iQ products: "The Smarter Cleaner"

A few weeks ago I saw an announcement by a company that is producing a green cleaner in a reuseable bottle. The product isn’t available in Canada so I contacted my source at Planet People and suggested they do the same thing — that is, make a great green cleaner in more responsible packaging. Turns out they already do (d’oh!). iQ is branded as the ‘The smarter cleaner.’

If you’ve read any of my previous posts you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of Planet People and the products they make. Concrobium is my go-to mould control substance because it’s safe, non-toxic, and kills the mould by crushing roots and preventing regrowth wherever it’s been applied. The Gloves Off! line is another product I swear by for heavy jobs, disinfecting, and removing paint and other tough stains. So I was thrilled when they asked me to try iQ…. It’s kind of sad when I admit to being excited about cleaning products isn’t it? (Sigh.)

Like the other products Planet People produces, all of the iQ products are made from non-toxic ingredients. I  tried the all-purpose cleaner and it worked as effectively as I would have expected. The one thing I really noticed was that while I was cleaning the enclosed shower stall was the absence of fumes; no stinging, burning eyes, and it easy on my hands. The scent is light and pleasant, and I have to admit to liking a pleasant smell when cleaning as opposed to no smell at all. I need that to be reassured that all that hard work has paid off with not just sparkling looking sinks, but also fresh smelling too. The website notes that all scents are “…carefully screened for environmental impact and safety like all iQ ingredients.”

Now, about the packaging: According to the iQ website, over one million plastic cleaning bottles are produced every year as single use items. One gallon of oil is needed to produce a mere 29 bottles. These bottles are used once before being thrown away and over 78% end up in landfill. Further, 90% of the cleaning product is water which means that when trucks are transporting the cleaning products they are really shipping water from one place to another. It’s a lot of energy put into something to keep our houses clean. The iQ REFill system changes that. REFill stands for “Reduce Environmental Footprint,” and through the cartridge system, aims to significantly reduce the amount of energy being consumed by cleaning products. In fact reusing the spray bottle cuts down the plastic consumption by 80%.

iQ Cartridge

The system is easy to use: the REFill refillable bottle comes with an extra cartridge. Add tap water to the bottle to the “water line” mark,  drop the cartridge in the top of the bottle, slide the siphon end through the centre of the cartridge, screw on the sprayer and it will automatically mix the contents of the cartridge with the water. When the bottle is empty, recycle the cartridge, refill with water, add a new cartridge, etc…

There are four different cleaners available in four different scents:

• iQ All Purpose cleaner (in Green Tea)
• iQ Bathroom cleaner (in Nectarine Plum)
• iQ Glass Cleaner (in Bamboo Berry)
• iQ Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner (in Papaya Mango)

Cost: the starter kit (comes already prefilled) is about $6.79. Refill cartridges retail for about $2.79, so it’s also an extremely cost effective product. (However, after watching their video, I wonder why the bottles come prefilled the first time. Can’t we use our own water right from the very beginning?) This is a great cleaning system and so easy to use. Because iQ products are new, they’re only in health food stores across Canada.  For local dealers click here.