Natural Cleaners
Many conventional cleaning products contain harsh chemicals like ammonia, bleach, and phthalates that can be harmful to your health. Natural ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils are non-toxic and safe to use around children, pets, and people with sensitivities or allergies. This also means it is safer for our planet as many conventional cleaners contain non-biodegradable chemicals, which can persist in the environment for years, harming wildlife and ecosystems. Ingredients like vinegar and baking soda break down naturally, reducing their impact on the planet.
Furthermore, most store-bought cleaners often come in single-use plastic bottles that contribute to plastic waste. By making your own natural cleaners at home, you can drastically reduce packaging waste by using refillable containers. On top of this, homemade cleaners typically require fewer resources which can be bought in bulk further reducing our negative impact.
Here are some recipes for natural cleaners you may wish to try
All purpose cleaner:
– 1 cup white vinegar
– 1 cup water
– 10-15 drops essential oil (optional for fragrance, e.g., lemon, lavender, or tea tree oil)
Oven cleaner:
– 1/2 cup baking soda
– 1/4 cup water
– 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Vinegar and baking soda are versatile and can be used for a variety of cleaning tasks!
Practices
Sustainable cleaning practices go beyond using eco-friendly products, they involve adopting habits which reduce waste and conserve resources.
Use a mop with a microfiber pad instead of disposable wet pads as these require less water to clean effectively and last longer. On a similar note, stop using kitchen roll! Replace single-use paper towels with reusable cloth rags, towels, or microfiber cloths. You can wash them and use them over and over again. Go a step further and wash them on a cold wash and let them air dry to save energy!
When purchasing cleaning tools, invest in durable, long-lasting options instead of cheap, disposable items that will need frequent replacement. Brands like Dyson design their vacuums to have replaceable parts so you don’t need to buy a whole new product when one small part fails. This is significantly cheaper in the long run and stops a large amount of plastic heading to landfill.
Finally, open windows regularly (make sure the heating isn’t on to waste energy) to air out your space, this reduces the need for air fresheners which contain harmful chemicals.
Not My Monkey 