Multitasking: Works for other areas so why not cleansers?

Where do you multitask? Most people multitask at work when pressure is on and the boss wants multiple projects done at the same time. Housewives multitask and cook, clean, and write checks to pay bills while performing another task. Moms and dads definitely multitask when trying to balance the needs and requests of the kids and still go about their own personal routine. Where would we be today without the ability to multitask?

This principle of multitasking can be applied to more than just people. Let’s choose cleaning products to investigate multitasking. Start by making a list of the cleaning products you have under your kitchen sink and under your bathroom vanities. How many of those products multitask?

Do you have metal polishes for every metal or can you use your single metal polish on utilitarian metal surfaces as well as expensive high-end metals? Is your window cleaner a long-lasting product that seals the cleaned surface so it can be cleaned with water for touch-ups, or does it just do a cleaning job in the here and now? Does your sink cleaner work on the stainless steel kitchen sink and porcelain and/or granite bathroom sinks? Does this cleaner clean and seal so sinks stay clean for at least a while? Can you use sink cleaner for toilet bowls? Or do you have several toilet bowl cleaners in each bathroom that cannot be used for any other purpose? Do those cleaners also seal the surface so hard water lines don’t form?

Most houses have wooden cabinets. Most homes have some wooden furniture. The house may contain plastic, vinyl, or leather furniture surfaces. Countertops can be formica, corian, granite, ceramic tile, or various other plastics. Do you have a cleaner for each of these surfaces? Does each cleaner clean the surface but not seal it for lasting effects?

Let’s go to the garage. Here sits the family car. It has chrome, painted windows and surfaces, hubcaps that are exposed to sand from the brakes, maybe a leather interior, plastic and sometimes wood surfaces, and soft plastic parts like the dashboard, not to mention the tires. Do you have a cleaner for each of these surfaces? Does this cleaner also seal the surface so reapplication isn’t a frequent chore?

There are cleaning products out there that do multiple tasks. They clean, polish and seal. They do multiple types of surfaces. They come in various bottle sizes so you won’t be forced to buy much more than you could possibly use. The cost of these products may be a few cents more per bottle, but a comparison is necessary. Compare quantity and cost of multiple products used now. Multiply that by the number of times these products are purchased per year. Do a study on how long is really “durable”. As amazing as it may be, there are cost savings to be had with products that multitask but may cost a bit more. It is worth the study.

Start your evaluation of currently used cleaning products today. Look to multitasking products and you’ll not only decrease the amount of work and cost of cleaning products, but you’ll also decrease the time spent cleaning!

By Donna Zoellick