Nowadays, you can get specific cleaning products for every job around the home. While they’re usually great at what they do, buying all these products can get expensive. Then there’s the environmental side to consider, too. Each one comes in a plastic bottle, which generates a lot of waste.
Did you know it’s possible to go green with your cleaning while also saving yourself some money? Well, read the tips below to find out how!
How to Be Eco-Friendly and Save Money
1. Focus on Multi-Purpose Products
A good place to start is with multi-purpose products. For example, white vinegar can handle so many cleaning jobs around the home, and it’s inexpensive. You can use vinegar for:
- Cleaning mirrors
- Softening fabric
- Deodorising your washing machine, shower, etc.
- De-greasing surfaces
- Cleaning steel and chrome
The same is true for something like bicarbonate of soda. Old-school cleaning products are easy to buy in bulk and are generally less expensive than more modern specialist ones.
2. Buy Refillable
There’s been a trend in recent years for refillable cleaning products, and for good reason. The most obvious benefit is cutting down on your plastic waste, but it goes beyond that.
A lot of refillable products can work out less expensive because supply chains are smaller and they’re usually cheaper to ship.
The best kind of refillable cleaning product is one where add your own water, such as cleaning drops. They’re easy to ship in the post because they’re small and lightweight, and very kind on your pocket.
3. Make Sure You Reuse
You’ve probably heard the saying, “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Commonly accepted practice is to go through them in that order. So, if you can’t reduce your usage, try to reuse things wherever possible. Luckily, it’s quite easy to do this with cleaning.
For example, you can reuse old toothbrushes for cleaning grout, cooker hobs, and more. Another good tip is to buy reusable dryer balls rather than using disposable sheets. Finally, reuse your old plastic cleaning bottles for refillable products. While many brands sell glass bottles for theirs, it’s better to not have to buy something in the first place!
4. Visit a Zero-Waste Shops
Zero-waste shops have become fairly popular, so you should be able to find one locally. They’re perfect for buying eco-friendly cleaning products, and often work out far cheaper than buying elsewhere.
Of course, you need to take your own container, but this shouldn’t be too difficult. Consider buying a set of Tupperware or glass containers and take them with you to the shop.
5. Use Cold Washes
Clothes can readily be washed at 30 degrees C with no impact on how clean they get. Plenty of eco-friendly washing brands sell detergents designed for cooler washes, so do some homework to find one that works for you.
Importantly, washing at 30 can save as much as 40% of the energy used for 40-degree washes. However, make sure you still wash things like towels at 60 to ensure you’re killing the bacteria on them.
6. Stop Using Cling Film
Cling film is probably found in every kitchen in the country. Although it’s a useful product, it’s non-recyclable. Consider replacing it with reusable beeswax food covers, which you should be able to buy online or in a zero-waste store.
They’re naturally antibacterial due to the ingredients in the wax and you can wash them in cold water. They’ll need replacing eventually, but they last much longer than a roll of cling film.
7. Look for Eco-Friendly Mops and Brooms
Have you ever thought about the ecological impact of your mop? Probably not, but there’s no better time to start than right now! Mop heads are often made from plastic fibres, which have a big carbon footprint. The same is true for most brooms you’ll find.
Consider switching to eco-friendly alternatives that use natural materials. For mops, this’ll usually be cotton, and for brooms, bamboo. Bonus points if your new mop head is machine washable, which will drastically extend its lifespan.
8. Buy Reusable Cleaning Cloths
There’s no cleaning job that can’t be handled with a reusable cloth. Dusters and dishcloths are fairly obvious options, but you can get mirror and glass cleaning cloths made from bamboo fibres. Better yet, they can give you a streak-free shine using only water!
Switching to reusable cloths will help cut down on your paper towel usage. But if you do still need to use paper towels, look for brands made from recycled paper or, better yet, bamboo.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are loads of ways to make your cleaning more eco-friendly without spending loads of extra money. When starting on your green cleaning journey, make small changes first to familiarise yourself with the products, and make sure you do plenty of research to find what’ll work best for you.
Do you want get an eco-friendly cleaning service to help you save some more time and not impact the planet? Get yourself a service like domestic cleaning London.
