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Archive for the ‘Products’ Category

Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products

Monday, July 26th, 2010

On the radio last week, it was suggested there is now a link between your increased risk of breast cancer and the cleaning products you use at home.  When you hear claims like these, it does make you start to think about what cleaning chemicals you use around the house.  These products don’t just have an effect on your health and your families health, but also the environment.

Before all these synthetic and toxic chemicals were developed, we purely relied on natural products for their cleaning and disinfectant properties.

Now, most of us, have an array of nasty and toxic cleaning chemicals under our sinks.  When you read the label they are a concoction of chemicals and very often have a hazard symbol on the back with the hazard written underneath. These harsh chemicals very often have specific instructions for use.  Many cannot be breathed in and require a ventilated area, and nearly all warn of not mixing with any other chemicals and advise which surfaces to avoid using them on.  Then, when we finish using them and take off our rubber gloves, we tip them all down our sinks into the water system….

We don’t have to though.  We CAN choose to use natural based cleaning products again and get the job done.

We are looking at alternatives to our cleaning products, not just for our homes, but for the offices we clean in.  We understand that companies are becoming subject to environmental audits and we want to work in partnership with our clients.

We have recently trialed two brands in our office for our cleaning and in our homes.  They are Method & bio-D. We have found them not only to be natural in their ingredients but they really do work!

We actively promote these ranges to our clients and use them in our homes.  

Everytime we pour something down the drain, we want our conscience to be clear…

Micro Fibre Cloths - We’ve been using them for years….

Monday, July 5th, 2010

Many cleaning companies are raving about these cloths but to be honest, we have been using them for years.

Not only are these cloths more hygienic, they avoid the need for expensive (and often harmful) detergents and they get things looking far cleaner in a lot less time. 

And, things being cleaner and saving time, must be a good thing in our busy lives, as we all know, time is money.

Many people don’t like using harsh detergents, they can be expensive, but the main factor is generally they can cause allergic reactions and skin complaints.  Some will argue that in an effort to make things cleaner, we are undermining our bodies immune system to defend ourselves against everyday germs.

Also, these chemicals have to go somewhere.  We pour them down our drains and they go directly into our rivers and seas.  As our result they are polluting the environment we live in.

Many people would like to clean their homes or office environments without so many chemicals, using microfibre we can achieve this.

How do they work?  The cloths themselves have many micro fibres, many more than a normal cloth on the surface, which are smaller.  So, when dust, dirt and bacteria cling to the fibres on cleaning cloths, the more fibres there are the more dirt specs are cleaned up.  These particles become trapped in the fibres and stays there until you wash the cloth thoroughly.  This is mechanical cleaning, not chemical cleaning.

Now, if you are experimenting with microfibre cloths, the best way is to use the cloth with as little water as possible and wring it tightly before using it.  Too much water and loads of soap will reduce the cloths effectiveness.

Microfibre cloths are great, and you can use them to clean any hard surface you like!

We are always looking into new ideas and innovation, if you need a cleaning company that puts your office and the environment first, give us a call today.

Slipping in the Wet Weather….

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Well, we are well into Autumn now with the darker evenings and what seems like constant rain showers.

One of the hazards we encounter this time of year in the rain, ice and snow is slipping on hard floor surfaces.

I encountered this very problem at the weekend, mearly walking from outside in a shopping centre into their main indoor shops.  The floor was wet outside and the flooring in the arcade was shiny marble tiles.   Now the floor looks lovely, shiny and expensive but, with wet shoes on, these hard floors literally turn into an ice-rink!

Luckily, I am quite firm on my feet but pensioners, the disabled or young children might not be so lucky and in courts these days damages may run into tens of thousands for broken bones.

I will of course be contacting the Shopping Centre Management to discuss my concerns with their floor.  As they only opened in May this year, they haven’t had a Autumn/Winter Season to test the floors. 

However, these expensive claims from the unlucky victims of falls and slips can be completely eliminated just by applying non-slip floor solutions to slippery when wet floors.

Our range of anti-slip floor solutions can treat any hard floor service including marble, concrete, vinyl, wood etc. making it slip resistant whilst not compromising on the beauty of the floor.  Together with the initial floor treatment,  an ongoing maintenance programme with the cleaners or ourselves will prolong the effectiveness of the anti-slip floor treatment.

Take a look at our products at http://shipshapecleaning.co.uk/anti-slip-treatments/

All Natural Cleaning Products

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

It is important these days that we are more aware of what we put down our toilets and sinks to reduce the harm to the environment.

One of the ranges we can provide to clients is the Method range of cleaning products. 

We have tested Method products in the Shipshape office and we were impressed at the results.  Method products not only are great cleaning products but when using them, you can be assured that your conscience is clear.

Method products are:

People Friendly - Non-toxic, fresh and natural smelling , with scents like Pink Grapefruit, Lavender and Mint.  No harsh ammonia chemical smell and you can breathe easy

Bottle Friendly - Products are 100% recycled and 100% recyclable

Animal Friendly - Never tested on animals

In the office we particularly love:

Method Best in Glass

Method All Purpose Cleaner

Method Wood for Good

Method Steel for Real

On our sites, we only use microfibre cloths for our cleaning and these are colour coded, washed and replaced regularly.  We find using microfibre cloths with these products gives the best results. 

Be kind to our environment and look in your cleaners cupboard…..

Preventative Measures for Swine Flu

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Office environments are a breeding ground for all types of viruses and bacteria, germs can easily be transferred and although you may have your premises cleaned every evening, staff working during the day can transmit viruses and bacteria.

As part of the Company’s Contingency Planning some of our clients are taking measures to prevent the increase in their staff of some of these viruses, such as the well publicised swine flu.

Products Shipshape Cleaning Can Offer

Maceratable Wet Wipes - Packets of 52 wipes - Useful for staff to wipe their own handsets, keyboards etc

Foam Handrub - 500ml bottle - Commonly found in hospitals, these rubs can be situated throughout the building for staff use

Foam Handwash - 500 ml bottle - Can be used in washrooms to replace existing handsoaps and antibacterial handwash for extra protection, following visits to the toilet

Please contact Shipshape Cleaning at info@shipshapecleaning.co.uk if you wish to order any of these products.

The key preventative messages for a flu pandemic are:

- Always carry tissues

- Use clean tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze

- Bin the tissues after one use

- Wash your hands with soap and hot water or a sanitizer gel often

Or in short: “Catch it, bin it, kill it”

For more information on flu pandemics, go to the Department of Health website http://www.nhs.uk/Pages/HomePage.aspx

Reducing Illnesses in the Workplace

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

Office environments are a breeding ground for all types of viruses and bacteria and germs can easily be transferred. Although you may have your work environment cleaned every evening, staff working during the day can transmit viruses and bacteria.

As part of the company’s Contingency Planning some of our clients are taking measures to prevent the increase in their staff of some of these viruses, reducing time off sick which can cost UK companies millions.

As part of that we are providing these clients with additional cleaning products for personal staff use throughout the day.

We have a product range that is used in hospitals to combat all types of bugs including MRSA and Noro Virus. Using these products germs are removed from handsets, headsets, keyboards, computer mice, not only ensuring the equipment is clean but completely germ free throughout the day, with regular use.  This is especially important if different staff throughout the day use the same equipment.

Products we can supply:

Maceratable Wet Wipes - Packets of 52 wipes - Useful for staff to wipe their own handsets, keyboards etc

Foam Handrub - 500ml bottle - Commonly found in hospitals, these rubs can be situated throughout the building for staff use.

Foam Handwash - 500ml bottle - Can be used in washrooms, to replace exisiting handsoaps and antibacterial handwash for extra protection, following visits to the toilet.

We are happy to arrange for supply of these products to your office, as soon as they are required, just contact us.