Guest Blog – Perfect Clean Limited

Are you keeping your home office clean? If you’ve been using traditional cleaning products to clean your office, you may be doing more harm than good. Eco-friendly cleaning products boast an abundance of benefits, including being kinder to the environment. If you haven’t made the switch yet, here are a few reasons why you may want to consider using eco-friendly office cleaning products to keep your workspace spotless.

They are better for your health

Eco-friendly cleaning products use natural or plant-based ingredients which are less harmful to yourself and the environment. The majority of commercial cleaning products contain toxic ingredients, such as volatile organic compounds and ammonia, which have been shown to irritate the respiratory system, eyes and throat, as well as causing headaches. In contrast, eco-friendly products are less harsh, meaning you won’t be exposed to chemicals that could make you feel unwell.

There is less waste produced

Eco-friendly cleaning supplies are designed to last longer than traditional cleaning products. Additionally, they use recycled plastic packaging to be kinder to the environment. Being able to recycle packaging and produce less waste means you’re not relying on the single-use plastics of some commercial cleaning products. Every year, around 8 million tons of plastic enters our oceans, affecting the lives of marine animals. By using eco-friendly items, you are contributing to making the planet a better place.

They are cost-effective

Many people assume that eco-friendly cleaning products are expensive. However, they are actually competitively priced, and some products tend to be even cheaper than traditional commercial cleaning products. As eco-friendly products last longer, you don’t need to use as much. That means you save money on your cleaning purchases. 

They are highly efficient

If you find yourself buffing streaks left by your glass cleaner or stains that haven’t been removed by your multi-surface cleaner, it may not be your cleaning technique that is the problem. Many cleaning products are just not as effective as they should be, leaving you with more work to do than you’d originally hoped for. On the other hand, eco-friendly solutions are highly effective in cleaning multiple surfaces.

They enhance indoor air quality

Using less harsh chemicals in your cleaning supplies means you have improved indoor air quality. Toxic chemicals from regular cleaning products are dangerous to inhale, generating higher levels of indoor pollution. Not only that, but they also have a strong unpleasant smell, especially if you’re using bleach or ammonia. Most eco-friendly products use the aroma of essential oils to leave a gentle, pleasing scent on your surfaces and in the air.

They protect surfaces

If you’ve noticed your stainless steel appearing dull and cloudy or your leather desk chair starting to peel, it’s likely due to the use of harsh chemical cleaners. With continued use, toxic chemicals can start to degrade the protective covering of your household items. If you want to keep your belongings looking as good as new, use eco-friendly products which are gentler when cleaning your surfaces.

They are better for the environment

Naturally, eco-friendly cleaning products are better for the environment. There are fewer harmful by-products in the seas and the atmosphere. Plus, you can create a healthier home for your family. Eco-friendly packaging also decreases your carbon footprint as it reduces the consumption of resources.

They boost productivity

By keeping your home office clean and tidy, you’re able to improve your productivity. Let’s face it, trying to work in a cluttered, dirty environment is distracting. With regular cleaning, you can keep your concentration and focus high. Plus, you won’t be distracted by the unpleasant aroma of harsh chemicals. Instead, you can work in a space that has been cleaned with natural ingredients which smell more pleasing.

Make the switch to eco-friendly cleaning products – Eco-friendly cleaning products are highly beneficial to the environment and your health. Contemplate making the switch to more natural cleaning products with less harsh chemicals and you’ll find that green cleaning is just as effective, if not more than traditional cleaning products.

About The Author: Perfect Clean is a professional cleaning company based in Edinburgh. With highly experienced professionals they have the capacity to offer affordable and high quality commercial and industrial cleaning services. They are passionate and committed to keeping everyone safe with their exemplary health and safety practices.

By Charley Moxham

Squeeky cleaning products were inspired by the want for our cleaners to use organic, natural and non-toxic products – better for people, pets and planet! Charley takes us through a day in the life of a Squeeky Cleaner, tells us why she loves working for Squeeky and the impact being a Squeeky has had on her purchasing habits…!

Most days I arrive at the office around 8:45 ready to start my first clean at 9:15. Being a Squeeky cleaner is great as we have such a variety of clients , so every day is different and there is never a dull moment! I clean narrow boats twice a week and houses or offices on the other three days. When it comes to cleaning the narrow boats it is a thorough clean of all areas including cleaning under sofas, inside of cupboards and making up of beds. For house and office cleans, the customer may only want certain things cleaned, for example I do a house where it is just bathrooms and floors, so we really can accommodate whatever our customers want from us!  

All of my regular customers seem to really like our Squeeky products and all except a couple of clients ask for us to use them in their houses. There is one comment that stays in my head to this day! We carried out a first clean and the lady sent a review saying the house looked so sparkly she thought she would have to wear sunglasses to look at her bath! You can’t really get better praise than that!

Because all of our products are natural, vegan and also come in refillable bottles, becoming a Squeeky cleaner has opened my eyes a little and made me more aware of the impact I have on the environment so I have tried to make some small changes in the things that I buy. I now try to use reusable sandwich bags instead of plastic ones which aren’t widely recycled, I’ve switched from plastic milk bottles to glass ones and have purchased two bamboo travel mugs so that I can take drinks with me on the go instead of having to buy more single use plastic bottles!

If you’d like Charley to come and clean for you, give us a call on 01249 479202. Our Squeeky products are available online or if you are local you can visit us in Emery Gate Shopping Centre in Chippenham.

Or is it…?

‘Eco’, ‘organic’, ‘natural’, ‘carbon footprint’, ‘sustainable’, ‘green’ – these are all frequently used buzzwords to describe products or services that are good for the environment in one way or another. Perhaps they’re plastic free, made from natural ingredients or materials, or perhaps they have a zero carbon footprint and are not contributing to climate change. Or perhaps, they’re saying these things but aren’t really – otherwise known as greenwashing.

Greenwashing is defined as:

behaviour or activities that make people believe that a company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is

In other words, just because a company claims that it’s product or service is ‘green’ or ‘eco friendly’, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should take their word for it. There are many businesses out there that use the above buzzwords and we think these fall into three categories:

1. Those companies that are genuinely ‘green’, whose products/services will stand up to scrutiny and are truly plastic free, made from sustainable materials or ingredients, don’t use any harmful chemicals and are cruelty free (mentioning no names, ahem…)

2. Those companies that are typically not known for producing eco-friendly products, or claim to be ‘green’, but have a large customer base and can afford to break into the market by launching a product or product range that does tick some of the above boxes. So the company themselves is not really an eco business but they’re using their position to try and produce alternatives. An example of this is L’Oreal, who launched a range of plastic-free shampoo bars in November 2020. They are packaged in 100% recyclable FSC certified cardboard and contain 94% plant based ingredients. According to a study of the life-cycle of the shampoo bar, their environmental impact is 25% less than a traditional liquid shampoo. Although it’s not perfect, it’s a step in the right direction.

3. Those companies that have marketed themselves as a genuinely ‘green’ company, seem to be doing all the right things, but when you get down to the nitty gritty you realise that they aren’t as committed to saving the planet as it first appeared. It’s been in the news and social media lately but we’re going to go there again – Faith In Nature.

Faith In Nature market themselves as ‘natural’, ‘organic’ and ‘ethical’ and even their very name would suggest that their products are wholly natural. Delving deeper though, one of the ingredients they use is Polysorbate 20 – this is a detergent and an emulsifier, used to help water and oil mix and is not a certified organic ingredient. A study by the Soil Association states that ‘We are not suggesting that the inclusion of any of these ingredients in the products listed means that they are not safe for use in the products where we found them. However, we do think it could be misleading to include these ingredients in products which claim to be organic, when they would not be permitted in an organically certified product.’

Another concern is that they use palm oil in their products. Faith In Nature have said that they don’t directly use palm oil in their products, rather some of the ingredients they use are manufactured using palm oil as the base – to us this just sounds a little like passing the buck – and that those ingredients that are derived from palm oil are sourced from sustainable and certified palm oil plantations. Ethical Consumer have rated them in the middle for their palm oil policies so they’re not the worst of the worst – but there is no need to use palm oil or derivatives – plenty of suppliers produce shampoo and other hair and skincare products without it.

We also hear from some of the shops that supply them, that where they have previously taken back their containers to wash and reuse, they are now grinding these down to be recycled. They’re still claiming this is a ‘closed loop’ system and that by doing this they are not ‘adding any virgin plastic to the supply chain’ but we think this sounds like a cost-cutting exercise. Plastic can only be recycled a handful of times before it is no longer usable and at this point it either has to go to landfill or virgin plastic needs to be added to prolong its life – so reusing seems like the much more environmentally sound option.

What really bugs us though? They’ve made their name through supplying to small independents, who have supported their business model of refills and pushed their products, but they’re now selling to B&M who are selling their products at a fraction of the price (and refills are not available, so where are all those plastic bottles going to go?) Smaller independent shops can’t compete with those prices – we understand that wholesale works on economies of scale but when we at Squeeky Shop and other small retailers would have to sell products for £5 or £6 to make it worthwhile, it’s demoralising to see that B&M are advertising prices starting at £1.99! We aren’t against brands expanding into mainstream retailers – we’d certainly love it if one of the big supermarkets came knocking for our products – but we wouldn’t do it at the expense of those that have supported us on our journey so far.

Faith In Nature are probably still one of the better options, environmentally, if you’re purchasing from somewhere where their refill is not an option, but it just doesn’t sit well with us that they’re making a lot of claims about caring about the environment that don’t really hold up under scrutiny AND they’ve thrown the little guys under the bus.

Very interesting program on the issues with single use plastic. Go plastic free with the squeeky shop. #refillrevolution

iPlayer war on plastic