Whether a colleague, a sales representative or an employee within a managed building, most facilities managers and suppliers have been asked about switching to cleaning products that are more ‘eco-friendly’.
The question is usually prompted if the current cleaning products use harmful chemicals – which the majority of traditional products do. Biotech cleaning products, however, use a range of microbes and enzymes in place of these harmful chemicals, making them effective whilst being less harmful to the environment and the user.
Below, we will run through some of the more obvious reasons for switching to biotech powered cleaning products – which we hope will aide decision makers in the future.
Environmental Impact
It is clear the general public and the business sector have become considerably more aware of environmental issues in recent years: but how widespread is the understanding that traditional cleaning products can damage the?
Many traditional products contain ingredients from the petrochemical industry that begin their lives mined from the ground before being converted into chemicals such as Formaldehyde, Kerosene, Mineral Acids, Phosphates, Solvents and many more. The majority of these chemicals have a large carbon footprint due to the processes of attaining them, and post-use they can find their way into the water systems, having a detrimental effect on aquatic life.
Biotech powered products, however, use naturally derived ingredients such as organic acids and plant extracts to boost their effectiveness; the plant extracts include Yucca, Citrus, Aloe Vera and Lavender.
The impressive cleaning power in biotech driven products come from microbes and enzymes. These natural bacteria, and the enzymes that they produce, have the ability to clean surfaces just as well, if not better, than traditional chemicals but without the environmental risk associated with harsh chemicals.
Safer for the User
As a facilities manager or supplier, knowing that the products you provide, or supply, won’t have a damaging effect on the end user’s health is a welcoming assurance.
A recent blog showed shocking evidence that over a 20-year period, regular use of bleach-based cleaning products had the same effects on the lungs as a 20-a-day smoking habit. There is also data suggesting many of the chemicals used in some cleaning products can have links to cancer.
With biotech driven products, this risk is completely eliminated (as mentioned, naturally derived ingredients are used in the make-up of these products meaning they are kinder to the user’s skin and lungs – making them infinitely safer). So, corrosive and harmful substance warning signs on packaging need be a thing of the past.
Another benefit of the products being safer for the user – and for the environment – is positive PR for the company using the products, reducing the possibility of bad coverage and nasty accidents occurring.
Residual Cleaning
Residual cleaning is another key reason to make the switch to biotech cleaning products. Whereas many traditional and non-biotech products simply clean when applied, the impressive aspect of biotech is that is continues to clean after the normal cleaning process has finished.
The plant extracts and enzymes provide good cleaning results almost instantly as the organic acids, eco-surfactants and enzymatic process get straight to work. However, the microbes work a little differently, and this is what allows residual cleaning. The microbes break down organic matter and colonise an area for as long as there is a food source – grease, fat, protein. The microbes provide a biofilm and further produce enzymes to provide the residual clean.
Odour Control
Biotech driven cleaning products have an unrivalled ability when it comes to odour control. Rather than mask unpleasant odours with a fragrance – like so many on the market – biotech powered products deal with the problem at source.
Generally, unpleasant odours are caused from organic soiling (dirt). When the area is treated, the bacteria will break down the organic material causing the odour and digest it, thus completely eliminating the source of the odour, rather than masking it.
This can be particularly useful in bathrooms and kitchens when grouting and microscopic cracks are present. Although to the naked eye surfaces may look smooth to us, to microbes they may appear as huge mountain ranges with plenty of room for odour generating dirt to accumulate. The size of microbes in biotech products, compared to those in traditional products, are such that they can better penetrate small cracks and ensure the surface is clean. They can also enter deep into carpet fibres and fabrics. This ability to clean comprehensively is just another beneficial reason to switch to biotech.
A Number of Savings
We have first-hand experience of an array of saving that can be made through switching to biotech products.
The ability to dilute at a higher ratio provides great cost in use benefits, an example being BioHygiene’s All Surfaces Cleaner, which only requires 4ml of concentrate to make a 750ml trigger, typically costing the user under 5p/ bottle!
The high dilution rate also translates into a number of other savings, as the 4ml shot means each 5L concentrate is capable of producing 1,250 trigger bottles, resulting in significant reductions in plastic waste, storage, transport and associated CO2e. As discussed, Biotech also offers residual cleaning meaning that it becomes easier to clean over time.
Making the Switch
As demonstrated, a strong case can be made to switch to biotech cleaning products, which includes issues of the environment, user safety, cleaning power and savings.
