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1 year ago
Lisa Grainger’s top tips for ditching toxic chemicals from your cleaning regime
Spring is the time that we all ritualistically deep clean the house. If you haven’t yet been beguiled by the oddly satisfying #cleantok (that’s accumulated billions of views), now’s the time to cleanse the house. But how to do it without harming the environment? Lisa Grainger gives her top tips for a more eco-friendly spring clean.
© Bower Collective
‘Sustainable spring cleaning is not just about keeping our homes clean; it’s about taking care of our planet too,’ says Nick Torday, Co-Founder of Bower Collective. ‘By making small changes to avoid toxic products and reducing the plastic waste coming out of our home, we can all contribute to a healthier environment while still enjoying a fresh and clean home this spring. It’s an easy way to make a big difference in our world while also creating a healthier living space for you and your family.’ Here are our top picks…
All-Purpose Sanitiser Spray Refill Grapefruit 5L, £22.95
The ultimate home of eco-friendly spring cleaning is Bower Collective, where you can shop chic dispensers and products spanning household cleaning to personal care to decant into them. Better still, once empty, your bulk pouches can be posted back to Bower Collective to be refilled and sent to another happy customer.
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Bathroom Cleaner 700ml, £4
If you’re going to choose any product for climate purposes, Delphis Eco should be on the top of your list. It’s got a string of certifications: B Corp Certified (we interviewed the founder Mark Jankovich about it), the EU eco label, Terra Carta, the list goes on. And with good reason: It has reduced VOC fumes, its phosphate-free, and it’s the first 100 percent UK made recycled plastic bottle. Oh, and it’s also been a staple for the royal household for years.
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Multipurpose Starter Kit, £8
Still need some ideas for high-quality cleaning gear for an eco-friendly spring blitz? Spruce has been dubbed ‘a beauty product for the home’, but its pretty packaging is backed up by sustainable credentials. The aluminium bottles are all refillable – and the non toxic refills are made up at home by mixing with tap water. It’s also vegan and cruelty-free, doesn’t use pesticides or artificial fragrances, and refills arrive in biodegradable paper packaging.
Household Power Duo Kit, £17.50
Time to do away with J cloths – all of Seep’s cleaning products are compostible and plastic free making them a far better alternative to standard sponges, scouring pads and cleaning cloths. From its loofah cloths to the natural cellulose sponges, each item is designed to be long lasting, durable, machine-washable and made from renewable materials.
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24 Laundry Capsules, £5.80
Not only do Smol’s laundry detergent and dish washer capsules cost a fraction of the price versus competitor brands, but it’s also addressed it’s packaging to be more planet-friendly. The plastic-free laundry capsules are a world first, and it champions plastic free and recyclable packaging wherever possible. Plus, it’s subscription service saves you the hassle of having to go to the shops.
Eco Friendly Geranium Leaf All-purpose Cleaner, £12
Colt & Willow’s range of beautifully-scented sustainable home cleaning products are eco friendly, plant based, and bottled in refillable packaging with refills which come in recycled PET packaging. Choose from geranium leaf scented all purpose bathroom cleaner, rhubarb washing up liquid, rosemary, lemon and juniper bathroom cleaner, and fig and cassis potty spray – or invest in the whole range.
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Sustainable spring cleaning methods not only benefit the environment but also create a healthier home for you and your family. Look for plant-based and non-toxic ingredients. Many chemicals remain in the waterways for decades, so it’s important to buy natural products that biodegrade, and in an ideal world are cruelty-free, as well as free from chemicals, synthetics, palm oil and petroleum. Great British brands include:
Good labels to look out for? The Soil Association, Allergy UK, and the Leaping Bunny.
Rather than cluttering your cupboard with dozens of little plastic bottles – and worse still, aerosols – buy bulk-products whose packaging can be sent back to UK companies such as Bower Collective, Delphis, Greenscents, Faith in Nature, and Bio-D. Decant the liquids into a PET, glass or aluminium bottle from Fill or Ampulla and add home-designed labels.
Most cleaners are a combination of bicarb (to scrub, deodorise, remove stains and soften fabrics), citric acid (to remove stains and limescale), vinegar (for glass) and vegetable soap (for washing). British companies Dri-Pak and Fill sells all these natural basics, and dispense online recipes and advice, so you can concoct your own, safe in the knowledge that you know precisely what’s in them.
Only three liquids are essential to clean a home: a glass-cleaner, a grease-remover and a disinfectant. All of which the eco-friendly Koh makes in its mop bundle, alongside microfibre cloths, a (very cool) mop, diamond-dust scourers and two well-designed refillable atomisers. Everything is fragrance free – add your favourite essential oil, if you like.
