Oh my oh my. We are SO proud to have won the Argus Eco Award for Green Business.

So Ceri, Sharon and I all went to our first ever award do. I had to dig out my old interview suit from my IT days (shiny elbows, ill fitting trousers, and ripped lining in the jacket), Ceri had to wear high heels (she was walking like she’s been riding a horse for 4 days), and Sharon was sporting her best dangly earrings (bling!). We were wined and we wered dined (Barefoot Wines and Due South were 2 of the sponsors!).

Then the awards ceremony started. Our category was 2nd to last, so my nerves were frazzled. I got all psyched up as our category loomed, then the compere said “let’s take a break for the raffle”! Jeeeeeepers..

I’d bought some raffle tickets, and foolishly agreed that Sharon, Ceri and I would share any prizes (although Sharon and I decided that if we won the surfing lesson, Ceri could have that all to herself!). There was huge excitement when we won the £250 shopping spree at Churchill Square… that we’re going to share (sulk)!

Then, back to the awards.. We were up against Nigel’s Eco Store and the Cycling Gardener, both lovely and deserving local Green Businesses. The sponsor of the award was Neilson Active Holidays , and their big cheese read out that we had won.

I can’t tell you how pleased I was! There was a big cheer (even louder than when we won the shopping spree!). Sharon and Ceri had decided to make as much noise as possible (the free wine helped!).

And so we are now Green Mop - the Award Winning green cleaning company!

The Green Moppers have worked so very hard in the last 18 months. Ceri and Sharon in particular have helped so much to make us a success. Green Mop struck lucky when those 2 agreed to be the core of the team. All the girls and boys, both past and present, that have pulled on the Green Mop t-shirt and got stuck in making homes and workplaces clean and fresh have all contributed to the great reputation we have earned. Gen, Alice, Sophie, Jo, Joe, Johnny Sparkles, Hettie, Maria, Apphia, a big thanks.

And our lovely customers. Thank you to those that took the time to nominate us in the first place! And thanks for choosing us to be your cleaners and helping our small green and ethical business to thrive in Brighton and Hove.

Thanks also to the Argus and the sponsors for putting on such a great do. We did have fun!

One last thanks and then I’ll shut up! Thanks to my friends and family for putting up with all the Green Mop trials and tribulations. Josie has to put up with most of it! But Josie and Teen are always there with advice and help and ideas. My family are so proud and supportive and encouraging.

Anyway, back to reality… there’s cleaning that needs doing, so better get on..

Is there really a way to be clean, green and have time to relax on the couch drinking organic wine? Jaynie Ralph investigates the latest urban miracle.

Supermarkets are full of cleaning ranges that profess to care about our family. These products often contain substances that have a skull and crossbones in the small print. Chlorines (bleaches), phosphates and other dangerous chemical substances are toxins that enter the atmosphere and waterways, causing environmental and wildlife destruction. It’s important to find services and solutions which cause as little ecological harm as possible.

Lynne Edwards, a successful sales director, is concerned about her imprint on the environment – she also wants a spotless kitchen floor that she knows is fastidiously germ free. At the end of a day she wants to relax with a glass of Sancerre and the latest episode of Desperate Housewives, not get out the scrubbing brush. Greenmop is a cleaning service based in Hove, whose ethics are cleanliness, customer service and eco-friendliness. Racheal Hughes started the company after becoming tired of her IT business and deciding to spend more time doing what she loved – cleaning.

“As an eczema, asthma and allergy sufferer, I can feel chemicals and toxins burning my skin, inhibiting my breathing and irritating my eyes,” she says. “The harmful effect the chemicals and toxins have on our homes and workplaces, and on plant life, animals, rivers and oceans simply isn’t necessary. Natural, bio-degradable, non-toxic alternatives are available and are just as effective.”

Doubtful the green products would be as efficient as conventional cleaning products, Lynne was surprised to learn that they were and at a cheaper price. Lynne was delighted with her sparkling kitchen and gleaming slate floor and realised she could now throw away her collection of chemical products to opt for the more natural ones.

“I would like to say that the soda crystals and spray was all that was needed to clean the oven, but Racheal had to use some elbow grease too,” Lynne says. “She finished off the job with a little vinegar mixed up with the soda spray which made the front of the oven positively sparkle.”