5 Steps to Choosing the Right Cleaning Products for your Home Cleaning Company
When you first start your housecleaning business, you only need a handful of chemicals and equipment. As your company grows, however, that arsenal must expand to include additional tools for a growing staff. No matter where you are in the process, having effective, efficient, and affordable products is critical for business success.
As any residential cleaner knows, the sheer number of cleaning products available in the marketplace is mind boggling. Choosing among them can be overwhelming, and many buyers make selections based solely on price. But that can be a mistake.
There several factors that should guide your purchasing decision, and they go well beyond price. Before you purchase more products for your cleaning business, first evaluate all of these important considerations.
1. Start with the Supplier
From distributors who specialize in janitorial products to your local grocery store, there are a lot of places to purchase cleaning supplies. Which supplier is best for your cleaning business?
- Retail: Everyone from the local grocery store to big-box national chains like Wal-Mart and Target sell consumer-grade cleaning products. The advantage of using these vendors is they are convenient and picking up products is quick. Very often, this is where many housecleaning companies first purchase; it's easy and works well for small orders. The downside is that this is typically the most expensive way of purchasing these products.
- Wholesale Clubs: Shopping at Costco or Sam's Club is also an option. These clubs cater to professionals and offer bulk quantities, concentrates, and refillable bottles—all of which appeal to cleaning companies. However, while they are a bit more affordable than retail stores, their prices aren't the lowest option and product selection can vary and be suddenly unavailable.
- Online: Amazon and other online retailers offer all of the options you can find at brick-and-mortar stores, plus many more speciality items that aren't readily available at Target and the like. Online pricing may be less, but shipping costs often offset any savings. Also, unless you're buying from a well-recognized brand, you can run into problems with fine print, misrepresentation of product, or even reliability of delivery.
- Janitorial Distributors: Large commercial cleaning contractors rely on distributors of janitorial products to help them choose the best products at the best prices. More and more, these distributors are becoming friendly with the residential cleaning market as well, especially housecleaning companies that grow to include a staff. Not only do distributors offer competitive pricing, they also have expertise not found with the other suppliers mentioned. And they offer training that can help you grow your business and educate your staff.
2. Standardize Your System
Before buying any product, ask “Do we need this?” It sounds basic, but so many residential cleaners have chemicals and tools they never use. To avoid this common problem, create a standardized purchasing process. This is valuable whether you run a solo business owner or a company with hundreds of employees.
First, evaluate your current products and equipment. Which work well, and which do not? (If you have employees, ask for their input.) Create a spreadsheet that includes each product and its cost, as well as where and how frequently it's used. Also take note of any injuries or complaints related to each item.
Next, cull the list to include only the product categories you need to do your job well. Also, identify which items aren't performing well and find replacements. This is now your “approved products” list and should be used to guide all future purchases.
Standardizing your purchasing process in this way will eliminate unnecessary or redundant spending. It also helps reduce the number of labels and safety data sheets you must manage. It can also simplify and streamline employee training, which represents further cost savings.
3. Price vs. Cost
Homeowner expectations are as high as ever, yet their budgets have never been tighter as everyone is pinching pennies. That's a tough combination, and one that leads many residential cleaning companies to make purchases based on price tags. That's an understandable, yet shortsighted, reaction.
There's a difference between price (what you pay for an item) and cost (what you get from that item). The former is what you pay today, while the latter is what you pay over the entire lifecycle of the product.
As an example, let's consider microfiber mops vs. traditional cotton mops. A microfiber mop head may cost $16 while a cotton mop head costs $2; the cotton mop appear to win out based on price. However, microfiber cleans twice as fast as cotton and can be laundered at three times more before replacement. When you consider the labor savings in productivity and the additional lifespan of the mop head, microfiber wins out in the big picture.
There are similar scenarios for almost every type of chemical, tool, or machine. Before pulling the trigger on any new purchase, evaluate the options available and think through how they compare over the entire lifecycle. Long-term cost may not always win out, but it's important to have the full picture rather than making a knee-jerk purchase based on a deceptively low price tag.
4. Don't Fall for Hype
Just like automakers introduce new lines every year, manufacturers in the janitorial industry frequently release new products or new versions of existing items. Sometimes these products are incredible upgrades, while other times the differences are minor.
In recent years, for example, vacuums have been upgraded to include bells and whistles like anti-allergen technology, state-of-the-art suction motors, and LED lighting. But what's helpful and what's a passing fad?
Before rushing out to replace your products for the latest and greatest, ask yourself a few important questions. Do you have a specific need for the new technology? Does this particular iteration of the technology perfectly address your needs? Is this product priced to fit your budget?
Even if a new machine or tool is the greatest thing since sliced bread, it's not worth shelling out the dough if it won't help you increase productivity, reduce consumption, or deliver some other quantifiable result.
5. Other Considerations
Here are a few additional questions to help guide your purchases, particularly for big-ticket items like equipment. When you're preparing to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a machine, like a vacuum, consider the following:
- Is there a warranty? How long is it? What does it cover (parts, repairs)?
- What are the maintenance costs and how do they compare to other options?
- What is the life expectancy of the equipment? How does that compare to others?
- Are there product reviews you can read to help you evaluate the product? Can you ask other people in your industry for recommendations or reviews?
- What are the training requirements for this product? What will that cost you if you have employees? Can you get help with training from the manufacturer or your supplier?
- Does this product align with your company's sustainability goals?
Choosing the best janitorial products as a residential cleaner is difficult, and purchasing decisions should not be taken lightly. Before buying anything based on price, take some time to ask yourself a few questions that will help you consider the big picture.
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