Q: What is an "environmentally responsible" cleaner?
A: "Environmentally responsible" is the currently accepted term for what were known in the 1980’s as green cleaners. The most responsible cleaning products will have a minimum impact on the user and the environment, measured by a detailed product lifecycle analysis. An analysis is conducted to understand and minimize the ecological impact of a product through various stages, including manufacturing, packaging, distribution and consumption.
Q: How do Simply Clean products differ from most brands of cleaning products?
A: The main difference is in the formulations. Simply Clean uses surfactants that are primarily vegetable-derived. Most popular cleaners are formulated using petroleum products that are not only a non-renewable resource, but are slow to breakdown in the environment and can pose serious health risks. Simply Clean prides ourselves on what ingredients we leave out of our products, making them safe for people and the environment. For more detailed information on harmful cleaning ingredients, see the ingredients page.
Q: Why doesn’t Simply Clean put the ingredients on all of their bottles?
A: We have included all of our ingredient lists on this website. Unfortunately, the basic Canadian secondary education leaves us all a bit short in our understanding of chemical names. As a result some of our formulas are simply too confusing to place on the bottle. Contrary to popular belief, Simply Clean and all other environmentally responsible cleaners still use chemicals with long, complex names whether they are plant or petroleum sourced. In most cases we have listed our complete ingredients; however, some of our formulas include verified environmentally friendly chemical ingredients that are protected as proprietary information. Please note that all ingredients/products must meet government formulation standards before they can be sold. Simply Clean, like all Canadian manufacturers, are bound by labeling laws that protect the public from unsubstantiated claims.
Q: Do Simply Clean Products really work?
A: On a daily basis, we get phone calls from Simply Clean users who are amazed about the effectiveness of our products. Simply Clean users are some of the most loyal consumers in Canada. Once you try Simply Clean, you’ll never go back to other cleaners. Our products are highly effective because they contain 5 - 10% more active ingredients than many leading competitors, so you can use less and be happy with the results. We have numerous testimonials from happy customers attesting to how well our products work. Simply Clean would not be Canada’s favorite environmentally friendly cleaning brand if it didn’t work.
Q: Are Simply Clean Products Hypo-Allergenic?
A: Simply Clean products are free of synthetic dyes, perfumes and enzymes, which have been found to trigger skin, allergy and asthmatic reactions in sensitive individuals. Many of our customers have commented that our products are the only ones that they have found that don’t result in allergic responses.
Q: Are Simply Clean Products tested on animals?
A: Simply Clean does not test any of our products on animals. This is a subject that is often misunderstood by the public, because the initial registration of chemical ingredients in Canada requires animal studies to determine toxicity of each ingredient.
Q: Are Simply Clean bottles recyclable?
A: All of the Simply Clean bottles are made from #1 and #2 plastic bottles accepted by the majority of municipal recycling programs. In an attempt to keep cost down, the recycling symbol may not appear on some of our containers. This should not impact recycling of these containers.
Q: Why are Simply Clean Products more expensive?
A: One of the reasons that mainstream cleaners use phosphates and other harmful ingredients is that these ingredients are considerably less expensive than more environmentally safe cleaning agents. Simply Clean products are highly concentrated, so in many cases they are very competitively priced when compared on a "number of uses per container" basis. Simply Clean is committed to keeping our prices down in order to stay competitive with mainstream cleaners, however we are not willing to sacrifice the safety of our products for your families or the environment in an attempt to lower costs. Yet, we do keep costs low by minimizing our marketing and advertising costs to try to get the product into your hands at an affordable price. We do not do a lot of expensive advertising, but rely on consumer demand and word of mouth to market our products. Public opinion polls continue to indicate that environmental protection is still one of the main concerns of Canadians.