Guide to Sustainable Cleaning

Sustainable cleaning is all about finding solutions that do no harm to people or planet. Unfortunately. Many people still rely on harmful practices when cleaning their homes. Here are some tips to help you keep your home healthy, fresh and clean while reducing your negative impact:

Avoid Harmful Cleaning Products

Often, moving to a more sustainable lifestyle is more about what you don't do than what you do. Avoid buying harmful cleaning products. Sadly, many of the cleaning products on the market contain harmful substances that pose a threat to people, wildlife and natural environments.

What is more, many of them come with plastic packaging that cannot be recycled and poses a threat as waste at the end of its useful life. By avoiding synthetic cleaning products, we can reduce our negative impact. We can become part of the solutions to our current crises rather than part of the problem.

Make Your Own Natural, Sustainable Cleaning Products

You might be surprised by how few substances you need to sustainably clean your home. All you need are a few simple, natural ingredients.

Bicarbonate of soda comes in cardboard boxes, or plastic-free packaging, and can be used to scrub, scour, clean, deodorize and freshen your home.

Simple vinegar is a natural antibacterial cleaner and can help you keep glass and surfaces streak free. You can even make your own. For example, using apples from your garden to make apple cider vinegar.

A simple, natural Castile soap can either be bought or made at home, and can be used to clean your home from top to bottom.

Those three things are more than enough to keep a clean and healthy home.

Choose Plastic-Free, Sustainable Cleaning Tools

In addition to these natural cleaning substances, you will need a few simple cleaning rags and brushes. But again, it is important, when trying to live sustainably, to choose more eco-friendly solutions. Try to avoid plastic cleaning cloths and brushes, as these pollute the environment, come at a high carbon cost, and cannot usually be recycled at the end of their useful lives.

Choose a plant-based natural brush set and you can have the right cleaning tool for any occasion. These brushes will last, but when they do finally reach the end of their lives, they will naturally decompose rather than leaving around a waste problem for future generations. You can also reuse natural clothing as rags when they are no longer fit to wear.

These are plenty of great tips and solutions out there for sustainable cleaning. With a little thought and effort, you can go green and move closer to a zero waste lifestyle while still enjoying a clean and healthy home.