When thinking about becoming more ‘eco-friendly’, it can be difficult to know where to begin. However, a great place to start on your eco-journey is by making small changes to your regular day to day life, such as your cleaning routine.
Whilst it may seem small in the grand scheme of things, making just one part of your everyday life more sustainable will have a bigger effect on the planet than you think. Here we’ll discuss five easy ways to make your cleaning routine more sustainable.
Easy Eco Hacks – Swap your plastic products for eco-friendly alternatives
Over 300 million tonnes of plastic are manufactured each year and consequently much of this ends up in landfill. Switching out just one to two of your plastic cleaning products, especially those that are single use, can make a huge difference over time.
There are many eco-friendly cleaning products available on the market now that can rival their plastic alternatives.
Great options include wooden brushes, glass bottles, and biodegradable bin liners, which all work just as well as their plastic counterparts yet are kinder to the environment. When selecting products keep a look out for those which are biodegradable, BPA free, and have compostable packaging.
Easy Eco Hacks – Set a cleaning schedule
There’s no need to be cleaning your home excessively every day, and a cleaning schedule can help limit excess water use and product wastage. Not only this, but once you start setting one day a week as your cleaning day, you will notice your products lasting much longer than before, consequently saving you money in the long run.
In addition to house cleaning, making sure you have a full load of clothes that need washing before using the washing machine can also be hugely beneficial on the environment. On average, washing machines use between 15 to 30 gallons of water per wash, the equivalent to 136 bottles of water[1] so limiting usage and cutting out half wash loads, can be a great step towards becoming more eco-friendly.
Easy Eco Hacks – Recycle your existing products
Many products can be widely recycled nowadays so make sure recycling becomes part of your everyday routine.
If you can, create a separate bin and dispose of all your recyclable materials here, it will help to prevent these ending up in landfill, where they can eventually enter and cause harm to, our ecosystems.
Most cleaning products will have clear labels as to which part of the packaging is recyclable as it’s important to be mindful that not every part will be. Ensure that you are reading the packaging before throwing away, as the bottle itself may be ok to recycle, but it’s cap may not be.
Easy Eco Hacks – Choose reusable products or packaging
We are often quick to choose products that serve one purpose and then throw them away after they have been used.
However, there are so many innovative and reusable options on the market today, which can help reduce single use packaging, from glass spray bottles to refillable laundry eggs.
Investing in reusable products means you can get more for your money as well as protect the environment from unwanted landfill.
Easy Eco Hacks – Try to avoid toxic ingredients
A common myth within the cleaning community is that chemicals in cleaning products are needed for achieving the best results, which is simply not the case.
While you may not want to go full DIY with ingredients, it can be a good idea to try and source products with less harsh chemical ingredients and opt for those with natural elements.
The ingredients in our cleaning products will more than likely be washed down the drain entering our water systems, so it’s best to avoid these harsh, toxic chemicals which can be harmful to wildlife.
Becoming more eco-friendly doesn’t have to be complicated. Following these easy eco hacks and investing in sustainable cleaning products will ensure you are doing your bit for the environment, without breaking the bank.