When facility managers compare cleaning chemicals, they usually compare the price on the invoice. But the true cost of cleaning a hotel, kitchen, factory or office includes much more than that. Here are seven hidden costs of traditional cleaning chemicals, and how a single cleaning concentrate can reduce them.
1. Too many products to buy, store and track
A typical site buys a floor cleaner, a glass cleaner, a kitchen degreaser, a washroom cleaner, a carpet cleaner and more. Every product is a separate stock line: another supplier, another order, another shelf and another half-empty container. Fewer products means less time spent on purchasing and inventory.
2. Paying to ship and store water
Ready-to-use cleaners are mostly water. You pay to transport it, carry it up stairs and store it. A concentrate does the same work from a fraction of the volume: mixed at 1 : 10, one litre of concentrate makes eleven litres of cleaning solution.
3. Training time and dilution mistakes
Different products come with different instructions. New staff take longer to learn them, and mistakes are common: too strong wastes product and can leave residue, too weak means cleaning twice. With one product and one dilution chart, your team learns a single routine.
4. Staff discomfort and protective equipment
Harsh fumes and irritant chemicals lead to complaints, more protective equipment and less willing staff. Check the safety data sheet of every product you use. SOLVIS® isn't classified as hazardous under the EU CLP rules, has no harsh fumes and was rated "excellent" in a dermatological patch test.
5. Damage to surfaces and equipment
Corrosive or abrasive chemicals can dull stainless steel, etch stone and wear out seals and finishes over time. Repairs and early replacement rarely get linked back to the cleaning budget, but they belong there. A non-corrosive cleaner protects the assets you clean every day.
6. Hazardous storage, labelling and transport
Products classified as hazardous or regulated as dangerous goods need careful storage, labelling and shipping, which adds cost and paperwork. SOLVIS® isn't regulated as dangerous goods for transport by road, sea or air.
7. Packaging waste
Every ready-to-use bottle ends up as plastic waste. A concentrate in one recycled HDPE can replaces a stream of bottles, which also helps with your sustainability reporting.
How to work out your true cleaning cost
For each product you use, write down:
- the price, and how many litres of use solution it makes after dilution;
- how much you use each month;
- where it's stored, and how much space it takes;
- the protective equipment it needs;
- how long it takes to train someone to use it.
Then compare the total with a single concentrate. Our free cleaning cost audit does the first part for you in a minute.
What one product looks like in practice
NoBroker's home cleaning services used to rely on about ten cleaning products, including floor, glass, couch, bathroom, kitchen and balcony cleaners. Since January 2026, their teams across India have used one: SOLVIS® ecopower. The result is one product for every job, easier training and lower cleaning costs. Read the story.
Frequently asked questions
How can a business reduce cleaning costs?
Compare products on cost per litre of use solution, cut the number of products you stock, use concentrates instead of ready-to-use bottles, and give staff one dilution chart to reduce mistakes.
Are concentrated cleaners cheaper?
Usually, per litre of use. A concentrate mixed at 1 : 10 makes eleven times its volume of cleaning solution, so you pay far less for water, packaging and transport.
What should I ask a cleaning chemicals supplier?
Ask for the safety data sheet, independent performance and biodegradability test reports, a surface-by-surface dilution chart, and a demo on your own surfaces.