Make Your Cleaning Routine Planet-Friendly

Traditional cleaning products are packed full of harmful chemicals. Chemicals that are not only toxic to your health but the environment, too. 

Fortunately, 'green' cleaning methods are on the rise. It's no longer seen as niche and 'hippy' to use natural ingredients when disinfecting your home, but instead, the many benefits of going toxic-free are widely understood. 

Get ready to say goodbye to the risk of chemical poisoning, nasty bleachy smells, and damaging your household items with strong chemicals. And say hello to the new eco-friendly cleaning way of life! 

Whenever you use chemical-based cleaning products, you are running the high risk of polluting water sources such as streams and oceans. Once in the water, these chemicals take a long time to break down, if at all, and may end up consumed by animals and eventually, in our food system. 

As well as water pollution, traditional cleaning products also add to air pollution. Whenever you use strong products like bleach, you're emitting nasty fumes into household air, which might be harmful if inhaled.

Creating the plastic packaging for these products uses up fossil fuels and once thrown away, they'll end up sitting in landfill for thousands of years. Greener products, whether DIY or commercial, more than likely have eco-friendly packaging; for example, Ecover's washing-up liquid bottles are made from 100% post-consumer recycled, 100% recyclable plastic.

Our planet is drowning in pollution from single-use plastics, and household cleaning routines are full of them, from wet wipes to paper cloths. Think about how you can swap disposable items for reusables when cleaning your home. Ditch the dust wipes and paper towels and opt for microfibre cloths instead as they can be hand-washed and reused. Reusable cloths are a must-have for every cleaning routine; they are super versatile and can be used for almost anything, like window cleaning, polishing, and cleaning just about any bathroom surface!

Cutting down on electricity is as simple as being mindful about what you use and how much you use it. Ask yourself questions like, is it necessary to use the hoover as much as you do? It's easy to get into the habit of picking up the hoover every time there's a mess to clean up, but instead of doing this, grab the dustpan and brush and do it the old fashioned way!

Washing machines and dryers are among the most energy-intensive household appliances. You can save money and cut down on energy use by only using the washing machine when you have a full load of clothes. Also, take advantage of warm weather by air-drying clothes instead of using the dryer.

Air fresheners are toxic chemicals disguised as appealing, natural scents, so rather than wasting your money, open all of your windows and air out the house instead. You can't beat fresh air! If you think you'd miss air fresheners too much, then switch to the natural version and create some stovetop potpourri by simmering aromatic ingredients such as oranges, lemons, and cloves.

Indoor air pollution builds up from many different sources: outdoor air pollution coming in through windows, emissions from appliances such as stovetops, products we use such as aerosol cans, and cleaning products. In the UK, indoor air pollution is supposedly three times worse than outdoor air pollution. So we don't want to be adding to the problem by using unnecessary chemical products in our homes. 

Eco-friendly cleaning products can now, fortunately, be found in most supermarkets. Look out for brands such as:

Making your own cleaning products is a great way to save money, and for peace of mind, as you'll know about every ingredient that's cleaning your home! The main things you will need are lemons, white vinegar, baking soda, a microfibre cloth, a spray bottle, and you are ready to start cleaning.

Many of us have been fooled into thinking that we need to purchase a multitude of products for cleaning different things when, in reality, there are natural products that have many purposes. Lemons are one of the most magical natural cleaning solutions that can break down grime from microwaves, polish copper, and even grout.