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Great news! You can have a sparkling home AND use homemade, eco-friendly cleaners. No more unnatural, plastic-wrapped products. No more overpriced chemical concoctions.
Modern chemical cleaning agents contain all kinds of harsh ingredients, many harmful to our health. Some cause headaches and make us cough or sneeze, while others are associated with chronic diseases and even The Big C.
The toxic components and plastic containers of these commercial cleaners have an outsized impact on the environment. They are produced from non-reusable and non-degradable materials that cause serious ecological damage. Air and water pollution, climate change, the exhaustion of our resources. So let’s talk about the alternative.
Zero waste cleaning is one of the easiest ways to avoid toxic chemicals, preserve the environment, and live on a budget. Green cleaning means switching to DIY natural cleaners, household repurposed items and non-plastic tools. Its aim is to reduce unreasonable waste from conventional cleaning. Zero waste cleaning is also a way to protect your health and create a safe, hygienic environment for you and your family. Worth a try?
To learn how to be more sustainable and eco-friendly, we at Best Carpet Cleaner Guide have prepared several simple tips for a zero-waste cleaning routine.
Zero Waste Cleaning Tools
The main part of a no-waste cleaning routine is to use tools from natural materials. They are more sturdy than plastic ones, and guarantee long-term use. Not only that, but they can biodegrade and don’t pollute nature.
You probably already have some of these in your home that you can re-purpose to use for cleaning.
Here are some useful suggestions:
- Floor tools
- Rags
- Old items
- Dish tools
- Glass bottles and jars
1. Floor tools
A great tip is to supply your home with a wooden broom, mop, duster, or brush, that have plant-based fibres and a removable head to wash after use. A more expensive but also decent option are bamboo-handled utensils. Both will serve you well.
Tools like these might be hard to find, but there is a solution. Go to the local vintage store, where you will definitely come across some beautiful ones.
What about the vacuum cleaner?
A real no-waste enthusiast will choose the bagless unit because the bags that most vacuum cleaners require, are not eco-friendly. An excellent example of a sustainable electrical device is vacuums with reusable filters.
2. Rags
It’s a common habit to wipe any kinds of spots with paper towels or disposable wipes. But, it’s time you stop that and make your own reusable rags. Old t-shirts, sheets, and cotton towels make good absorbent cloth. Cleaning your toilet without paper towels is a small step with a big impact.
A great hack is to store your rags according to colour, each for a particular room and function. When you’re done cleaning your house, throw them in the washing machine and they are ready for the next use.
3. Old items
To avoid unnecessary waste, try to put old items into practice.
For instance, next time you change your toothbrush, keep the old one to clean hard-to-reach spots with it.
The same applies to used kitchen sponges. When you put a new one for the dishes, use the old sponge to clean stubborn stains. It will do a great job.
4. Dish tools
Speaking of dirty dishes, it’s actually best to choose a copper scrubber, a rag, or a small wooden brush when you wash them. These tools ensure long-lasting and reliable usage.
5. Glass bottles and jars
Invest in a good brush to scrub and clean glass bottles or jars, so they can serve as refillable containers.
Go for amber glass bottles and jars because they are more likely to retain the quality of the content.
Zero Waste Cleaning Recipes and DIY Products
Cleaning your home with organic products sounds great, right?
It is, indeed, and the preparation of homemade cleansers is easier than you think. Zero-waste blogger Antonia shares that all you need are simple non-toxic goods, like baking soda, salt, sugar, vinegar, citruses, essential oils, castile soap, etc.
Read on and find out how to make zero-waste cleaning agents at home:
- All-Purpose Cleaning Spray
- Oil Stains Cleanser
- Dish Soap
All-Purpose Cleaning Spray
Get everything sparkly clean with a mix of white vinegar, citrus peels, and warm water. It’s recommended to prepare the spray and leave it for a couple of days to become potent. You will soon have an effective enough product for sanitising different surfaces.
Oil Stains Cleanser
To get rid of fat-based marks, add citrus peels, sugar, and warm water to a glass container. If you need to speed the process, add yeast. You can use the mixture for grease spots on any kinds of places, like kitchen surfaces, or even to remove stains from your clothes or upholstered furniture.
Dish Soap
Store-bought dish soaps contain a serious amount of chemicals, so you might want to avoid them. A zero-waste alternative for clean dishes is a DIY product made of melted castile soap, baking soda, water, and essential oil of your choice.
The soap contains only plant-based fats and oils, and the soda is a strong, yet safe cleaning agent, scrubber, and fast absorbent. So if you try this recipe, you’ll end up with a great cruelty-free, organic dish soap. (Be careful with essential oils near cats.)
And something to use in the dishwasher?
There is a homemade option, too. Mix some salt with a spoon of baking soda and there you go. You have a chemical-free dishwasher product!
Laundry Detergent
At the end of the day, it’s time to take care of your laundry, which is, of course, a part of the no-waste cleaning routine.
Spilt a drink on your favourite dress?
Dinner stains were left on the lace tablecloth?
Do you want fresh and sweet-smelling sheets?
Don’t worry!
Make an all-natural cleaner from 1 cup of melted castile soap, mixed with baking soda, warm water, and essential oil for a lovely aroma. It is the perfect homemade laundry detergent. It will remove all spots and freshen up your clothes.
All good, but you still wonder how to keep white clothes stay white longer. The answer is zero waste DIY bleach. To make your organic bleach, you’ll need the juice from 1 lemon, a spoonful of hydrogen carbonate and a gallon of hot water. It’s super easy to use – put some of the mixture on the yellow stain, rinse after several minutes, et voila! Like magic, the ugly spot is gone.
How amazing is it that by mixing a few basic ingredients, you get a natural cleaning product within seconds?
Do you have carpets at home? Don’t forget to check out our guide: How to Remove Any Stain From Your Carpet (DIY)
Zero-Waste Cleaning (Remarks)
Now you know it is possible to clean without any waste and keep your home sparkling.
Our detailed list of zero waste cleaning tips will help you be more conscious, set a waste-free household and start a mindful lifestyle, which will definitely benefit your well-being and finances, plus the environment.