Natural Cleaning Products

Last Updated on May 8, 2014 by admin

The benefits of using natural cleaning products around your holiday home

As a holiday homeowner what factors do you consider when selecting a cleaning product for your cottage?

Are they products that you’ve always used and perhaps see no need in changing?

Is it the latest and brightest packaging on the supermarket shelf that catches your eye?

Maybe the option that promises to save you time and make the most stubborn of chores easier and quicker to manage?

Whilst there may be a vast range of reasons for using the products you do, one unifying factor many of these cleaning solvents will have in common is the inclusion of strong chemicals that can be potentially harmful to your visitors and young children in particular.

With the growing list of ‘green’ and ‘natural’ alternatives to traditional bleaches we explore the potential benefits of going green when it comes to cleaning your holiday home.

Chemicals in the air and on surfaces

Once your holiday home has been cleaned with chemical based products they can remain present in the air and on the surfaces of your cottage for some time.

This can lead to new guests inhaling detrimental fumes and also enduring the smells that come with them during the busy summer period when changeover times can be extremely short.

The residue of these chemicals can also remain on surfaces and worktops and have been known to cause skin irritation, rashes and in extreme cases allergic reactions.

Natural products reduce these risks for your visitors and are often accompanied by a natural and more pleasant aroma, negating the need for even more products such as air fresheners to be deployed.

Pollution

We live in a country with unbounded natural beauty.  We insure and are lucky to be able to visit a vast number of properties situated in areas of outstanding natural beauty, with breathtaking views and unrivalled surrounds.

Cleaning products including chemicals such as Ammonia can not only effect soil pH levels but also cause the eutrophication of water when dispersed into waterways.

Using natural products can lessen the impact that our properties have on the environment and surrounding area in which we visit and live.

Antibacterial Wipes

When sourcing cleaning products and agents for the home or for a holiday cottage we can sometimes naturally gravitate toward the word ‘antibacterial’.

After all, these are the products that reduce the risk of bacteria remaining on surfaces or around your home that could be of risk to your visitors?

Recent American research by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suggested there is no significant difference between an antibacterial soap and a natural soap in eradicating bacteria and also suggested that repeated use of ‘antibacterial’ goods can actually promote bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

Cost savings

The subject of cost and any potential saving will vary from property to property.

However, research has also shown that the wearing impact natural cleaning products have on surfaces such as worktops are much less than strong chemical substances and therefore the period between replacements can be increased proportionately.

Using natural products, where appropriate, around the holiday home can also reduce the need for expensive off the shelf cleaning solutions.

Green Marketing

More and more visitors are now seeking holidays that are sustainable, green or eco-friendly.  The level to which holiday cottages answer the needs of the growing number of ‘green tourists’ is becoming an increasingly fundamental aspect in visitor decision making; the potential difference between staying in one location from another.

Using natural products rather than chemicals can add to the marketing of your property and the message that you’re doing everything you can to give them the premium holiday they desire, whilst also protecting the environment around you.

Boshers are specialist providers of insurance for holiday homes and cottages. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday letting business please give us a call on 01237 429444.