Choosing what cleaning products you want to use for your commercial cleaning service can be a little overwhelming. Are you a building service contractor who wants to change your current cleaning product? Or are you just starting out and deciding what you want to use? Either way, there are a vast variety of options. Cutting through the noise can be difficult. Here's a handy list of some key points to think about before you make your decision.
How safe are the products, to both cleaning staff and the people inhabiting the buildings you clean?
- Cleaning workers suffer more injuries than other workers in private industry. Studies have found that they can be injured on the job two times more than other workers.1
- In addition to proper protective equipment, using cleaning products that are less harsh and abrasive from the start can help minimize injury and side-effects to the exposure of harsh fumes. Look for products with third-party certifications with high safety standards like Green Seal or Eco Logo.
- Avoid chemicals, such as quaternary ammonium compounds, that have been linked to the development of airway allergies2. Be sure to check the SDS sheets of any new product you’re investigating, and avoid cleaning products that use other higher toxicity components such as alcohols, glycol ethers, caustic acids, bleach, phosphates, or amines.
- A closed-loop system, where a cleaning professional never has to come into contact with the cleaning product, is preferred. The Absolute Cleaning System uses advanced DEMA technology that replaces old friction-fit systems that were prone to leaking or incorrect dilution. This new design uses retaining teeth and multiple sealing systems for complete, spill-resistant closure.
- Products like the EnvirOx Green Certified Multi-Purpose Cleaner can reduce the amount of residue left behind after cleaning. Less residue means you can prevent the floor from becoming a magnet for bacteria and other pollutants.
How easy to use are the products? How much training do they require?
- Turnover can be high in janitorial staffs, and training can be a time-consuming and expensive process.
- Choose products that are simple to use.
- Choose products that have training materials that support their use. Training materials that are very visual are also a plus, as they can overcome any possible language barriers.
What is your budget? Should you use concentrates or ready-to-use product?
- Experienced cleaning professionals have embraced the use of concentrates for their work more and more, except for specialized tasks. As industry news leader CleanLink reports, the reason for this is that concentrates offer “lower cost, lower risk of stock depletion, less storage space, a provision of chemicals near to point of use, and less packaging to dispose of, with environmental and cost benefits.3”
- Concentrates diluted by a dispenser are not only safer, but they offer a significant savings advantage over ready to use products. An in-use quart of a concentrated product can cost less than 10¢ per quart, compared to products that are $4, $5, or more per quart when bought off the shelf.
- The use of dispensers prevents the problem of the “glug glug”—an all-too-common practice of “eye-balling” how much product is poured into a mop bucket—which wastes product and causes too much residue to be left behind.
How much room do you want your cleaning products to take up?
- A cleaning closet can get full of product and equipment very quickly. If your team is more mobile, then that means you have even more to lug around from job to job.
- Choose a cleaning system that has products that can take care of most of your cleaning needs in two dilutions. This will reduce the amount of cleaning product you have to store.
- Hyper concentrates pack even more cleaning product in a smaller footprint, meaning it takes less room to store and causes less waste once the product is gone.
- Choose a cleaning system with easy to use, compact dispensers. If you have a mobile team, then having portable dispensers on hand is also critical.
And, the most important question – does it work?
- Every cleaning product will tell you that it works, and works well. Of course, the best test of a cleaning product is to try it for yourself.
- Choose a cleaning product that offers a free trial or demo. To arrange one of these for the Absolute Cleaning System, contact an EnvirOx Consultant if you’re looking for a new cleaning solution.