Overcome green cleaning product myths

A big hurdle for green laundry detergent is the stigma of being a green cleaning solution.

“I don’t know if we’ve seen the full ebb of green yet,” said Matt Koloseike, senior category account executive from Procter & Gamble Professional. “It was a very hot topic about 12-18 months ago, then the current downturn happened and the green discussions aren’t as prevalent.”

Koloseike said hoteliers will continue to pursue these options because guests are asking for them. But is there a reason the downturn should affect green cleaning purchases?

“The same year [our products] became available, phosphate prices went up and traditional chemicals went up,” said Julie Fry, CEO for Vaska. “So green products actually became more affordable.”

And Fry points out that even if the price for the detergent isn’t comparable, the overall value of energy and water saved will more than likely balance out the difference.

Another stigma is the ineffectiveness of green cleaning solutions. Tim Laughlin, VP of new product development for Sunburst Chemicals, said one reason for this claim is chemical dilution in some green-certified products.

“When people ask will green products be as effective, it depends on the concentration,” he said. If the green solution is just to dilute certain chemicals to meet EPA requirements, then that product, even though it is considered green, will not clean as effectively and then add to the perceptions about green products, he said.