Ever wonder how you can spring clean like a boss while reducing your carbon footprint?
Believe it or not, there’s really just a handful of eco-friendly cleaning products and everyday items you’ll need, to get your home sparkling clean! And, without all the chemicals and waste.
Suggested Items:
- “1 CLEANER” - Universal Cleaner for Every Surface
- “SQUEAK” or eco-friendly Dish Soap (for dishes, toilets)
- “LOVELY” or eco-friendly Laundry Wash (for bedding, curtains, cushion covers, pet bed covers)
- Baking soda
- Clean rags
- An old toothbrush
- An old fabric glove
- A broom and dustpan
- Mop
- A vacuum, if you have carpets
- Essential oils (optional)
Now, let's get on to a list of tips, nifty tricks and "zero-waste cleaning hacks".
1. Decluttering
Start here, because clutter attracts more clutter, dust and dirt. But where does that stuff all GO? Try repurposing items or donating give-away items whenever you can, to keep things out of landfills and the trash. If you find yourself giving or throwing away too many things, use this moment to reflect on how much less you may actually need to buy in the future. And don’t forget to compost those biodegradable items!
2. Repurpose
Before you go out and buy more cleaning tools or specialty products, there are lots of items around the home that can be repurposed:
- Cut up old t-shirts to turn into reusable cleaning rags. You can use those rags instead of paper towels for dusting, walls, baseboards and cleaning muddy dog paws too. They’re also great for washing the car, and windows (cotton works best!).
- An old toothbrush is fabulous for cleaning those grimy cracks, such as faucets, cupboard doors (you know that annoying spot where the dirt builds up?), tile grout and baseboards. For tile grout, try 1 CLEANER or a drop of dish soap mixed with a bit of baking soda.
- Instead of buying a special tool for dusting high areas like ceilings and cobwebs, tie an old t shirt or rag around a broom. Give it a light spritz of 1 CLEANER first, to help attract the dust to the rag. (When dusting light fixtures, make sure the lights are OFF and light bulbs cooled, to prevent exploding!)
- Use a pastry dough scraper or a painting/wall putty tool to gently scrape tough dried food, grime, gum, tape and glue residue off of counters and floors. (Caution: Do this on scratch-resistant surfaces only!)
- Dust horizontal blind panels using an old (fabric) winter glove. Wear an old glove and use your fingers to get in those difficult to clean blind grooves. Make sure the glove is not too thick and color-fast (if using it wet to wash them too). A glove made of natural fibres such as cotton or wool is ideal.
3. Reduce the number of cleaning products you use
This helps keep extra plastic bottles and chemical waste out of the environment:
- Consider switching to a universal surface cleaner like 1 CLEANER. It effectively replaces 6-10 other cleaning products: kitchen and stovetop cleaner, window and glass cleaner, floor cleaner, granite and stone cleaner, stainless cleaner, bathroom cleaner, wood cleaner and is great for cleaning cupboard doors, electronics, baseboards, leather, plastics and toys, antiques too...you name it! All in that one refillable glass bottle. It is pH-balanced, safe and effective on any and ALL wipeable surfaces. Yay!
- Kitchen: replace your scouring powder with a couple drops of dish soap, mixed with a few teaspoons of baking soda. This works great on caked-on pots and pan bottoms, and stained stainless sinks.
- Toilets: you can also replace your toilet bowl cleaner with a couple drops of dish soap, mixed with a few teaspoons of baking soda. If you long for that strong smell, try adding a few drops of essential oils, like Eucalyptus or Peppermint.
- Spot-clean carpets and cushions with a spritz of 1 CLEANER and a sprinkle of baking soda. Brush spot gently with an old toothbrush or hairbrush, and vacuum away the baking soda when dry. (Spot test first for colour-fastness.)
- Instead of buying another “specialty” cleaner, dust and polish antiques and delicate musical instruments like pianos and guitars with 1 CLEANER. It is pH-balanced to safely protect those delicate finishes and surfaces, and will really bring out the shine!
4. Switch to reusable wool dryer balls
They are all the rage for a good reason. Dryer sheets are packed with chemicals and skin irritants, and are really hard on the environment too. Whereas, wool dryer balls are an amazing way to get your clothes bouncy and soft without chemicals, and each ball can be reused 1,500+ times! Plus, they are biodegradable and reduce energy and drying time by 30-40%. You can add a drop or two of essential oils to them, to add a nice smell to your laundry, if desired. (Lavender and lemon is a great combo!)
5. Switch to reusable cleaning tools and supplies
Try to avoid items that can only be used once or a few times, and especially those that are not biodegradable. Try using rags instead of paper towels, sponges made from recycled materials like old coffee sacks, and mops without single-use parts like disposable pads.
6. Refill your cleaning products
Buy in bulk, or visit your local “refillery” to cut down on plastic and waste. The key is to refill containers, vs buying new ones.
We hope you found this list of cleaning tips towards a more eco-friendly and zero-waste home useful.
Happy Spring Cleaning!
