Archive for February, 2009

A lot of companies are using recycled fibers to make their product. The problem is, these statements are misleading. When most people hear “recycled” they automatically assume “good.” CleaningProductsWorld.com got the real story from a Proctor & Gamble Product Expert (Proctor and Gamble are the makers of Charmin Toilet Paper). 

“To make recycled pulp (vs virgin pulp) paper must be collected, washed,de-inked and dried.  The problem is that those numbers you see quoted assume that 1 pound of virgin pulp = 1 pound of recycled pulp and that  they can be used interchangeably in a product like tissue (so they only look at the difference in this step of the lifecycle).  But the realityis that recycling paper fibers damages and breaks them so the recycled pulp does not behave the same as the virgin pulp.  The performance is greatly reduced (e.g. softness, absorbency, strength) so you either have to use more fiber in product or consumer has to use more product.   Also the damaged recycled fibers dry less efficiently on a tissue machine (like damaged hair) so it takes more energy to make tissue from recycled fiber vs virgin fiber. ”

“When you do a more thorough comparison taking into account manufacturing impacts and performance/use differences there is little to no benefit to use of recycled fiber in tissue, because you end up having to use more fiber to make up for the deficiencies caused by the recycled fiber. This is not the case for all paper products.  Some paper products (like a shoe box) do not have to be de-inked, and do not need to be absorbent and strongwhen wet so the loss in performance may not matter.  Bottomline, it’s impossible to quote a generic number about how much water/energy/treesusing recycled fiber saves because it really depends what type of product you are using it in. ”

And there we have it! For any additional questions, comment below or email cs@CleaningProductsWorld.com

Every once in a while, CleaningProductsWorld.com will ask an employee, friend or customer to share what products they have in their household. We are starting with Jessica, our E-Commerce Project Manager. Jessica is 23 years old & lives in a small apartment. Below are her responses.

1. Lysol Disinfectant Spray- Crisp Linen Scent. I use Lysol all the time. I hate getting sick so I am constantly spraying my kitchen, bathroom, garbage cans, bed, couch, carpets, you name it!  I love the Crisp Linen scent because it smells like fresh laundry and is very light- some disinfectant sprays have too heavy of a scent for my taste.

2.Seventh Generation All Purpose Cleaner – I am jumping on the environmentally friendly bandwagon and really happy with my choice. I was nervous these products wouldn’t clean as well as regular, non-eco-friendly ones but love this Seventh Generation cleaner. I use it all over the kitchen, bathroom, and living areas, and it’s safer for my dog when he licks the food off the floor!

3. Windex Glass Cleaner - There is no better glass cleaner out there and I also use it on my stove and TV. 

4. Glad ForceFlex Bags. These bags are my favorite because they are so strong and flexible. I have filled these bags with boxes and broken glass and they still haven’t ripped. This is great for me because I have to carry my garbage down 4 flights of stairs and outside to a dumpster so I definitely need a durable garbage bag. 

5. Kleenex Premiere Paper Towels - Most people prefer Bounty but I find these Kleenex paper towels just as good and very soft. I also use Kleenex tissues and Kleenex toilet paper so I try to be loyal with one brand.

6. Kleenex Cottonelle Toilet Paper. This toilet paper is so soft and lasts forever so I barely ever have to replace the roll. Also, the puppy in the commercial is the cutest! How can you resist it?

If you would like to be featured in a “What’s Under Your Sink?” segment, email us at cs@CleaningProductsWorld.com.

Today it seems like “green” is everywhere. From the car ads on tv, to the organic produce at your grocery store, everyone is focused on being more environmentally friendly. But what does it really mean? 

Until recently, there was no government agency to regulate the “green” claims in cleaning products. The result equaled a rash of products claiming to be environmentally friendly, but no real proof that they were. For example, lead products were being labeled “natural” since lead technically is a natural substance, but as we all know, large exposure to lead can be deadly! Thankfully, the EPA has decided to combat this problem by creating at “Design for Environment” or “DfE” label. This label is a guarantee that the product truly is safer for use and better for the environment. The Dfe label looks closely at each ingredient in a product, making sure it really is safe for the environment and your family. The DfE label also means that the product is the best in it’s class- meaning that it is the safest and most eco-friendly product in its line. Below are the links to the DfE lists of cleaning products. 

Link to DfE list of Consumer Cleaning Products.

Link to DfE list of Industrial Cleaning Products. 

CleaningProductsWorld.com sells many of the products on these lists. From Clorox Green Works products to Misty Glass Cleaner to Palmolive Dish Soap, shop with us for the best, truly eco-friendly products!

At some point or another, we have all suffered from a dried blood stain on the carpet. Maybe you cut yourself shaving, maybe your 6 year old got a nosebleed- whatever the case you know that dried blood stains are some of the most difficult stains to clean up. At CleaningProductsWorld.com, we have tried almost every product and we give our stamp of approval to Simple Green All Purpose Industrial Strength Cleaner and Degreaser. 

Step 1: Dilute Simple Green 30:1- for heavy stains, you can dilute 10:1

Step 2: Spray on carpet and gently rub in with a soft brush like a Brute Utility Brush

Step 3: Rinse well with water, and blot with an absorbent microfiber cloth

You can repeat these steps if necessary. Additionally, Simple Green is non-toxic and biodegradable, so it is safe to use around children and pets, and also better for the environment than most cleaners.  Questions? Comment below and we will be sure to get back to you!

There is a lot of confusion between concentrates vs. ready-to-use cleaning products. Let’s start with a basic definition – concentrated means that the product needs to be combined with water, and ready-to-use needs no alteration. The important thing to remember about concentrates is that it is 100% necessary to combine with the appropriate amount of water- other wise the product will not work! Many people assume that the concentrate form will just work better, which is not the case- concentrates are designed to be combined with water.

Take Fantastik for example. Fantastik All Purpose Cleaner is ready to use, meaning all you have to do is spray and wipe to get clean surfaces in your kitchen, bathroom, around the house and office. On the other hand, Fantastik Super Concentrate All Purpose Cleaner needs to be diluted 14:1. Simply stated, you need to combine 1 part Fantastick Super Concentrate with 14 parts water. Just one bottle of the concentrated cleaner makes 14, 32oz bottles of ready to use spray bottles. 

Which one is more cost effective? Let’s do the math.
1 Case of Fantastik Ready to Use = 12
32oz spray bottles at price of $57.02
1 Case of Fantastik Super Concentrate= 14
32oz spray bottles at a price of $34.95
With concentrates, you get more, for less.

Keep in mind that concentrates do take a bit of extra work. But for savings of almost 40%, I think we can both agree that concentrates can be the the better purchase, depending on your situation. Still confused? Comment below and we will be sure to respond!