[chosker]

we are a domestic cleaning company, been in operation for twelve years and find it hard to keep on top of all the new products.

Is there a website or forum that deals specifically with cleaning products and lists products / explains attributes etc?

Any help would be appreciated!!

Claire

p.s. seasons greetings everyone!

[glenda hollis]

If your existing products are working for you why do you need to keep abreast of the new ones?

[chosker]

personally we don't, but the clients do! We get questions every now and then asking.

Besides, you should always keep a look out for better things!

[glenda hollis]

Oh. In my broad experience i've  never had anyone ask about what products we were using so long as the job was done well. Personally i disagree that you should be on the look out for better products - apart from the odd commercial product for a specific job i've never found that things for general cleaning have improved greatly over the years. To me its all about the packaging and the hype surrounding the product. I dont fall for that.

[Janey]

If you stick to branded products you wont go far wrong.  I like some of the Evans products and Ecover floor soap is great 

Janey

[glenda hollis]

There are a whole range of products that can be found in supermarkets and discount high street stores that work out far, far cheaper than some commerical products, especially if you have to factor in petrol and delivery charges to obtain commercial branded stock. All manufactires are obloged to provide COSHH sheets on request and this applies to products aimed at the domestic consumer too. One of the companies used to buy Asda SmartPrice cream cleaner and i had to send for the COSHH for that. That is a good example of a product that was really cheap and did exactly what you wanted.

[JJdomestics]

Hi

I understand where you are coming from I also get asked from time to time if I have tried the new ........... . If you don't know what product they are talking about you can feel a little bit unprofessional. I purhase my materials from the local supermarket and I find they are very well priced and also do as good a job as the branded named ones although I do keep an eye out for new products. So if you do find a website with any interesting products on give me a shout.

[glenda hollis]

I guess it all depends on what each individual considers to be professional or not. There are so many products that come on and off the shelves on a regulay basis that it would probably be impossible to know all the latest additions, however, what i am more interested to hear is that you guys seem to have more input from your clients on the subject of cleaning products than i ever did. Granted that the odd few domestic clients might ask in passing what it was that we used, but certainly in the commercial work i did the clients were only bothered about whether a job was done or not. Interesting.

[Jan K]

sainsburys do a good range of eco friendly products called method, they smell nice and dont irritate my nose (i suffer from perennial rhinitis). they arent as cheap as some other branded products but imo are equally as good, if not better

[Paul Kettless]

I agree in some way with all the comments that have been made so far.  However, it has to be an individual decision about how you wish to market your business.

I am amazed that people choose to use "of the shelf products" that any tom, dick and harry can purchase at any high street outlet.  By having products that are not readily available to the customer, immediately gives the impression that they are better because they have the words "for professional use only" (even though some are not)

Customers like the fact that we are not turning up with a bottle of W5 and asda's own brand polish.  How do I know this I hear you ask? Because we asked them in a survey. 82% of the 105 customers that we asked suggested that it gave the impression of a professional company.

You will also find that the majority of commercial products are very cost effective, for example the polish that we use is water based (dilute yourself) and only costs 28 pence per litre when made up in a trigger spray.

Paul

[glenda hollis]

Paul it is about opinon, i am not going to argue with your survey because you have the facts and the information, i don't. All i can tell you is that people i have worked for have only ever cared that the job was done. Of course when i was cleaning schools we were given professional branded products to use, but when i have cleaned privatly for people i only ever asked them to get ordinary domestic products, in fact i only ever used and continue to use about 5 or 6 differemt things for cleaning. The domestic cleaning service i was managing was spending money hand over fist by usuing only professional products. Eventually I got it through to the owner of the company that she could make huge savings by using them for things that she couldnt buy locally. It is swings and roundabouts. This company was loosing a lot of stock simply because big bottles were getting damaged and products spilt when decanting etc. You also get domestic clients who worry that professional products may be too harsh (even though we all know that the jif in the big professional can is the same as the small bottle in the supermarket etc).

[Paul Kettless]

Likewise, I cannot argue your comments either Glenda...as you have raised some valid points.

Finding the right supplier and knowing your chemicals is the key.  After all, do you really think that we tell customers that our glass cleaner is home made (white vinegar, water, lemon juice and ammonia)

[glenda hollis]

why do you make your own? Just wondering.

[Paul Kettless]

One of two reasons, the first being that it only costs me 0.26p a litre to manufacture, and the second is that it out performs all other glass cleaning products I have tried and tested.

It is superb on shower doors, never leaves any streaks.  Obviously will not remove calcium deposits/limescale tho.

Best regards
Paul

[myvanwi]

Hi

I understand where you are coming from I also get asked from time to time if I have tried the new ........... . If you don't know what product they are talking about you can feel a little bit unprofessional. I purhase my materials from the local supermarket and I find they are very well priced and also do as good a job as the branded named ones although I do keep an eye out for new products. So if you do find a website with any interesting products on give me a shout.

We have tried loads of different commercial cleaning products including Evans brand. We go back again and again to supermarket products. However where would we get the COSHH sheets for these? Who do we contact?

[glenda hollis]

You contact the company who's name appears on the bottle. So if it is Asda cream cleaner you telephone Asda. If it is made by a well known company like Proctor & Gamble then you call them. They all have to supply this info on request. A lot of them will allow you to download it off their website.

[garyj]

You can ask in the supermarket where you bought the items, I think they HAVE to supply this information on demand.

[cleanimperial]

I agree in some way with all the comments that have been made so far.  However, it has to be an individual decision about how you wish to market your business.

I am amazed that people choose to use "of the shelf products" that any tom, dick and harry can purchase at any high street outlet.  By having products that are not readily available to the customer, immediately gives the impression that they are better because they have the words "for professional use only" (even though some are not)

Customers like the fact that we are not turning up with a bottle of W5 and asda's own brand polish.  How do I know this I hear you ask? Because we asked them in a survey. 82% of the 105 customers that we asked suggested that it gave the impression of a professional company.

You will also find that the majority of commercial products are very cost effective, for example the polish that we use is water based (dilute yourself) and only costs 28 pence per litre when made up in a trigger spray.

Paul

Hi Paul  were do you get your Cleaning Products from. What toilet cleaner do you use , I’m being charged £15.34 plus the vat for 12 bottles that’s from Cannon Hygiene there prices are always changing I think I will change supplier in the new year . They were very cheap to start with it seems every  time I go to order the prices have gone up.  And the bloody codes are always changing.

Thanks Fred

[Art]

Hi Paul  were do you get your Cleaning Products from. What toilet cleaner do you use , I’m being charged £15.34 plus the vat for 12 bottles that’s from Cannon Hygiene there prices are always changing I think I will change supplier in the new year . They were very cheap to start with it seems every  time I go to order the prices have gone up.  And the bloody codes are always changing.

Thanks Fred

Ask them to arrange an appointment with the rep. You should be able to get fixed prices for at least 1 year

Arthur

[glenda hollis]

I still maintain that the clients don't really give two hoots. And when you can buy toilet cleaner from less than 30p for 750ml in the shops then it proves that the commercial suppliers can be expensive. Even toilet duck can be bought on the high street for less than £1 a bottle.