Concentrates vs Ready To Use - World Refill Day

June the 16^th represented World Refill Day, we at Alliance Online look at one way care homes can also get behind the initiative of opting to refill opposed to dispose of and buy new. The day itself has been created to try and reduce plastic waste generated by discarding bottles or containers needlessly when refilling is an option.

So, how can care and nursing homes embrace World Refill Day?

The easiest way is to take stock of your cleaning chemical supply and review what ready to use options you have and if there are concentrate options available. The purpose is to check if any of your ready to use sprays can be replaced by buying in bulk as there are many benefits for both the environment and your business when using concentrates over ready to use.

Price

Understandably, the initial cost for 5L of concentrate compared with 5L of ready to use formula is far cheaper in favour for the latter. However, as concentrates are diluted to their recommended percentages, the solutions created cost less than standard ready to use options. Ready to use options also incur higher manufacturers costs due to additional packaging, meaning again in the long-term concentrates represent the economical form of cleaning in terms of cost per use.

Ease of Use

Naturally, ready to use cleaners are often an easier to use option. Obviously, this is because ready to use solutions live up to their name of being able to use immediately without the need to dilute. Equally, most ready to use options also benefit from being packaged in a bottle which either possesses a spray dispenser or a flip top cap. Concentrates on the other hand require proper dosing and the correct amount of water being added before it can be used. However, for large scale cleaning such as mopping large areas, concentrates are easier as they only need to handle a small amount of chemical cleaner before topping up your bucket with water.

Environmental Impact

As a general rule, it can be agreed that the more concentrated a product is, the less packaging and energy it requires. A concentrated cleaning product represents a smaller carbon footprint compared with ready to use as it lasts much longer meaning it is shipped less frequently. There is one caveat with concentrates and their environmental impact, they need to be properly diluted to prevent potential damage to local ecosystems and drain integrities.

Best Concentrates for Care Homes

Below are a few of the best concentrates care homes can use to ensure they are getting the best deal economically:

• Professional Fairy Liquid Concentrate – Bulk buying ready to use fairy liquid is a great way of ensuring you always have enough but storing so many can become problematic. As such, buying a few empty dispenser bottles (or reusing ready to use ones which have run out) and filling them with part concentrate and topping it up with water is a great way of saving space and money in the long run.
• SmartDose System – The SmartDose cleaning system offers users an easy to control and use concentrate system. The bottles have a pump system which is designed to either distribute the amount needed to fulfil a 750ml solution or a 5L solution meaning you will always get the right amount for the job. This prevents excess usage and saves users money whilst making creating solutions easy.
• Divermite – Much like SmartDose, Divermite is a system which utilises wall-mounted dispensers fitted with concentrate pouches to release a predetermined amount of solution perfect for mixing when cleaning. The range also offers trigger bottles for sale too which are specific to each concentrate, so users know what is in each bottle.
• ChemEco Concentrate Range – This range offers users an environmentally conscious range of concentrates which come with clear instructions for solution measurements. The range offers 5L options for all products as well as the option to buy a pump which is used for distributing the concentrate into the required amount of water.

At Alliance Online we aim to provide all customers with options that suit their business needs. For businesses with many surfaces or floor areas to clean we would always recommend utilising concentrates. Over the course of the product life cycle concentrates are much more economically beneficial for businesses compared with ready to use options. They also generate less waste and when dosed correctly go much further. Contact us today for assistance in implementing a concentrate cleaning system.