Think of environment when hiring a maid

For the first time in Dubai, hiring a maid will not only leave your home clean but also your conscience. Citrus-based biodegradable and non-toxic detergents imported from New Zealand are being used in Dubai homes by newly-established home-cleaning service Ecomaid. The brain-child of Briton Tolga Soytokin, Ecomaid was launched in April 2011 with the goal of making it easy for everyone to do something that benefits the planet while carrying out household cleaning. The chemical-free products are a favourite in the boating industry as the soap suds are biodegradable and do not harm the environment after being rinsed off or washed down the drain, said Soytokin. Article continues below "I have been using the products for about five years. I order it in big barrels and we bottle it here," he added. The orange-scented citrus-based cleaner is a multi-purpose cleaner that can be used in many ways depending on dilution rates, added Soytokin. One hour's cleaning is priced at Dh35. "People shouldn't have to pay more to go green. It should be easily accessible," he said. "Our employees bring their eco-warrior packs with them that have everything they need to clean your house or flat." Ordinary detergents and soaps have been found to contain phosphates that can be detrimental to marine environments, resulting in poor water quality. Campaign In Australia, a nation-wide campaign last month finally forced the last two detergent manufacturers that used phosphates to phase them out. This success led to calls from the EU for a ban on phosphates in domestic laundry and cleaning products to come into effect by 2013. Despite its infancy in the market, Ecomaid has attracted a wide demographic of people from those living in studios to palatial homes. "When I first had the idea I thought this would appeal to western expats but I'm happy to see that it has received an equally large response from the whole community," said Soytokin. "I'm happy that I can help people make a conscious effort to change their ways," he said. Ecomaid cleaners receive housekeeping training from a partner hotel. All the waste collected while cleaning homes is also recycled where possible.