Are you paying too much for your cleaning supplies?
By Theresa Peterson, founder Independent Cleaners Purchasing Alliance
Sure it is easy to walk thru your local big box store and load up your cart with bottles of cleaning supplies right off of the shelf, but I ask you, are you throwing your money away each time you purchase those cleansers?
Let’s take a few minutes to really look at what it is that you are purchasing when you plunk down you $3.99 a bottle for that convenient attractive bottle of all purpose cleaner.
First let’s ask – What is in that bottle? It is common knowledge that a large percentage (often in the 90th percentile) of the contents of your bottle is water! When this excess water is transported energy and packaging is wasted, those costs are added to the cost of the product sold to you.
Now let’s ask – What is on the bottle? Do you immediately recognize the product? If so, ask yourself why? Advertising, Advertising, Advertising! We are inundated on a daily basis with advertising that tells us that this product is bigger, better, stronger, smells nicer, and lasts longer……. You get the point. Advertising costs a fortune, and guess who pays for it? You do! Each and every time you make a purchase the related advertising costs are figured into the cost of the product. The more easily recognizable a product is the more advertising has been done to make it so.
Now it is time to do some comparison shopping to see just how much you are paying for your cleansers. Using the prices listed on Drugstore.com for this research these are some interesting finding that I am sure will shock you. Let’s go shopping.
If we were to go to the Drugstore.com to purchase the equivalent of 1 gallon of each of these cleaners, this is what we would have to pay considering that a gallon is 128 ounces.
Clorox toilet bowl cleaner @ $3.99 for 23 ozs - a Gallon would be $22.20
Lysol anti-bacterial kitchen cleanser @ $3.29 for 22 ozs – a Gallon would be $19.14
Method All Purpose cleaner @ $4.49 for 28 ozs – a Gallon would be $20.52
Scrubbing Bubbles w/ bleach @ $4.29 for 32 ozs – a Gallon would be $17.15
Kaboom tub & tile cleaner @ $7.99 for 32 ozs – a Gallon would be $31.96
Rite-aid glass cleaner @ $3.79 for 33 ozs – a Gallon would be $14.70
Now without endorsing any one janitorial supply company, I ask you to go to any number of the online janitorial supply stores and do some shopping for chemicals that will do similar cleaning and see what they would cost you. The first thing that you will find is that there are pre-made gallons of products that can be used straight from the bottle that average between $ 6 and $10 per bottle for comparable cleansers. Purchasing these alone will save you money over going to the other stores for your purchases. But wait!! You can save even more when you take the time to discover and research the RTD (ready to use), portion pack, and / or concentrated cleansers. These are the true cost savers, who when mixed with water by the end user ranges in cost per gallon from a few cents to a couple of dollars max for a gallon for the finished product.
Just about every janitorial supplier carries a line of concentrated cleaners now a day, ranging from all purpose cleaners to floor strippers. Isn’t it time to investigate? Your bottom line and pocketbook will thank you.
For more information on how to save check out independent cleaners purchasing alliance at www.sm-business-alliance.com
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