What Products Do You Use?

What Products Do You Use?

It's one of the questions we're asked most often at Songbird Cleaning Company—and I'm glad people ask.

Because the products a professional cleaning company brings into your space matter.

They matter to your countertops, floors and fixtures. They matter to your children and pets. And they especially matter to the cleaning technicians who work with those products for hours every day.

When I started Songbird, I didn't expect cleaning products to become something I would care so deeply about.

Then I started researching them.

What I learned completely changed the way I thought about professional cleaning.

My Research Started With a Simple Question .

As I was building Songbird, I spent a lot of time researching how other cleaning companies operated.

What products did they use? What equipment did they carry? How did they train their employees?

Along the way, I began coming across information about ingredients and exposure to common household cleaning products that concerned me.

At the time, I was also working on my master's degree, which gave me access to a university library and published academic research.

So I started digging.

And then I kept digging.

I became particularly interested in the potential respiratory effects of cleaning chemicals and the importance of understanding repeated occupational exposure.

Think about the difference.

You might clean your bathroom once a week.

A professional cleaning technician may clean several bathrooms in a single day, five days a week.

That completely changed the question for me.

I wasn't simply asking:

"Does this product clean well?"

I was asking:

"Would I feel comfortable asking my employees to work with this product all day, every day?"

That became one of my non-negotiables.

Safety Had to Come First—But the Products Still Had to Work

I knew I wanted to move toward products that aligned better with my priorities for Songbird.

But there was another problem.

They had to work.

Professional cleaners are sometimes skeptical of products marketed as "green," "natural," or "safer," and I understand why.

Our technicians have a job to do. If I give them a product that requires twice as much scrubbing or doesn't produce professional results, I haven't really helped them.

In fact, when I told one of our clients that we were testing different product systems, his response was essentially:

"Oh, non-toxic? Great. So it's not going to work."

I knew he wasn't the only person thinking it.

So instead of choosing a product based on marketing claims, we tested them.

We Tested Three Product Systems for Three Months

Last summer, I selected three professional product lines that appeared to align with what I was looking for.

Then we put them to work.

We tested one system in June. Another in July. And the third in August.

Each product got an entire month.

Our technicians used the products in actual client spaces under real cleaning conditions.

We paid attention to:

• How effectively they cleaned
• How much physical effort was required
• How versatile they were
• How easy the system was for technicians to manage
• What the technicians liked
• What frustrated them
• Whether the products produced the professional results our clients expected

At the end of those three months, there was a clear winner for us.

Why We Chose Envirox

Today, Envirox is the foundation of our cleaning system.

We use it for approximately 90% of the cleaning we perform—from glass and mirrors to countertops, bathrooms and flooring.

What surprised my technicians most was that choosing a product system with safety in mind didn't make their jobs harder.

It actually made their jobs easier.

The system is simple. Instead of carrying a collection of different products for every imaginable task, we're able to use one primary professional system in different ways and at the appropriate manufacturer-directed dilution for the job we're performing.

Most importantly?

It works.

Strong Smell Doesn't Mean More Clean

There's an interesting belief many of us have developed around cleaning products.

If it smells strong, it must be working.

Walk into a bathroom, smell bleach or another strong chemical fragrance, and there's something in our brains that says:

"Now that's clean."

But smell isn't a measure of cleaning performance.

We see a great example of this in Florida bathrooms.

Warm, humid showers are wonderful environments for all kinds of buildup and microbial growth. That familiar pink film people sometimes call "pink mold" can include bacteria and other microorganisms thriving in a moist environment.

When people see something like that, the instinct is often:

"Bring out the heavy stuff."

Bleach. Mildew remover. Something with an intense chemical smell.

Our experience taught us that professional results don't require filling the room with overpowering fumes.

With the appropriate product, dilution, technique and contact time, our technicians can address many of the same cleaning challenges without relying on that "chemical clean" smell.

That was eye-opening for both our team and some of our clients.

Professional Cleaning Is Really Applied Chemistry

One of the biggest things I've learned from running a cleaning company is that professional cleaning isn't simply knowing how to scrub harder.

You have to understand what you're trying to remove.

And you have to understand what you're cleaning it from.

Different types of buildup respond to different chemistry.

Sometimes you need an alkaline cleaner.

Sometimes mineral buildup calls for an acidic product.

And for routine cleaning, we generally prefer to use an appropriate neutral-pH product whenever possible because protecting our clients' surfaces is just as important as making those surfaces look clean.

The goal isn't to use the strongest chemical available.

The goal is to use the right product, in the right concentration, on the right surface, for the right problem.

Sometimes Central Florida Requires a Little Extra Help

Envirox handles the overwhelming majority of our everyday cleaning, but no single product is the perfect solution for every situation.

Central Florida gives us a particularly good example: hard water.

Mineral buildup can accumulate on shower glass, faucets and bathroom fixtures and sometimes requires something beyond routine maintenance cleaning.

One of our favorite specialty products for those situations is Bio-Clean Hard Water Stain Remover.

We also use Bar Keepers Friend when we need an acidic cleaning product appropriate for certain mineral deposits, rust, soap scum or other stubborn buildup on compatible surfaces.

We also carry a fragrance-free dish soap for situations where dish soap is the appropriate tool.

Having a safer primary cleaning system doesn't mean refusing to use specialty chemistry.

It means being intentional about when and why we use it.

"Natural" Doesn't Always Mean Safe for Your Surface

This is another misconception I encounter frequently.

People sometimes assume that if something is natural, it must automatically be safe to use everywhere.

That's simply not how chemistry works.

Vinegar is probably my favorite example.

I've had clients with beautiful wood floors tell us they want us to clean them with vinegar because vinegar is natural.

But vinegar is an acid.

Depending on the flooring and its finish, repeated exposure to acidic cleaners may not be appropriate and can potentially dull or damage certain finishes.

So there are times when I have to say:

"I understand why you want us to use that, but I'm not comfortable using it on this surface."

My responsibility isn't simply to make something look clean today.

I want to help protect the surfaces in your space over time.

What If I Want You to Use My Cleaning Products?

We're frequently asked this too.

And the answer is: let's talk about it.

One of the things we pride ourselves on at Songbird is our ability to tailor service when reasonable.

People become attached to products.

Maybe your mother used it.

Maybe you've used it for twenty years.

Maybe you simply don't feel like your bathroom is clean unless it smells a particular way.

Marketing is powerful, and our experiences with products are personal.

If you have a product you strongly prefer and you'd like to provide it, we can often accommodate that request.

There are, however, limitations.

If we believe a requested product could damage a surface, create an unnecessary safety concern, or isn't appropriate for the task, we may decline to use it.

Bleach is another example. It can be an effective disinfectant when used appropriately, but it isn't automatically the best everyday cleaner for every surface. Using aggressive chemistry unnecessarily can create its own problems.

Our first responsibility has to be doing the job safely and protecting your property.

Most Clients Eventually Tell Us, "Just Use What You Use"

One of my favorite things about this entire journey has been watching hesitant clients become comfortable with our system.

At the time I'm writing this, Songbird has approximately 83 recurring clients.

These aren't people who hired us once.

These are clients who invite us back into their spaces week after week or every other week.

Of those approximately 83 recurring clients, I can think of only three who initially requested that we substitute one of their own products.

Two eventually told us, essentially:

"Just use what you use."

They saw the results. Their spaces were clean. Their surfaces looked great. And over time, they became comfortable with our process.

Today, I can think of one client out of those 83 who still strongly prefers her own product.

And that's okay!

We use it for her.

Professional service doesn't mean telling every client that there's only one way to do something.

It means bringing expertise to the conversation while also listening to the person whose space we're caring for.

So, What Products Does Songbird Cleaning Company Use?

The simple answer is that Envirox is the foundation of our professional cleaning system and handles approximately 90% of our routine cleaning.

We supplement it when necessary with specialty products such as Bio-Clean for hard-water and mineral buildup, Bar Keepers Friend for appropriate surfaces and specific types of stubborn buildup, and a fragrance-free dish soap when needed.

But I think the more important answer is why we use them.

Our product choices begin with three priorities:

• Protect the technicians who handle these products repeatedly.
• Protect our clients, their families, pets and spaces.
• Deliver professional cleaning results without unnecessarily aggressive chemistry.
• 
  

And then we add one more:

Protect the surface.

Because the strongest product isn't necessarily the best product.

The product with the strongest smell isn't necessarily doing the best job.

And "natural" doesn't automatically mean appropriate for every surface.

Professional cleaning requires understanding the chemistry, the surface and the problem you're trying to solve.

The Products in Your Space Matter

When someone asks me, "What products do you use?" I don't mind giving them the names.

But I hope they'll ask one more question:

"Why did you choose them?"

That's the question that tells you much more about a cleaning company.

At Songbird Cleaning Company, our products weren't chosen because they were trendy or because certain words looked good on our marketing materials.

We researched.

We tested.

Our technicians used them in real client spaces.

We listened to their feedback.

And we chose a system that allows us to deliver the kind of service I want Songbird to be known for: thoughtful, professional cleaning that considers not only how your space looks when we leave, but also the people, pets, plants and surfaces we're responsible for caring for while we're there.

Because bringing harmony to your space should never require being careless about what we bring into it.