Looking for the best concentrated cleaners in South Africa? Have you heard about companies like Grove Co. or Neat.? If you have stayed overseas, you may have even bought from one of them before!
Both these forward thinking brands offer concentrated cleaning products in small glass bottles. They are pretty and sustainable at the same time. Unfortunately Neat. is a UK based company and Grove Co. comes from the USA. Do responsible South African consumers just have to miss out?
No! There is a proudly South African company that offers safe and eco-friendly cleaning products in concentrated form. It’s Mrs Martin’s!
What is concentrate and why is it the better option?
According to Google, concentrate is “a substance made by removing or reducing the diluting agent; a concentrated form of something.” This means the product will take up less space, and have less weight too. It is more cost effective and creates less greenhouse gasses to deliver a concentrated product that’s lighter, than a product where water is already added. By choosing to buy concentrates instead of Ready To Use products, you reduce the amount of fuel needed to get the items delivered to your doorstep!
If you are missing your small, sassy bottles from Neat. or Grove Co, don’t despair. Mrs Martin’s offers most of our fabulous products in concentrated form! You can shop our range of concentrates here.
By switching to Mrs Martin’s concentrated cleaning products, you:
Save money
Save space under your sink
Save the planet
Why not ditch the original way of buying and using cleaning products? Start thinking about tomorrow!
How can you get hold of your favourite Mrs Martin’s products AND save on couriers?
At Mrs Martin’s we have kept our delivery fee the same since 2022. As a brand that sells mainly online, courier fees influence each and every aspect of our business. In recent years fuel prices are at a record high, and courier fees rise multiple times a year. Just yesterday, 1 September 2024, courier fees went up again.
It is very convenient to have product delivered right to your door, right? But that does cost money.
In reality there is no such thing as free shipping. No courier works for nothing. When you order over R900, we call it ‘free shipping’, but in actual fact it is just free for you, the buyer. We, the seller, pay full price. We do so gladly, because we really apprectiate your business.
So in order NOT to pay extra for courier fees, your aim should always be to order for more than R900. That is a lot of money. Perhaps even more soap than you need. How now?
Order in bulk
Did you know that using our concentrate and refill options are more economical by far? Take the savings even further by ordering enough to last you three months. That should bring your order to a total above the free shipping threshold, which means you save on couriers.
Create a delivery ‘lift club’
Convince your responsible friends or family to order together! Decide on a date by which everyone must let you know what they want or the month, and order everyones products in one go. Give one delivery address and collect your products from there when they arrive. No extra courier fee!
Ask your local sustainable living store to stock us
We would love to be in every shop in South Africa! Approach the shop you love to support, and ask them to contact me. Who knows, perhaps we can strike a deal and have your favourite products on their shelves in no time. Since you visit that shop anyway, it would cost you nothing more to get a hold of our products.
In a way, having to think about one’s courier fees actually makes one more responsible as a consumer. Instead of sending the couriers every month for smaller orders, one plans now and sends the courier once in three months, for example. That creates far less carbon emissions and makes the foorprint of our product smaller.
Thank you for being on this journey with us. We look forward to packing your next order!
Did you know you can return empty containers to us? If you are anything like me, you hate throwing out a strong, lightweight, durable container after only one use. When you return your empty containers to us, we really use them again.
If you want to return empty containers, go to mrsmartins.co.za and look for the product ‘Return Used Containers’. Add it to your cart and we will know to ask the courier to collect a parcel when he delivers your order. This service costs you a small fee.
Why do we charge you a fee to collect your used containers? Because we are mainly an online shop, everything we offer involves couriers. Unfortunately couriers charge per weight or volume, depending on which is bigger. That means they charge a full courier fee for picking up the containers even if it is light, because it is large.
We try to arrange that they pick up the parcel when they deliver your order, this way we try to minimise unnecessary carbon emissions. Also, if they can complete the delivery and pick up in one trip, we might one day be able to negotiate a discount on the fees. Very often however, lines get crossed and the courier arrives at your door twice. Please do pardon the inefficiency and know that we are working to educate all parties regarding small footprints and such!
We hope that as our delivery volume picks up we can negotiate better rates in the future, but for now we pay a full courier fee to have your containers collected. In order to keep this service sustainable, we ask you to pay a portion thereof.
Of course, if you stay in Pretoria, you can deliver the containers to us or to Brooklyn’s Banting Market at no extra cost.
Thank you so much for being a responsible, intelligent consumer. We trust that we will all reap the rewards in the future.
Do you feel that horrible niggle when you throw ‘away’ your fourth yoghurt tub and another empty milk bottle in just one week? I do!
I’m not an activist and I do not live in constant fear of annihilation. But running my household in a responsible and intelligent way is important to me. Throwing ‘away’ a fantastically light and strong container that was USED ONLY ONCE does not seem to be either.
Mrs Martin
The way we see it, plastic is a great material because it is light and strong. It is exactly the kind of material that should be used over and over again, for years. After that, it can be recycled once or twice. True, by that time it will end up in landfill, but it would have saved so much energy during its working life, that the net impact is favourable.
Just imagine: we transport your soap to you in a 5l PET bottle. The fact that the bottle is strong means the courier drives less, because it does not break along the way. The fact that the bottle is very light means the courier can carry more product in one trip, so he makes less trips! Over several years, the delivery of your product creates a smaller footprint, and if you send back five empty 5l bottles every year, you have kept a whole lot of plastic off landfill!
That’s why we accept your used containers and really use them again. Visit our website to see how you can do it.
That’s also why we offer concentrate refills and bulk buying options for thicker soap that cannot be concentrated. We take the single use plastic problem off your shoulders and offer you a chance at a clean conscience.
In some form or another, we all clean every day. For most of us, that involves products. We touch the soaps, we inhale the fumes. And who knows how long the chemicals stay on the surfaces in our homes, and in the waterways outside. More and more people are asking how we can clean in a safe, responsible way. We feel biological products are the ultimate green products. Here’s why.
What makes biological cleaning products better than conventional products?
Biological cleaning is intelligent.
A good biological cleaning product incorporates indigenous, clean bacteria in spore form. As soon as the product gets sprayed onto a dirty surface, the spore senses the presence of food and wakes up. It then produces exactly the enzymes needed to digest that food, eats the food and dies. You are left with a surface that was cleaned more intelligently than any soap could do.
Biological cleaning uses less chemicals.
Because the microbes do most of the work, less chemicals are needed in the product. A good biological cleaner will therefore be soft on hands and cause less allergies, and do less damage as it is released into water treatment systems and eventually rivers.
Biological cleaning kills only what should be killed.
You have heard how indiscriminate use of antibiotics is actually breeding superbugs. There is a general move away from killing all bacteria, towards killing only deadly ones, while nurturing the multitudes of beneficial strains. Biological cleaning works on this principle of teaming up with the life that is already in, on and around us. A good biological soap will therefore contain no biocidal chemical, which means it is also safe for the environment!
Other than choosing a good biological range of cleaning products, what can you do to make your cleaning regime more green?
Microfiber and water goes a long way.
Water is nature’s universal solvent, and you nearly always have it available. Paired with microfiber you can clean just about anything. Launder your cloth properly, dry it in the sun and it will last for years, reducing plastic in the landfill.
Throw out anything that says antibacterial.
Unless you are a surgeon, you do not need sterile hands. Hands covered in colonies of good microbes are actually your first defence against germs. Also, triclosan and the rest is not healthy for you or the environment.
Use all natural sponges, and choose refillable soap containers.
Say no to single use plastic. Loofah is a gourd that grows on vines, and when dried works wonderfully for scrubbing the shower and washing dishes. When choosing detergents, look for strong containers where refills are available. Dumping a used dish soap bottle in the rubbish every month simply does not make sense!
The small amber bottle is the 50ml concentrate, and the large red bottle is the 5l concentrate.
The short answer is: it is more economical! It also reduces the carbon footprint of our product’s whole life cycle.
Cost effective for you
The recommended dilution ratio is 1:14. That means one 50ml concentrate refills the 700ml spray bottle once, and the 5l concentrate refills the 700ml spray bottle a whopping 100 times! Consider: to buy a spray bottle filled with Ready To Use (RTU) soap, costs you R70. When you refill from the 50ml concentrate it costs you R35 for the same bottle. When you refill from the 5l concentrate it costs you R19 for the same bottle! That’s a saving of more than 70%.
Cost effective to transport
We try to ensure that the whole life cycle of our product has a low impact on the environment. The 5l concentrate makes 70l RTU soap. To transport 5l soap instead of 70l soap saves space and weight in vehicles, so less petrol and less fumes.
Space saving in your home
The 5l concentrate makes 70l strong soap but takes up the space of 5l. That’s a huge space saving under the sink!
You choose the strength
This is an unforeseen advantage that our clients alerted us to. When you buy a concentrate, you can dilute as much or as little as you like. If the job is especially tough, you could dilute 1:5 for example and have a super strong soap. It’s really up to you!
It makes refilling easy
Refilling your empty used containers from a 5l concentrate becomes a breeze when you add one of our large pumps. Every squirt of the pump dispenses 30ml soap. So two squirts into your empty spray bottle, with water added, and you’re done!
The 50ml concentrate is even easier – empty the entire concentrate bottle into the spray bottle and add water! Please remember that we do accept empty concentrate bottles back – just arrange with us. That way you never throw anything out!
And why do we not offer concentrates on the other products like HAND, BODY and DISH? Because these products are too thick already – they would be very difficult to use in concentrated form.
I would positively LOVE to hear your take on our concentrates. What is your favourite use for them?
Hoekom ek ‘n lysie van nommer nipper geskenkidees moes maak
Ek is altyd laat. Ek besef dis erg. Dis verskriklik. Dit wys vir ander jy respekteer nie hulle tyd nie. Dit maak jou man kwaad. Dit maak dat jy altyd ‘n bietjie windverwaaid op ‘n plek aankom. Dis aaklig.
Maar jy kry darem daai laaste bondel wasgoed in die masjien…
Ek moes veertig word voor ek kon verstaan hoekom ek altyd laat is: ek haat rondsit. Jy wat my ken sal weet ek hou van doeltreffendheid (efficiency, man). Om tien minute in die teater te sit en wag vir die konsert, is super ondoeltreffend (so loop die gesprek onbewus in my kop). Dis sieldodend. Jy kry niks uitgerig nie, en dit terwyl die huis wat jy so lank gelede agtergelaat het, op sy kop staan. Jy kon net sowel tien minute later gery het en nog ‘n bietjie skoongemaak het! So daarom maak ek nog ‘n bietjie skoon, ry vyftien minute later en kom laat aan. Elke. Liewe. Keer. Daar ken jy nou een van my groot karakterfoute.
Alweer laat
So hier is ons, drie slapies voor Oukersaand en vier slapies voor Kersdag. En ek het nog nie geskenke vir almal nie. Ek is laat.
In plaas daarvan om by Crazy Store in te storm, het ek aanlyn rondgesnuffel vir geskenke wat onmiddelik opdaag. Die wonderlike ding van kitsaanlyngeskenke is dat dit gewoonlik nul vullis is (zero waste, man).
En omdat ek nie kan glo dat ek die enigste een is wat laat is nie, deel ek graag my vondse met jou. Terloops, niemand betaal my niks hiervoor nie.
Ses nommer nipper geskenkidees wat sommer ook nul vullis is
Wie hou nie daarvan om op die rusbank/langs die swembad te le met ‘n pragtige tydskrif nie? Betaal die intekenfooi namens jou vriendin en siedaar! Jou Kersgeskenk word elke maand afgelaai by jou vriendin se huis, en sy sal ‘n jaar lank dankbaar wees. As jy regtig ernstig is oor nul vullis kan jy natuurlik ook die digitale weergawe kies. Vir tussen R360 (digitale weergawe) en R480 (drukweergawe) kan jy ‘n tydskrif uitkies waarvan sy sal hou. Ons is mal oor Weg! Platteland. En hierdie maand se somerkersfeesartikel in LIG was pragtig (plus hulle gee tans 40% afslag op die intekenfooi).
Pretoria het ‘n fantastiese dieretuin. Ons kinders kan nie genoeg kry van die dieretuin nie. Dit is reusagtig, dis oud, en elke keer wat ‘n mens gaan is die atmosfeer anders omdat dit buite is. As jy vir ‘n spesiale kind (R125) of selfs ‘n gesinnetjie (R300) betaal om Friends of the National Zoo te word, kry hulle afslag op die gereelde Fun Walks wat ‘n 5km vroegoggendstappie deur die dieretuin is. Hulle kan ook tweemaal verniet ingaan by die dieretuin! Gee ‘n ervaring eerder as ‘n ding. En watter beter ervaring as die dieretuin?
As jou vriendin nie in Pretoria woon nie of die dieretuin nou al genoeg gesien het, kan jy die ervaring wat jy gee aansienlik opgradeer na ‘n Wild Card. Dis nou ‘n geskenk. Dis beslis die goedkoopste manier om Suid-Afrika se fantastiese parke te verken. Jy sal vir tussen R640 en R1300 regkom, afhangende van watter kluster jy kies en of dit vir een mens, ‘n paartjie of ‘n gesinnetjie is. Jou vriendin sal vir ‘n jaar alle deelnemende parke in die kluster verniet kan besoek as dagbesoeker. Sy sal boon-op afslag kry op verblyf, ingeteken word vir die WILD tydskrif en verwittig word van eksklusiewe promosies en kompetisies.
Hoekom?! vra jy. Sodat sy vir die hele jaar verniet by al tien SANBI Nasionale Botaniese Tuine in Suid-Afrika kan ingaan! Ja, ons het tien Nasionale Botaniese Tuine: Kirstenbosch (Kaapstad), Harold Porter (Bettiesbaai), Karoo Desert (Worcester), KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg), Vrystaat (Bloemfontein), Laeveld (Nelspruit), Pretoria, Hantam (Nieuwoudtville), Walter Sisulu (Krugersdorp) en Kwalera (Oos-Kaap). Ons gesin sou ons elke Sondag op Pretoria se Botaniese Tuine se grasperk gaan neervly het as dit nie geld gekos het nie. Om van die broeipaar witkruisarende by Walter Sisulu nie te praat nie! Vir tussen R500 en R900 (afhangende van enkel- of gesinslidmaatskap) kan jou vriendin vir een jaar enige tyd verniet ingaan by enige tuin, en sy sal ook ingeteken word op die oulike tydskrif Veld & Flora.
5. Koop haar ‘n geskenkaart
Ek sal altyd ‘n iTunes geskenkkaart met ope arms verwelkom! Jy kan boeke, films, musiek of apps koop. Hoe nul vullis is dit? Hoe luuks? En hoe kits?! Gaan na jou iTunes account, kies die Store tab regs bo (as jy dit van die desk top af doen) of die Send Gift knoppie heel, heel onder (as jy dit van die iTunes app op jou foon doen). Vul jou vriendin se eposadres in, skryf ‘n boodskap en kies ‘n bedrag!
iTunes op my desktop
En dan moet ek darem ook ons eie Mrs Martin’s gift cards noem want miskien weet jy nie eers dat jy intelligente, verantwoordelike, veilige seep aan jou vriendin per epos kan stuur nie!!
Geseende Kersfees!
Ek hoop jy geniet jou aanlyn inkopies. En nog meer as dit: geniet ‘n rustige, geseende Kersfees.
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