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Eco-friendly home cleaners

I realize that many people that invest in green homes aren't necessarily "green-minded". They primarily want to save money on their energy bills. I'd like to hear from you what marketing ideas you may have to either educate your database on environmental and energy-efficient issues as they pertain to real estate and home ownership. I'd also like to know how you prospect for buyers of these green-built homes.

One of my ideas was this - I recently met a representative from Shaklee that sells Eco-friendly home cleaners. I will be preparing closing baskets with some of the products. I could also use the baskets as a raffle prize for an open house or some other event to capture leads and increase awareness about such products.

Katharine Salzgeber, Denver Metro EcoBroker

Posted by Katharine Salzgeber - Denver EcoBroker on 05/31/2007 01:02 PM

Comments (23)

23 Comments on Eco-friendly home cleaners

AUG

2007

Hi Katharine,

Something that I recently started doing for all clients; buyers and sellers is planting trees in their name at the close of escrow through www.americanforests.org So far, the clients like it and I think that it gets them thinking about the enviroment and small ways to help. I think that most people want to help the enviroment and have a better awareness but just don't know where or how to start. Hopefully, I am helping them to do better. Angelica

I think that is a wonderful idea! You could even do that with the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Additionally, there is a group called Global Green USA whereby you can make a tax-deductable donation in your clients' name if they wish. The donations support programs that help combat climate change, create sustainable communities, eliminate weapons of mass destrucation and promote access to clean water as a global human right. www.globalgreen.org. I'm sure there are many others. If you know of others, I'd like to hear about those too.

Thank you so much for your suggestion!

APR

2008

I love this idea, as it also shows people that they don't have to sacrifice on cleaning quality, and they can find out what cleaning products are earth friendly. One plus to your idea - include a list of where you bought the cleaning products (if they were purchased from local stores), and where those stores are located. Another great way to inform the new owner of the community that they moved in to.

JUN

2008

I love the gift basket idea! Thanks...

JUL

2008

This is a SUPER idea! I have never thought of doing this. Just think if you did do this how many people you could probably convert. Some people just wouldn't purchase these products but if they were given to them, that would be a different story. Love it!!!!!!!

AUG

2008

Katharine, Bringing awareness to green materials is always good, and people love free giveaways! Great idea!

SEP

2008

Gift baskets of green cleaning products are a great idea and I love thr tree planting as well. I sometimes also give a book about cleaning green like CLEAN HOUSE CLEAN PLANET or GREEN UP YOUR CLEAN UP so they get ideas on lots of other healthier alternatives to cleaning.

SEP

2008

These are great ideas - I also love the book idea Deb, I'm going to guess that those discuss cleaning with very BASIC things like vinegar and baking soda. Those items wouldn't be super glamorous in a gift basket perhaps...but maybe we need a little less flash and more simplicity in our lives. :)

NOV

2008

Great Idea! Thanks for sharing. I alwasy appreciate a tip on how to make my clients happy while making a difference.

NOV

2008

Does anyone know about Melaleuca which I believe is also an environmentally friendly product line? Bethany Phillip

NOV

2008

This is Great!! Nice to see others making a difference! Thank you!

Robert J. Yeary

http://www.tryfreshair.com/yeary

NOV

2008

The AmericanForest is a great idea and I gave this gift/donation to my daughters friends for graduation. They all loved the idea!

JAN

My sons co-op home school uses only green friendly products and they work just as good. I think making a basked up to give to home buyer is great!

JAN

Great ideas, Katharine. All that we talk about in green building, without considering what we bring into our homes after the build, is for naught... Has to be a systemic committment. Love the picture...

FEB

This is great I love it.

FEB

Hi Katherine, your idea is great - useful and it raises conciousness. I would, if you could, include a microfiber cloth in the basket, it is such a mulitasker, nothing picks up dust like it, soap scum etc. and the cloth in general works better when it is just a little damp. It is a wonderful tool, because it performs beautifully and thorougly wihout the use of extra products, just the cloth and water.

FEB

What a fabulous idea, Katharine! Anything to promote eco-friendly products to consumers gets my vote!

APR

Kathie , we've also been doing this with our new homes . We include 4 pack of CFL bulbs , 6 Green Works cleaning products ( from Walmart ) & 2 Thunder Tote large reusable Green Shopping Bags with our logo printed on them in a nice wooden basket with a big Green bow ! Everyone who sees them loves them ! We leave one out in open sight in our office , so all new clients can see it ! I'll bet you none of my local competitors has one , but they'd be Green with envy ! Keepin' it Green !

JUN

I like the green basket idea

JUL

I thnk it is a great idea too; we have eco bags for our stagers to use at CSP and all the Certified Green professionals if you hook up with one they will be able to help you secure the shopping bags to carry the products in...like Joanne says it is a systemic commitment. I had a cleaning lady who started complaining about the green produtcs we bought in our house - so we let her go... aftter i found out she was brining things like bleach from her own home to clean mine - ..can u believe it

JUL

I too give green housewarming gifts that are all packaged into a large cloth shopping bag. I add EcoEthic All Purpose cleaner, a microcloth, Static Eliminator dryer sheets, Sylvania Dulux CFL bulbs, a power bar with an off switch and a book called the Carbon Misers Handbook. I add a package of invofmration on our ecoEnergy grants and various other rebtes plus pesticide alternatives. It's a great conversation starter too and the items in the kit are all mentioned in the very inspiring book. I would just add a note of caution: not all "green" products are green. Some CFL's for example are worse than regular light bulbs due to high mercury content. I really try to research each item and when possible, buy fair trade and organic as well.

What a great idea! Anything that we can do in promoting the cause is progress.

SEP

Recently we used a new GREEN bug spray company and the ants and bugs have stayed away better than we ever had previously with a constant service that we had for about 10 years...ugh...think of all the pesticides we put into the ground. We shutter now at the thought, the green products are by far better than their chemical counterparts.

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