Perhaps Kermit the Frog was wrong when he said it’s not easy being green. Today, even cleaning companies are going green, with a Boise business helping to lead the way.
The Boise franchise of Maid Brigade, owned by Russ Biaggne, Russ Biaggne II and Matt Orem, was used as the primary model and inspiration for the Maid Brigade to adopt environmentally friendly practices with its cleaning franchises nationwide. Maid Brigade became the only national housecleaning service to use cleaning products certified by Green Seal Inc., a nonprofit agency that sets environmental standards for manufacturers and industries, according to Maid Brigade.
Green cleaning combines products and methods that reduce health and environmental impacts compared with other products used for the same purpose. Green products are readily biodegradable, are derived from renewable resources, contain low amounts of toxins, and are nonhazardous.
Russ Biaggne II said green cleaning is safer for his 60 employees, too.
“I’m not harming anybody, including the environment,” he said.
Maid Brigade is a residential cleaning company. Biaggne and Orem also own a local commercial cleaning company, Selway Services, that uses environmentally friendly cleaning products. Biaggne and Orem first adopted green cleaning for Selway, then followed with Maid Brigade. Both companies are located at 4951 Bradley St.
Biaggne proposed green cleaning to the national Maid Brigade corporation a year ago. At this year’s convention, Maid Brigade honored Orem and Biaggne for helping the company go green. The company announced this spring that its 150 franchises across the United States would use only green methods.
All of the franchises are expected to be certified for green cleaning by the end of the summer, Biaggne said.
Biaggne and Orem first learned about green cleaning about two years ago when they heard about the Banner Bank Building, which opened last year as one of 18 buildings in the world to have the highest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification. Marva Schwager, the building’s property manager, told them that green cleaning maintenance would help earn a higher LEED certification.
Schwager said she was glad the cleaning methods adopted for the Banner Bank Building have had national impact.
“It’s nice to get to that level,” she said. “(We) didn’t think it would mushroom like it did.”
Maid Brigade is using vacuums from the Boise-based ProTeam vacuum company for its green cleaning. ProTeam has partnered with the American Lung Association to encourage indoor air quality. Biaggne said the vacuums’ filtration effectively capture dust particles without stirring up more dust.
Maid Brigade is also working with Boise’s Hanson Janitorial Supply Inc., which supplies the company with green cleaning products.
Biaggne said the initial start-up for going green is high, but long term it saves the company money. For example, a microfiber towel costs $1.50, compared with a cotton towel that costs about 10 cents. But the microfiber towels can be washed 1,500 times and last three to six years, versus the cotton towels that last only a month or two. Cotton towels often redistribute dirt and do not last through many wash cycles. Microfiber cloths result in fewer allergic reactions, are reusable, reduce bacteria and conserve water.
“The longevity more than makes up for the cost,” Biaggne said.
Biaggne said the company has not increased costs for its services as it has gone green. There is no average cost for green cleaning a home, Biaggne said, as the price depends on size and frequency of visits. A weekly cleaning for a 3,000-square-foot home would cost around $150.
While Maid Brigade is the only national company to use Green Seal certified products, other cleaning services are also moving toward green cleaning. Henry Toevs, who owns a franchise of ServiceMaster in Boise, said his company uses green cleaning for clients who request it. As going green becomes a popular trend in America, Toevs said, he expects more people will choose the option.
By Tessa Schweigert for IdahoStatesMan.com