The most commonly used and most misconstrued in almost all segments is the word “green”. At the same time, today Green comes with an attached cost and consequently has been termed ineffective, leading to its unpopularity. With the advent of smart cleaning concepts making an entry, green chemicals would be the future of professional cleaning solutions.
It is true that the usage of green chemicals is shrouded with misapprehensions right from the cost to its varied applications. In an article published in CleanLinks, as Becky Mollenkamp puts it “Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007 and this forever changed how the world thinks of cellphone technology. Now, everything from email to real-time traffic information is at people’s fingertips at all times. Despite the benefits of switching to a smartphone, however, there are still holdouts who refuse to let go of their antiquated flip phones or old-school Blackberries. The same thing is happening with cleaning chemicals.”
Almost all cleaning service providers look for solutions that give direct and instant results with not much fuss. Nonetheless, there are users who are well aware of the chemicals being used and the advantages of opting green chemicals. There are service providers who have adopted green chemicals to a limited extent and there are other extremes who do not want to even try out green products.
The article also says that ‘although 95 per cent of building service contractors use at least a few green products, according to Contracting Profits’ “2017 BSC Market Report,” there are still plenty of naysayers who would not ditch traditional chemicals.
Today’s green products are as, or more, effective than their traditional counterparts, experts agree, and priced just as competitively. So why are so many users still skeptical?
‘BSCs who refuse to go green often say the products don’t work as well as and are much more expensive than traditional chemicals. Those excuses, experts say, are based on outdated perceptions.
‘BSCs still stuck in doing things the way we did it 25 years ago. Back then, the chemicals were too expensive and didn’t always work, but that’s not what is going on now. They’re relying on feelings from decades ago to make their judgements today.
There are service providers who not just interested in green products but also say that ‘That green stuff doesn’t work. I want the good, strong stuff.’ BSCs tried an early, less effective green cleaner and wrote the entire product category off for good.
Even those who tried eco-friendly products more recently may have had a bad experience.
Personal preference also play a vital role in the decision to choose a green chemical. ‘You may have to buy three or four brands to find one that’s acceptable to you. If you bought something and were disappointed with it, that’s not something that’s unique to green products. We’ve all bought things we didn’t like and don’t write the entire category off. We sometimes paint green products into too narrow of a corner based on a single bad experience.’
‘And while the price of most environmentally preferable chemicals rivals that of traditional products, there may be cases where going green will cost more “green.” But then, it’s important to consider the entire life-cycle cost of the green option and not just the price tag.
‘For example, a green chemical that replaces one that requires goggles or respirators offers a savings on personal protective equipment. A much larger cost savings can come in the form of reduced risk of injury to workers.’
Many a times, professional janitorial workers get injured by the cleaning products they use. ‘If we could reduce that substantially, then we reduce the overall costs, because companies pay for those injuries in medical costs or replacement workers.
‘Protecting employee health is the No. 1 reason BSCs should switch to green chemicals. Without employees, a building service contractor has no business. The cost of a chemical is nothing compared to the cost of a lost day from an employee. If you want to be in business for a long time, your employees need to be your top concern. If a product or process protects their health, that’s feeding the bottom line.
‘More facility executives are looking for BSCs who use the products. Remaining a naysayer could cost BSCs new business.’
There are BSCs who have never worked on certain accounts by saying the buildings they’re bidding on are asking for these products. ‘Contractors will be doing themselves a good service to be looking for things that work that are safer. It makes sense to revisit it.
‘It’s time to take another look at green because there have been major advancements in the chemistry behind the products in the last two decades. Today, the products are just like any other on the shelf.’
While, we cannot say all green cleaning products perform well but we can also not say all traditional cleaning products perform well either. ‘There are hundreds of green formulations that perform equal to, or better than, the traditional chemicals they replaced. Some work better than others, just like traditional cleaning product portfolios.’
