Clean It Up
UK General Cleaning Forum => General Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: sgray on September 13, 2010, 04:29:21 pm
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Hello all,
does anyone have experience with using increasingly available eco friendly cleaning chemicals. The chemicals I'm talking about are generally window cleaners, multi-purpose cleaners, washroom cleaners, air freshners etc manufactured based on naturally occuring cleaning substances such as vinegar and citrus acids. As a result they tend to have Ph factors closer to neutral and I'm wondering if the weaker Ph along with the abscence of man-made cleaning chemicals compromises the cleaning power of these products.
I'd love to offer "green cleaning" to my clients but I'm not sure if I'd want to do this at the expense of being able to provide a quality deep clean which non eco - friendly cleaning chemicals seem to do quite well.
Any advice hints or tips welcomed :)
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hi,
we use eco-friendly products and i really like them. all our customers love them and most of them smell great too. there is a bit of a down side though as well (i find). limescale!! we have to use a more harsh limescale remover especially around my local area as it has such hard water. things like this are easily overcome though by simply asking your customers.
on other occasions we have used other products that are not eco-friendly. i just ask our customers right at the beginning if they mind. i obviously stress they will only be used if i can not find a suitable way to get rid of the problem being caused.
As most of my customers want a sparkling home they dont mind although you should make sure you always ask as i have asked one customer and she said she would rather have the limescale than any chemicals!
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I would like someone to define this eco thing for me. I'm all for saving the planet but how are these "eco" cleaners much better than others ? Do they come in a recycleable glass bottle, delivered by a bloke on a push bike? You talk of lemon juice - how much carbon is produced shipping them round the world ? Would you think you may be better off walking to your jobs and using proper cleaners when you get there ? Myself I only use cleaners naturally occurring in my chemical suppliers ::) ::) ::) I don't want to upset the tree huggers but these are my views :'( :'(
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Thanks for your inputs,
I appreciate the insight into the limescale problem Kelly and what you have stated about the "eco" products is encouraging and ill certainly look into providing that option for clients. You've cleared up my concerns about these products not being able to compete against industry norms.
Would you be so kind as to provide some insight into what percentage of your clients actually opt for the eco friendly products when given the choice? This information would be very valuable to me!
BDCS you do make a good point for argument and I certainly can identify with your point of view. No doubt these products do still produce large amounts of carbon during production and delivery, an issue the manufacturers need to address. To an extent I'd be putting blind faith in the manufacturers to be following eco friendly methods of production and surely by utilising ingrediants naturally occuring such as vinegar and citrus acids there is the obvious eradication of the need to produce man made chemicals, I suppose this poses less of a threat to the environment by means of pollution via leakage of such chemicals etc.
If this is the case, even though not completely sustainable and eco friendly it's still a step in the right direction.
Oh and if any of my cleaners live locally to their jobs I do encourage them to walk or cycle haha ;D I'm keen on green clean haha I feel a slogan coming on.
Thanks all
Scott
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[quote I don't want to upset the tree huggers but these are my views :'( :'(
LOL!!! :)
im not a tree hugger!!! im not using eco-friendly products to save the world either. i know someone is going to kick off and call me a hyprocrite or something. i started using these types of productsafter my son was born.me and my son both have really sensitive skin and when he was a baby his skin was really sore and cracking. realising i sound like a born again christian or something it was when i was cleaning the bath i realised i probably wasnt helping by cleaning the bath with lots of chemicals.i wouldnt pour a capful of chemicals into my bath water so i didnt want to line the bath in it either. i started looking for alternatives and came across eco friendly products.i didnt want to wash the floor with chemicals either so it just went from there.
im no eco warrior and i dont use everything organic that is known to man but i really like the products.
to cut a long story short i was converted to using alot of eco stuff. i realise its not to everyones taste and thats fine. i started to read lots about organic products, eco products and obviously read alot about saving the planet but i think thats just a bonus.
realising im going on and on so gonna leave there. i just wanted to say you dont have to be tree hugger or be trying to save the planet. i just use them because it works best for me. most of my customers feel the same although if they dont its not a problem as the products work just as well!
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scott,
we only use eco friendly products so i have never really given them the choice. as i said its only limescale that causes a problem the rest of the products are great.
most of my customers come to me because we are using the products we do but every one else just sees it as a bonus. feel free to ask me any more questions, i dont mind
kelley
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Kelly,
you must have a lot of knowledge of these products then! It'd make sense to ask you which brand(s) you use. Clearly the particular products you utilise work well!
Thanks
Scott
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Hi
I don't feel eco products are even close to using the normal products.
I'm quite sure that when some dolphin is choking to death on a plastic bottle, it will be reassured that it's an eco one ::)
Martin
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we use alot of different products. ecover, bio-d and method are amongst are favourites. we do use things like white vinegar and we do make our own air freshener. out of our branded products we use mostly method. they're products can be fairly expensive if you do not buy in bulk (im in regular contact with a v v nice lady from method) if you factor the price of some of the products then its all good for everybody. products that stand out for me are the bathroom tub n tile spray, daily granite spray and their wood spray smells lovely and works so well.
you really have to shop around for it all and some of the products just wouldnt work out well for business. i mean method toilet cleaner is £3.50 for 700ml :o
i have customers that are really not fussed about eco products and some of them have even been converted to using the granite spray and wood spray purely because it works so well and smells soooo good!! :D
kelley
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I cleaned the carpets of vegans last week and they did'nt even ask about the products, they were just pleased I got them clean so they got their deposit back. Seudo tree huggers ?
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If I can join in I like Kelley am no born again nor do I believe in the purely money making global warming argument but we use natural products too
The real reason we use them to answer the original posters question is because they clean better thhan the man made stuff, not every single time as there is always the exception to the rule but most times.
Now remember I did say I am not a born again neither am I particularly religious but whom or what ever gave us these natural products gave thhem for a reason and that is they work
Bicarbonate of soda is the main ingrediantc, Kelley mentioned bath cleaning it is ideal, lemon juice dissolves fat cleans most surfaces and shines everything vinegar another main staple of the mix and it is the mix that matters just like baking a cake
Different uses need different mixes someone mentioned carpet cleaning bicarbonate of soda mixed with tomato juice sprinkled over a carpet, sprayed with warm water and a squirt of lemon then extracted with a carpet cleaner removes all dirt stains and odours it is magic
There are occasions when we use "man made" cleaners but they are usually to clean "man made" stains
Mix your own and the cost is minimal but time consuming and I agree with the argument of plastic containers etc but it just a great way to get that edge over any competitors, customers love it
Gordon
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Great inputs again,
Thanks Kelly i'll certainly look into those brands aswell as shop about, 3.50 for 700ml toilet cleaner which doesn't remove limescale haha. Definately over priced!! Mixing my own sounds like a great suggestion if I can find the time to do it.
My original post was set to determine wether using the eco friendly products would compromise quality of cleaning. I believe its a viable option to offer customers especially given the fact that Kelly operates a cleaning business based solely on natural cleaning products and has clients that use her services for that very reason.
Kelly would you be able to send me websites for your eco product suppliers?
Also Gordon I completely agree with you when you say that providing an eco friendly service would provide a competetive edge! Should help me target clients that are firm believers in the eco friendly approach!
Thanks again,
Scott
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My missus buys eco cleaners ?
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If I can join in I like Kelley am no born again nor do I believe in the purely money making global warming argument but we use natural products too
The real reason we use them to answer the original posters question is because they clean better thhan the man made stuff, not every single time as there is always the exception to the rule but most times.
Now remember I did say I am not a born again neither am I particularly religious but whom or what ever gave us these natural products gave thhem for a reason and that is they work
Bicarbonate of soda is the main ingrediantc, Kelley mentioned bath cleaning it is ideal, lemon juice dissolves fat cleans most surfaces and shines everything vinegar another main staple of the mix and it is the mix that matters just like baking a cake
Different uses need different mixes someone mentioned carpet cleaning bicarbonate of soda mixed with tomato juice sprinkled over a carpet, sprayed with warm water and a squirt of lemon then extracted with a carpet cleaner removes all dirt stains and odours it is magic
There are occasions when we use "man made" cleaners but they are usually to clean "man made" stains
Mix your own and the cost is minimal but time consuming and I agree with the argument of plastic containers etc but it just a great way to get that edge over any competitors, customers love it
Gordon
Man made cleaners?
These eco cleaners are they magical, or divine, are they transcended by the tears of jesus or do they just magically appear?
What stains in houses are not man made (bloody women at it again?), is this the devil making these stains to be cleaned by the magical eco cleaners?
confused?
Martin 8)
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I am eco products supporter too. They are better for health and environment.
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Hi,
Dont know if anyone else subscribes to "which?" but a recent survey showed most so called "eco" chems have big question marks against them when it comes to justifying their so called green credentials.
Personally we only deal with Seldon chems, these people are the only chemical manufacturer in europe that exceeds the green and sustainable policy as set down by the eu.
Regards,
Rob
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Rob,
Glad to hear you say that about Selden products, I currently use their regular range anyway and have been looking in depth into their ecoflower range. Good to know they back up the stamp on the label with real sustainability and green credentials.
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I use a lot of Selden products - does that make me a tree hugger ? :'( :'(
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only if "tree hugger" is rhyming slang lol
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By ryhming slang would you mean terms like "sweaty sock"?
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No more like an "egg hunt:
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...
for someone who appears so against this eco stuff it's odd that you can't stay out of this thread.
i offer only eco from one of the businesses i trade under (it's in the sig but can also be found at new site www.cleansurrey.co.uk) and customers do really like the idea. The idea is not that it saves the earth but that the chemicals are far less harsh so less of a risk to your health. i started using eco products as i used to work for a company that would provide all sorts of nasties and it really bugged me. that is the benefit of being eco. anyone can clean a house/office, but few will clean using the eco products leaving a cleaner clean ;)
kelley: i've mentioned before but perhaps you didn't see my reply. MDR which can be bought from window clean centre is a fantastic limescale remover, really really fantastic for taps and showers, not so good for putting down the loo though. it's 6 times more expensive then the cheaper harsh chemicals like harpic but it lasts longer then 6 times the amount harpic does as a little goes a long way and it makes life so much easier as it's very thick and far easier to deal with (doesn't smell and far kinder to your skin). only downside to mdr i find is on very bad limescale doors it can take a bit longer to get off.
for general cleaning i find eco products work good enough and should be used. you'll come across odd problems and perhaps take a little longer to find an alternative but there usually is a green alternative which does the job.
for deep cleaning i find most jobs can be done with eco products still but you will come across mould and grease which eco products aren't up to the job of cleaning in a decent amount of time. this is why we also trade under another name so we can offer a deep deep cleaning service, and a cleaner clean cleaning service :D
sgray: imo you shouldn't offer the 2 types of products as a choice. once you get to know what are the alternatives to the typical products you can be confident enough to offer green unless it's really bad and focus on that far more. i see companies say green cleaning isn't something customers care about and it doesn't sell, but they only put a little paragraph at the bottom of the site saying "we can also offer green chemicals." doesn't put much confidence in that style of cleaning and will be something most of their customers wont be bothered about as they aren't really selling the idea.
email me if you have any questions.
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kelley: i've mentioned before but perhaps you didn't see my reply. MDR which can be bought from window clean centre is a fantastic limescale remover, really really fantastic for taps and showers, not so good for putting down the loo though. it's 6 times more expensive then the cheaper harsh chemicals like harpic but it lasts longer then 6 times the amount harpic does as a little goes a long way and it makes life so much easier as it's very thick and far easier to deal with (doesn't smell and far kinder to your skin). only downside to mdr i find is on very bad limescale doors it can take a bit longer to get off.
hadnt seen it before but i have now!! ;D
i sent a phone call your way a couple of weeks ago. did they mention me!!? :)
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what was the clean for? not had anyone mention you sent them our way but have someone booked for next week who said another company had suggested us but yet to find out who ??? the property is in milford
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what was the clean for? not had anyone mention you sent them our way but have someone booked for next week who said another company had suggested us but yet to find out who ??? the property is in milford
it was a lady in camberley. a one off big clean but really short notice. one of her friends children had got really sick and she wanted a big clean to get her friends house deep cleaned. wanted eco friendly ideally as i think the child was having chemo.
we couldnt do it as it was too short notice but i gave them your number and said you may be able to help!
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ah no Camberley cleans recently so not sure what she decided to do. i appreciate the recommendation though :)
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Interesting thread: Lots of different views. We were awarded ISO14001 the other day which is a basically a 'badge' which recognises that as a company we are working in a 'greener' direction. It gives a message about where we are coming from as a business. I have completed tender documents for many years and the days of saying "we are working towards...etc" are only acceptable to a certain level of customer. If that's your market, that's fine but that is a very competitive area to be in. Perhaps almost price-shopping? That's fine if your just trying to get on the 1st rung but ............hey-ho, I started as a window cleaner so I'm into ladders ( and snakes now and then) so I think you have always got to keep progressing and adding value to whatever you are doing (and selling so stop thinking you are running a cleaning business - you're selling a service, your business!).
It's not just about using citric acids instead of Harpic or this product instead of that one, it's a mindset and one which can sit very comfortably with making money. You are in business aren't you?
For example: (....and these are just things we are doing or thinking about but they are the direction we are AIMING for i.e. it's a road your travelling along not a destination that you reach overnight)
1) Where you can, use the least aggressive product. It saves on protective gear aka P.P.E. (personal protective equipment), it's easier to store, transport and dispense.
2) How can you reduce mileage? Smaller more efficient vans?, Trackers to drill down?
3) How do you dispose of basic rubbish? Can you help your customet do it better? Sort stuff, compress stuff.
4) Ever thought of using cotton nappies as wipes? Great product, easily laundered and used over and over again. We were cleaning student accomodation last week - a £50k job and saved £200 quid using their laundry (with permission) to clean the cloths we were using.... customers see the green angle and want to join in!
5) Micro fibre cloths where appropriate and a simple spray bottle of water instead of chemicals ( remember don't spend too long saving on your chemical costs as they are a FRACTION of your labour costs... so that's the real area to concentrate on if you want to 'save' resources).
I could go on for hours but I don't want to be a boring know-it-all. If anyone wants more ideas e-mail me and I will try and expain further but only to completed profiles :-) PhilD
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clean surrey,
did you get my email i sent you last night?
kelley
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replying to it now
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replying to it now
didt receive anything ??? not sure if you didnt send it or its my email!
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sorry my reply is slow. it's half way on it's way to you and is next on my to do list
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sorry my reply is slow. it's half way on it's way to you and is next on my to do list
oooh ok no worries. not trying to stalk you or anything like that, switched my server and email seems to be playing up a little. it had me a bit panicked that i might be missing out on work if people are trying to email!!
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Hi
Put simply, green cleaning is 'cleaning to protect health without harming the environment'. Green cleaning is evolving beyond a specific product or service and is a concept similar to "total quality management and continuous improvement". It focuses on the entire effort to maintain a healthy, safe and attractive building while minimising any harmful impacts on occupants, cleaning people and the environment.
Green/eco friendly products exist on a continuum of less harmful to most harmful - all chemicals have an impact on our health and the environment. It's taken a lot and continues to take time to constantly evaluate products, methods and one's own practice to find a best practice, even that changes.
For products, there's no nationally agreed standard, the EU has its system, the US has a couple and they're mostly subscriber based, the big company's have there's. Others like the purists have their own systems for labeling.
To experiment, we tried a few and used them for extended periods, then changed to others to compare - we're convinced that eco-friendly products have distinct benefits for us and our customers. We try to be balanced in our approach, for some tasks like the one's mentioned we will use products that may have a higher environmental impact.
handwerka