Clean Home, Clean Earth: Our top 4 tips for eco-conscious spring cleaning
Spring: brighter days, colder coffee, chirpier birds and, at Eco Ness, cleaner homes!
There’s no fresh start quite like the start of spring… well, aside from the start of spring following months of staying indoors! While much of the UK is slowly transitioning out of lockdown, this year we've learned the importance of giving our homes plenty of love. That’s why we’re encouraging you to turn your attention to the therapeutic wonders of - you guessed it - spring cleaning!
Perhaps the only time of year when a motivation to clean out cupboards is present, doing a ‘deep clean’ is often synonymous with finding the strongest, toughest (and often most toxic) products available. At Eco Ness, we want to change your perspective on what it is that makes a cleaning product powerful, and prove that eco-friendly, non-toxic tools and substances can work just as hard as their polluting counterparts.
If you’re new to the world of sustainable home cleaning products, don’t worry - this is a beginner’s guide as much as it is a reminder to the more seasoned eco pros. Without further ado, get ready to detox your mindset and your living space with our top tips for eco-conscious spring cleaning!
1. Wash Up Your Act
Have you ever considered just how many of our dishwashing products are packaged in plastic?
Or that most washing tools themselves are 100% plastic too?
When you’re working on changing your perspective to clean in a planet-friendly way, the sink is a good place to start. These products are responsible for the surfaces we eat from, so why are we not ensuring that they are as natural as the food we consume? The majority of kitchen cleaning tools are non recyclable and, according to the World Economic Forum, 40% of the 320 million tonnes of plastic produced globally in 2015 was single use. With kitchen tools often constructed from cheap plastic, they offer minimal use and require plenty of replacing.
Enter: the coconut alternative. Not only do these plastic-free tools look a whole lot more stylish, they also boast a multitude of effortless efficacy credentials. Crafted from sustainably farmed coconut husks, the Dish Brush and Scourers by EcoCoconut are naturally antibacterial, with non-scratch bristles that work hard to remove dirt and mould with ease. Level up your washing up with EcoCoconut today.
2. Ditch the Disposable Kitchen Towels
Kitchen towels, AKA the makeup wipes of the cleaning industry! They’re easy, cheap and reaching for one is almost instinctive. But they’re far from convenient for the environment.
Research shows that, while Britons acknowledge and value the importance of recycling for the planet, we are not informed about which products are suitable for this approach to sustainability. In fact, a study by the British Science Association highlighted that 34% of participants wrongly assumed that used kitchen paper towels could be recycled.
There’s no need to worry about recycling, however, when you invest in a high quality reusable alternative. Handmade in the UK with eco and ethical values, the Reusable Kitchen Towels by Vesta Living are created from plastic-free, 100% cotton flannel for a soft yet sustainable alternative to disposable paper towels. Low-impact and highly absorbent, these machine washable fabric sheets cling together for easy storage around a kitchen roll holder.
3. Spray Clean Sustainably
Artificial fragrances and vapours are integral to many cleaning products out there, and many of them are only included to make our houses ‘feel’ or ‘smell’ clean. So whilst more “traditional” cleaning products may work to clean thoroughly, their toxic chemicals and plastic packaging do the exact opposite for our waterways and natural environment.
Cleaning products do not need to be toxic to work, as proven by the award-winning Anti-Bacterial Cleaner by Ocean Saver. Powered by plant-based ingredients, this cruelty-free, palm oil-free and plastic-free essential kills 99.9% of bacteria! Simply pour into an empty spray bottle and fill the container with water, before spraying your bathroom, kitchen, and beyond.
Switch out the bleach for a sustainable staple that’s safe for your home and safe for the ocean.
4. Discover the Sustainable Soapnut
Did you know that over 1 billion (mostly plastic) laundry detergent jugs are disposed of every year in the United States alone? In addition to this plastic waste, detergent companies fill these products with harmful chemicals and non-biodegradable surfactants that enter the water system and damage aquatic ecosystems. That’s why we’re introducing you to an amazing eco alternative…
Have you heard of soapnuts? No, they’re not cleaning enthusiasts, but they are the only laundry detergent that grows on trees! Renowned in India for their non-toxic cleaning properties, soapnuts are a 100% natural, highly effective yet gentle essential. Cleaning clothes is easy and eco-friendly with this compostable, certified organic and vegan-friendly spring cleaning superhero. Discover soapnuts today and wash your laundry the natural way.
Which planet-friendly spring cleaning tip are you going to try out first? Make sure to share your sustainable swaps with us on Instagram by tagging us at @shop.econess and let us know how you’re enjoying the new, eco-friendly you!