begins with very basic programs.
For its regular and smooth functioning, house keeping department have to deal with hard water, water stains and scaling. And the easiest way out is to use detergents. But most of the detergents have high pH level, acid contents, petrochemical, chlorine, aerosol propellants, ammonia and bleach which act as a capable carcinogenic element and their excessive exposure can lead to the ailment and allergies too.
With this, these chemicals are non biodegradable, and will not breakdown at the time of decomposition. When ecological protection is the cause of the matter, bio-degradability of products used is fundamental. Alkalinities of synthetic products affects the life cycle of flora and fauna and even led them to distinction and also act as one of the major resource for water contamination. Going green with green chemicals reflects positively in the minds of customers and can actually reduce operation costs associated with hazardous material removal (Zwiebel, 2009). Most of the hotels realizes the problems of chemical-based products and have switched to environment-friendly cleaning agents. What is required is an increased level of attentiveness, and even though it might seem as a high investment proposition, in the long run it has other benefits.
Many major lodging companies like Lotus Suites (www.lotussuites.com), Lemon Tree (www.lemontreehotels.com), etc have already introduced basic environmental programs. These programs help with training, finding vendors of environmentally friendly cleaning products and providing marketing support for the guest rooms and for these activities there are different training films and information packages which will help the organization to shift to environmentally friendly practices.
Effects of synthetic chemicals
Chemical used frequently for cleaning purpose have following effects, which must have to consider seriously by different organizations
Chlorine present in our drinking water, swimming pool and many more is harmful for human body, if used above the concentration of 0.2-1mg/ltr. (WHO, 1996)
Most of the cleaners contain toxic chemicals as ammonia; present mostly in all the chemicals, which if combined with bleach than it will be lethal.
Chemicals used for dishwashing contain Naphtha, a CNS depressant, diethanolamine, a liver poison, and/or chlorophenyl phenyl a toxic metabolic stimulant.
Most of the laundry agents contain phosphorus, enzymes, ammonia, naphthalene, phenol and sodium nitrilotriacetate which can result in rashes, itches, allergies and sinus problems, if used on regular basis.
Phenol, aerosol and similar disinfectants can cause diarrhea, dizziness, and kidney and liver problems as they contain corrosives elements
Furniture and floor polishes have nitrobenzene which can be carcinogenic
Metal polishes contain petroleum distillates and glass cleaner which contain ammonia and can affect the lung and can also be the cause of skin irritants
Naphthalene or Para dichlorobenzene (moth balls) fumes can irritate eyes, skin and the respiratory tracts and can damage the liver, kidneys, skin and the central nervous system. Most of these products are potential carcinogenic
Toilet cleaners contain hydrochloric acid or sodium acid-based and can cause vomiting, stomach burns, and even blindness if it comes in contact with the eyes
Bleaches (sodium hypo-chloride) are an eye and lung irritant. If mixed with ammonia or acid-based cleaners, it releases chloramines gas, exposure to which may cause serious respiratory problems. (Express Hospitality, 2008)
With the above mention chemical effects on human being, these chemicals also endanger the environment by contaminating the groundwater, rivers and oceans which gave direct effect on different species of water as well as it is also disturbing the wildlife. That is not only hindering the growth of plants by forming the layer of algae, irrigated to them by different contaminated waterways but also becoming the reason of their extinction.
What are the advantages of switching to eco friendly cleaning?
TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT
Green cleaners poses no harm to the environment as they neither contain nor release harmful substances like volatile organic compounds (VOC) into the air therefore act as the most evident benefit for their use. Synthetic cleaners are extremely harmful because when they go into the air and water, they try to break-in the food chain and cause adverse affect on living beings and tend to destroy ecosystem. Green products are deficient in irritants or abrasives, lower in toxicity and can easily biodegrade in the environment.
TOWARDS HUMAN BEINGSynthetic cleaners are harmful to the health of the users. They may contain chemicals that are irritants and can cause harm to the skin of the user or give off fumes that pose a health risk. Mostly allergy sufferers- both those with skin sensitivities and breathing/asthma difficulties- are less likely to have adverse reactions to environmentally friendly cleaners Since green chemicals are made of natural materials, however, are effective in cleaning with organic approach, and moreover no side effect ,help in improving indoor air quality and reducing water and ambient air pollution, which will directly have the impact on mankind.
ADHERENCE TO HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINESopting to green practices in the organization would ensure better health and environment to the employees and guests. It will not only affect the life cycle but also help in lowering the pollution level. Besides protecting our body system and the environment, green practices also help in cost saving.
INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND OCCUPANCY
"There is a whole wave with the green movement right now," said Kim Carlson, CPM and owner and founder of Cities Management, a property management company in Minneapolis. "I think customers are expecting this now. It's becoming an expectation rather than a fluffy do-gooder thing." (Gunderson, 2007) Increasing demand of green products by the customers and their awareness towards environment enforce the mangers to look on the other side of the fence, where the grass just might be greener. They have to look for normal practices particularly on the transformation facade supporting the greening of their organization.
SAFER PRODUCTION PROCESSES
Companies that are producing green products are also using environment friendly production processes. They are using processes that help to reduce the amount of waste produced and thus decrease the amount of pollution.

Eco friendly practices used by the Hotels
Most of the hotels are already following the under mentioned measures which will help in preventing global warming and are helpful in energy conservation
By using native plant that does not require additional water beyond that falls from the sky and grey water recycling system which will help in conserving the water. And if biological decomposed manures are used than it will not only help in enriching the soil but also moisture retention and thus decrease the need for additional watering.
By grey water recycling waste water from kitchen and guest bathrooms, recycled and then may be used in gardening or in water closet of public area or guest room, which will help in reducing the use of fresh water needed for that purpose. Organizations like Hotel big blue house, Arizona and Hotel Fairmount Southampton, Bermuda are successfully doing these practices
Educating guest and staff about the green actions taken by different properties with the help of different tent cards and training classes, respectively, help in supporting the program, as well as recruiting and encouraging the guest and staff to take the measures towards green actions. For e.g. every member of The Orchid team from the Managing Director down to the newest recruit has a total commitment towards being environmentally responsible. At the recruitment stage they select those individuals who have the drive in them or showed concern and care for the environment.
Some of the hotels like Hotel Vintage Park using organic ingredients in their restaurants in offering the natural habitat for the human beings and also for preserving wildlife and other plants. It is the food grown without pesticides and fertilizers so having the better taste, rich in nutrients and of good quality. And if it is locally grown in the hotel, than the time from being harvested to serve is shorter and thus increased the quality.
Hotels like lemon tree, lotus suites and many more replaced paper bags with recycled, reusable bags for laundry use and to carry newspaper. With this, paper used for guest stationary, office stationary and tent cards can also be recycled or can be used of reusable material. By providing recycling bins in public area (i.e., poolside), in the kitchen, and in the back office (including one at each desk), helps in making recycling as easy as possible.
Introduction of Low-flow shower heads that uses only 1.0 to 2.5 gallons per minute. Older shower heads uses 4 to 6 gallons of water per minute. That means low flow shower heads could reduce water usage up to 83 percent. (Langholz, 2003) La Quinta Inn installed low-flow shower heads and aerating faucets in each room, resulting in a saving of $1.50 per room per month (Alexander, 2002).
Introduction of fluorescent light bulbs in an organization at various places helps in reducing the energy consumption and cost. According to the Alliance to Save Energy, fluorescent lamps produce four times as much light per watt than incandescent lamps, and they can last eight to ten times longer. A compact fluorescent light used in place of an incandescent light that is left on continuously for 12 months, all 8,760 hours of the year, will pay for itself in less than one year (Alexander, 2002). Many of the hotels as lemon tree, lotus suites are already following such practices.
Now a day’s hotels are also introducing low-flow toilets, which are better than ever. Not only do they flush better but also they come in dual flush styles so it can save even more water. They are having the capacity of 1.6 gallon or less per flush which can produce substantial savings. During a Seattle hotel water conservation pilot, an estimated $28,000/year could have been saved by replacing toilets. (Baum, 2005). Waterless urinals also save a great amount of water as they use 1 or 0.5 liters. The Lenox hotel, Boston, uses waterless urinals that save 180,000 gallons of water annually.
Instead of washing guest room linen on daily basis, different properties are washing the linen when guest checked out/requested by the guest/on alternative days (this can either be decided by the organization or by the regular opinion of the guest).This is the way of reducing the water and energy consumption involved in washing sheets and towels daily. When housekeeping complies with this "rule" it saves resources, time, and wear and tear on the sheets and the towel. With this, instead of using cotton and synthetic fabrics if organic cotton fabrics are preferred than that will be better as there are no petrochemicals used in them.
Environment friendly cleaning agents
Vinegar- it is a fermented ethanol and is preferred in bathroom and kitchen cleaning, or can be also used as fabric softener in laundry and if used with warm water than can be the excellent cleaner for glassware and window. The chemicals which we are using in cleaning the kitchen, bathroom, windows, and glassware or as fabric softener may contain Alpha- terpineol, Benzyl Acetate, Phenol, Ammonia, Benzyl Alcohol, Camphor, Chloroform, Ethyl Acetate, Limonene, Linalool, Pentane etc. According to the manufacturers' Material Safety Data Sheets, these chemicals have the potential to do things to human being such as:
· cause central nervous system disorders, headaches, and loss of muscle coordination;
· irritate mucous membranes and impair respiratory function;
· cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or drowsiness;
· cause liver or kidney damage;
· cause skin disorders and allergic reactions;
· Cause cancer.
Lemon juice-it is a very good toilet cleaner, smells fresh and is free from airborne toxins. It can be used against hard water marks and deposited soap scum or to clean metal and wood surfaces. Lemon peel can be also used as a very good and natural air freshener. Normally the chemicals used at commercial level contain hydrochloric acid, a highly corrosive irritant to both skin and eyes that damages kidneys and liver; and hypochlorite bleach, a corrosive irritant that can burn eyes, skin and respiratory tract. If came in contact with other chemicals may cause chlorine fumes which may be fatal. (Siegel, 2008)
Baking soda-it is white crystalline sodium bicarbonate and is act as the best abrasive cleanser and deodorizer, and is preferably used in the kitchen. It is low in toxicity and forms a "detergent" which reacts with grease and oil. The chemicals which are used on high rate in the industry are very harmful for the human being as they contain ammonia and some corrosive alkaline substance which can affect the respiratory system and can act as the skin allergic substance. (Siegel, 2008)
Borax- it is a natural occurring mineral also named as sodium borate and can be easily dissolves in water and is a wonderful cleaner! It helps in dissolving grease and removing stains and is also work as disinfectant, deodorizer and inhibits mould. It can also be used as a water or fabric softener. The cleaning products available in the market contain chlorine in a dry form that is highly concentrated and is harmful for mankind. (Beach, 2009)
Soap flakes- they are the pure translucent flakes of vegetable oils and purified water and are biodegradable low toxic and unlike detergent, do not contribute to algal blooms in rivers. As detergents are neither soluble nor biodegradable and once put into water, they tend to remain there, resisting breakdown. (Siegel, 2008)
Eucalyptus and tea-tree oil- naturally scented disinfectants- add to hot water but can also be used neat as they are good for removing sticky goof off surfaces. Air fresheners available in the market usually contain formaldehyde, which when come in contact of the skin can cause it to swell, burn, peel and break out in hives. (Siegel, 2008)
Washing soda- consisting of sodium carbonate (moderate alkaline) washing soda is useful in the kitchen for cutting through grease. Also removes stains and softens water. Most of the cleansers used for cleaning purpose contain include perchlorethylene, extremely irritable to eyes, skin and respiratory passages. (Beach, 2009)
Conclusion
This paper has outlined the impact of cleaning chemical on environment, eco- friendly practices following by the hotels and about new initiative which can create positive impact on the environment condition.
There is undoubtedly a great need for education and increase in environmental awareness among the general public. Hotels have the potential of becoming significant venues of such education as they are exposed to the traveling public, a rapidly increasing portion of the world's population (Bohdanowicz, 2003). Green practices will help hotels to save lots of money and can increase their occupancy as today guest demand “green alternatives” that makes hoteliers motivated and willing to take steps towards greater environmental responsibility. Hoteliers do have environmental knowledge and most of the hotels have started measures that can be taken to save our mother earth and are profitable for the organizations but still they need to put more efforts. Only meetings related to the environment issues will not help in saving our planet but strictly have to follow the practices. No doubt it’s very tough to change the operational practices that will turn costly in the beginning but in the long run the environment friendly practices will reap good profit. Let us follow the example of the valuable role models, such as Uppals Orchid, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants who have shown that ecofriendly practices are profitable. Even now all countries has woken up, summits like Copenhagen has proved that it’s now time for action rather then talks so why not the hospitality industry should contribute to save our planet.
Recommendations
By following simple practices, as
· Setting out recycling bin
· Asking guest to switch off the lights while leaving
· To ask guest if they would like to clean room when required or after they check out can work as the beginning towards safe and sound environment.
These steps are simple, and are less costly than many other green approaches, and they do make a difference in developing a green hotel. A very important factor in becoming green is to realize that, while some steps may be small, none are insignificant. This small initiative taken by the hotel can be helpful in saving global warming issues and can also be appreciated by the guests because travelers are equally aware about the changes going in our environment and their after-effects.
As the above mentioned aspect of lowering the cleaning cost from the regular cleaning procedure, is one of the colossal field and to find out its further extension, we are immensely working over it.
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