What does cleaning smart mean?
Smarter cleaning means using fewer products, spending less time, and choosing the best products for your needs. Summer often means more dirt coming into the house – kids are on vacation, yard work, rain showers, and the accompanying mud. In the past, we’ve offered some great tips on ways to clean faster and more effectively, but cleaning smarter also means assessing whether the products in your house are doing the job.
Conventional vs Green Cleaning Products
As a professional, I am often asked, “Which is better: green cleaning products or conventional ones?” The answer really depends on your cleaning goals and household situation. These days, it seems like every cleaning product manufacturer is racing to create a line of ‘green’ products, fueled by consumer interest in healthier choices and less exposure to chemicals. While it is great to see companies taking a greater interest in making healthier products, these products are not always as effective as their conventional predecessors.
Especially for households with young children, killing germs is a high priority. Likewise, kitchens and bathrooms need careful attention to ensure a healthy environment. Not all cleaning products are equal to this task. It may be that a more tried-and-true, conventional cleaner is actually a safer, more effective choice. A green product that is great for windows may not be effective at killing germs on your kitchen countertops.
At Dirt Busters, we carefully weigh our options. Our product choices are based on the health and well-being of our employees, the effectiveness of products for our customers, and the impact on homes and the environment. Although we use many green products, we choose products that best meet all of these needs, regardless of the ‘green’ label. This results in a happy medium between more traditional cleaning products and newer green options. Our goal is the best and safest cleaning experience for our customers and Dirt Busters team.
Other ways to Clean Smarter
Change what you’re doing:
Often, the way someone chooses to clean their home is “the way mom did it”. Improvements in tools and chemistry over the years may warrant taking a good look at your cleaning methods. Although there is really no way to effectively clean a home without some good old-fashioned elbow grease, new cleaning tools make it simpler and less time-consuming.
Read owner’s manuals:
Prefinished wood floors may have different cleaning requirements than wood floors that have been sanded and polyurethaned. Make sure you know what the cleaning recommendations are for the surfaces in your home, especially items like granite countertops, cork or tile flooring, and electronics. Using the correct cleaning method is essential to prevent damage and keep your home looking its best.
Evaluate your needs:
Not everyone has time to put in hours and hours of cleaning a week, but if you have a large family or young children, your cleaning needs can quickly outpace your available time. Consider how much cleaning your home needs, and how much time you have to give. You may decide that your time is better spent enjoying your home than cleaning it.
Calling in a professional can be immensely helpful, both in terms of stress reduction, and in maintaining a healthy home environment. At Dirt Busters, we will work with you to balance your needs, and your budget, to keep you and your home healthy and happy. And we are always willing to use your preferred cleaning method – just let us know if you want to have your home cleaned completely green, conventional, or a mix of the two! For a no-obligation quote, give us a call today!