What Exactly is Eco-Friendly Flooring?
You likely have heard about eco-friendly flooring, but perhaps aren’t entirely sure either what that title means, or which types of flooring actually are eco-friendly. In short, eco-friendly flooring focuses on minimizing its harm to the environment, not just with the final product, but with harvesting methods, manufacturing, use, disposal, and even the use of adhesives.

The goal with eco-friendly flooring is to encourage the future health and growth of our renewable resources, as well as to provide healthier living and workspaces.

So, what types of flooring actually are eco-friendly? Here’s a list of some of the types of flooring. There are other types, as well, so before you purchase your eco-friendly flooring, be sure to do your research.

Cork: Cork is gaining momentum these days because of it’s insulation and soundproofing qualities, as well as its ability to spring-back, thus preventing nasty imprints from furniture. It’s highly renewable because, to make cork flooring, you need only peel off the bark of a cork oak, rather than chop down a tree.
Rubber: The good old rubber tree is a 100% renewable resource, and rubber is pretty remarkable at resisting fading and cigarette burns. It’s also not too shabby at soundproofing and insulation. Just be sure that your rubber flooring isn’t synthetic rubber, or else you just defeated the purpose for getting eco-friendly rubber flooring.
Bamboo: Bamboo is revered for its remarkable hardness and durability. But it’s also pretty eco-friendly. Bamboo isn’t even a tree. It’s a grass, one that’s ready to harvest in 5 short years. Strand-woven bamboo is even more eco-friendly because this form of flooring uses the entire bamboo stalk.
Wood: Wood is still king, at least around these parts. Yes, an oak tree can take decades to be ready to be harvested, which in theory hurts its status as a renewable resource. But tree farms across the country are popping up to address this very issue. Also, when you measure wood against vinyl or linoleum, you’ll discover that wood is a superb flooring choice if you’re goal is to reduce air pollution emissions and waste generation.

But what about Eco-Friendly Flooring Cleaning Products?

You spent all this time seeking out eco-friendly flooring. Why not spend a few more minutes discovering eco-friendly cleaning products that will keep the air quality of your home at the high level you and your family deserves?

When seeking out an eco-friendly cleaning product – from dozens of manufacturers out there – you should ensure that the product does not contain VOC’s, phosphates, ammonia, or petrochemicals. In fact, the fewer the ingredients in the cleaning product, the better off you are.

Take, for example, what it takes to create a highly effective DIY cleaning product:

One gallon of warm water, an eighth-cup of liquid soap, and an eighth-cup of vinegar.

That’s it. Three ingredients are all it takes to effectively clean your floor. Thus, if you see a brand-name product out there with more ingredients than there are states in our country, you know you should avoid that cleaner.

Check out our entire line of Eco-Friendly flooring here.