Go Green Using Safe Cleaning Supplies

This is "Go Green" week on The News On 6. All week we'll be doing stories on people and companies who have found ways to help the environment. We'll also show you ways that you can "Go Green" too.

News On 6's Steve Berg spoke with a janitorial service that has a better way to keep clean.

Cleaning supplies often use harsh chemicals that seem as hostile to humans as they are to germs. Tulsa-based Total Clean Up tries to be clean and green.

Total Clean Up's Keny Lufkin and his wife Shannon didn't set out to save the planet. They were just trying to save themselves.

"When we were starting to realize we were getting itchy, runny eyes when we were working, we started looking on the Internet and found that there were alternatives," said Keny Lufkin with Total Clean Up. "You know, we realized that if it was bad for us, it was bad for the people who were in the buildings too."

There are lots of environmentally friendly cleaning products. The Lufkin's use products and equipment from the Kaivac Corporation. Some of them use food-based citric acids for cleaning, such as those from oranges.

"It's non-ammoniated. There's no ammonia. Ammonia's not good for you," said Lufkin.

The spray bottles can also adjust the concentration on chemicals so they can use as little as possible.

"So for instance, on a surface like this, we don't need as high a concentration," said Lufkin.

"If you're in a restroom, you want a higher dilution rate because of a higher concentration of bacteria," said Lufkin.

The cleaners don't take a lot of water to rinse away. Lufkin points out, any water left behind is a breeding ground for bacteria.

It's the same reason he uses a dry micro-fiber cloth for dusting wherever possible, instead of spraying water. He says people usually don't realize they're doing anything different. If anything, the change is less noticeable.

"They don't have all of that heavy, like Clorox, and all of those other chemicals; they don't have those smells in the air," said Lufkin.

There are many cleaners to choose from. A non-profit, independent group called Green Seal is considered by many to be the leading standard for evaluating those products.