In an aged care setting the environmental question and the comfort question turn out to be the same question. Products with less residue, less odour and less packaging are also the products that make a home more pleasant to live in.
Why heavy fragrance is the wrong default
Strong cleaning scents are marketing, not cleaning. In a home where someone spends most of the day indoors, a lingering fragrance is simply something they cannot get away from. Low-odour products do the same job without imposing on the household.
Ask before you assume
Some clients like a scent and say so. Others find it overwhelming. We ask at the walk-through and note the answer on the file rather than guessing, and we can work fragrance-free throughout if that suits better.
Residue is the practical environmental issue
Over-dosed product leaves a film. That film attracts soil, so the surface gets dirty faster, so it gets cleaned more often, so more product goes down the drain. Dosing correctly is better for the household and uses less product.
Water use
Most household cleaning does not need much water, and using less of it is often better for the surface as well. Damp mopping instead of wet mopping protects timber floors and leaves them dry faster, which matters when someone will be walking on them shortly after.
- Damp mopping rather than flooding the floor
- Microfibre, which holds soil with less water and less product
- Steam where it suits the surface, which uses very little water
- Buckets changed when they are dirty, not on a timer
- Floors dried before we leave, every visit
Waste and packaging
| Choice | Alternative | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Concentrates diluted on site | Ready-to-use bottles | Far less plastic per litre of usable product |
| Launderable microfibre | Disposable wipes | Cloths last hundreds of washes |
| Refillable spray bottles | New bottle each time | Bottles stay in service for years |
| Correct bin separation | Everything to landfill | Recycling actually reaches recycling |
What this means in a client's home
Practically: low-odour products, correct dosing, floors left dry, bins separated properly and taken out, and no lingering chemical smell after we go. If you would prefer particular products used in the home, tell us and we will use them.
We are cleaners, not carers
3 Piglets Cleaning is a cleaning business. We clean the home and keep it comfortable and easy to move around in. We do not provide personal care, nursing, medication support or any form of medical assistance, and nothing on this page should be read as health advice.
We provide aged care cleaning across Melbourne's eastern suburbs from our base in Croydon. If you would like to talk it through, get in touch — there is no pressure either way.
Frequently asked questions
Are eco-friendly products less effective?
Modern ones generally are not, provided they are dosed correctly and given their dwell time. Most complaints about eco products come down to under-dosing or wiping too soon.
Can you clean without any fragrance at all?
Yes. Tell us before the first visit and we will bring fragrance-free options and note it on your file.
Do you use the client's own products if asked?
Yes. Some households have products they have used for years and would rather stay with. That is completely fine.
3 Piglets Cleaning
We are a Croydon-based cleaning company serving Melbourne's eastern and south-eastern suburbs. Our technicians are police-checked and fully insured, and those working with NDIS participants and older clients hold NDIS Worker Screening Clearances. More about us.
