Company Going Green with Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Spring Home & Garden
North Shore News (March 21, 2007)
Joanna Habdank

At a time when increasingly more cleaning products are popping up on shelves, one West Vancouver company found a way to go back to the basics.

Aspen Clean Inc. offers cleaning service using mainly natural micro-fibers and natural sources such as baking soda and essential oils.  It was started three years ago by Alicia Sokolowski and Chris Solodko when they moved to the North Shore from California.  "We are both very health conscious', says Sokolowski.  I believe in natural living and organic products, recycling and environmental protection."  They were looking for alternative organic cleaning products.  Also having small children we thought that was important to find a way to clean the house without the chemicals.  Once we started researching the industry and the actual impact the household chemicals can have on human health, we thought that that was it and decided to start the natural cleaning company."  She came across microfibre cloth and tested it using only water. She was amazed by how effective it was, and realized she could use this method to clean the whole house.  Sokolowski also decided to add essential oils such as lavender, which she says has disinfecting and deodorizing properties, tee-tree oil, which is antibacterial and anti-fungal and citrus which cuts through grease.

"I thought it was excellent for the cleaning professionals that were exposed to it on a daily basis to be able to work in a non-toxic, safe environment.  That's how we got started," says Sokolowski.  The Company now has seven teams of three people who clean between 30 and 40 homes every day.  Sokolowski says the demand is there because AspenClean offers a non-toxic alternative.  That alternative can be especially crucial for people who are especially sensitive to chemicals, who have allergies or asthma, or who have cancer or other diseases.  Having a home cleaned with eco-friendly, natural products is also important for pet owners and parents with young children who are often crawling on the floor, says Sokolowski.

The products employed by AspenClean are what Sokolowski calls the oldies but goodies, and include micro-fibre cloth, which is a special type of fiber that is thinner than human hair and picks up bacteria, she explains.  "A lot of hospitals are using it for those properties."  AspenClean also offers all-purpose cleaners, super scrubs, and spot removers for tougher cleaning needs.

Sokolowski says that there are still some people who have difficulty believing that it's possible to clean a whole house without using stronger chemicals, but she says people are becoming more open to the idea of using only natural materials.  "People are becoming more aware of how harmful the chemicals are.  I believe that just judging by the number of articles that have been written recently, people are becoming more aware.  But like with everything it's difficult to change overnight."  Even her own cleaning staff were skeptical at first but it was especially important that they too would be working in a clean, healthy environment.  "The secret of our success is our cleaning people."  AspenClean is located at 657 Marine Drive, Suite 100 in West Vancouver.  For more information visit, www.aspenclean.com or call 605 925-9900.